The American Apprenticeship Act would provide funding to states for tuition assistance programs for pre-apprenticeship and Registered Apprenticeship programs; Though evidence indicates that the apprenticeship model is a highly effective training model, it is not widely used by American workers or employers.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King have joined with Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) to reintroduce the Timber Innovation Act, bipartisan and bicameral legislation that aims to find new and innovative uses for wood as a building material.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin applauded the affirmative determinations from the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) in its final phase antidumping and countervailing duty investigations of Chinese producers for selling unfairly subsidized industrial grade amorphous silica fabric (ASF) in the United States at less than fair value. The ITC voted unanimously in agreement with Auburn Manufacturing, Inc. and the Maine Delegation that the unfair trade practices occurred.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Maine Congressional Delegation welcomed the affirmative final determinations from the U.S. Department of Commerce in its investigation of Chinese producers for selling unfairly subsidized industrial grade amorphous silica fabric (ASF) in the United States at less than fair value. The Department of Commerce has concurred with Auburn Manufacturing, Inc. and the Maine Delegation that the unfair trade practices occurred and has assigned total cash deposit rates of more than 200 percent to China’s largest producers and exporters of ASF.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Bruce Poliquin and Chellie Pingree issued the following statement today in response to the release of the Economic Development Assessment Team (EDAT) recommendations for Maine’s forest economy and more than $1.5 million in associated federal grants:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded the Eastern Maine Development Corporation $200,000 to support a development and implementation strategy in Bucksport for the former Verso Paper Mill project area. The funding is awarded through the Brownfield Area-Wide Planning program which aims to engage communities to help clean-up old sites for economic development initiatives.

Click HERE for B-roll of Senator Collins with Dr. Carson

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Susan Collins met with Dr. Ben Carson, the President-elect’s nominee to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), in her Washington, D.C., office this afternoon for 50 minutes. Senator Collins chairs the subcommittee that sets HUD’s funding.

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the U.S. Economic Development Administration awarded a $500,000 Economic Recovery Assistance grant to Eastern Maine Development Corporation (EMDC). The funding will be used to establish a plan to support redevelopment and revitalization in Eastern Maine and to provide assistance to businesses that have been affected by the closure of manufacturing plants.

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, joined 13 Senators in introducing a bipartisan resolution designating the week of November 14, 2016, as National Apprenticeship Week.

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representative Bruce Poliquin announced that the U.S. Department of Labor has approved much-needed Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for displaced employees at Twin Rivers Paper Company.

In July, Senators Collins and King and Representative Poliquin sent a letter to U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Thomas Perez in support of the TAA petition, which was filed in advance of the Madawaska mill shutting down one of its five paper machines.

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin responded to today’s announcement that the European Commission’s Committee on Invasive Alien Species has decided that they will not proceed with the listing of American lobster as an invasive species at the European Union level. The decision brings an end to the proposal that threatened to end live American lobster exports to EU countries.

Portland, ME — At the invitation of U.S. Senator Susan Collins, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Anthony Foxx, toured the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge and the Port of Portland today with Senator Collins, Federal Highway Administration Administrator Greg Nadeau, and Maine Department of Transportation Commissioner David Bernhardt.

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that the Maine Department of Labor will receive $9,000,000 from the U.S. Department of Education to expand vocational and educational opportunities for Maine students with disabilities.

Washington, D.C. — Today U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) introduced the bipartisan Two-Generation Economic Empowerment Act to increase opportunities for families living in poverty. The bill aligns and links existing systems and funding streams to target both parents and children with support aimed at increasing economic security, educational success, social capital, and the health and wellbeing of whole families.