Hearing scheduled for Wednesday, November 30th, at 2:30 p.m. in Dirksen 562

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Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King released the following statement today on the recent announcement that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has decided to not pursue a proposed rule at this time that would have required individuals to opt in to receive mutual fund information in paper form. Senators Collins and King have strongly advocated to keep paper as the default delivery method for financial disclosures. 

September 22, 2016, marked the first day of the fall season, a time to enjoy Maine’s beautiful foliage and crisp weather. It also was National Falls Prevention Day, a time to better educate seniors, families, and caregivers – as well as government and civic organizations – about the practices, programs, and policies that can be taken to reduce the risk of falls.

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Ben Cardin (D-MD) introduced a Senate resolution celebrating "National Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week.” The resolution recognizes the hard work of direct support professionals during the week of September 12th.

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Claire McCaskill, who together lead the Senate Aging Committee, today requested additional information from the government concerning the recently announced settlement with Wells Fargo, and whether it disproportionately affected America’s seniors. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) recently determined that Wells Fargo employees had illegally opened millions of accounts that consumers had never requested in order to boost individual performance goals and bonuses. 

A few weeks ago, Westbrook resident Cathy Wiles called my Portland Constituent Service Center to alert me to a new Social Security Administration (SSA) policy that could have prevented seniors from accessing their online “my Social Security” accounts.  The change, which was scheduled to take effect on August 1^st, would have made text messaging the only means of verifying individuals’ identities and guaranteeing access to their accounts online.

Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Claire McCaskill, the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Aging Committee, sent a letter to the Social Security Administration (SSA) today urging immediate action to ensure all seniors have safe and speedy access to their Social Security accounts.

WASHINGTON – Following efforts from U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Claire McCaskill, the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Aging Committee, seniors will once again be able to access their Social Security accounts online without needing to have a cell phone. Senators Collins and McCaskill sent a letter to the Social Security Administration (SSA) last week urging immediate action to roll back a new policy that required text message authentication for seniors to access their “my Social Security” account online.

For most Americans, tax season ends on April 15.  For the con artists operating the pernicious IRS impersonation scam, cheating honest taxpayers is a year-round job.

In this scam, fraudsters telephone victims, impersonate an IRS agent, and demand payment for allegedly unpaid taxes. The callers frequently threaten victims with arrest, foreclosure, or other adverse legal action.  Scammers often instruct their victims to pay using a money wire or prepaid debit card. 

“The goal is not a good death. Instead, the goal is to have as good a life as possible all the way to the very end.”   That was the message Dr. Atul Gawande, surgeon and author of the New York Times best-selling book, Being Mortal, delivered at a recent Senate Aging Committee hearing that I chaired. Our hearing explored ways to not only expand, but also to improve, the care provided to the approximately 90 million Americans who are living with a serious, often life threatening, illness.

Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senator Susan Collins, the Chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, is warning of a new variation of the pernicious IRS impersonation scam.  According to the U.S. Treasury Inspection General for Tax Administration, iTunes and other gift cards are now the primary form of payment demanded by con artists pretending to be IRS agents. 

One week ago, J. Bryon Martin, a 77-year-old former pastor from Dresden, Maine, was serving the first year of a six-year sentence in a Spanish prison.  With failing health, Mr. Martin faced the prospect of spending the rest of his life incarcerated, thousands of miles from his home and loved ones.  His crime?  Mr. Martin was the victim of a scam that tricked him into unknowingly transporting illegal drugs across an international border.

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Senate unanimously approved a bipartisan resolution introduced by U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), the Chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), a Member of the Committee, declaring June 15, 2016, as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. The resolution calls attention to the problem of elder abuse around the nation, and honors all those that fight for justice for victims. U.S.

Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senator Susan Collins, the Chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, announced today that as a result of a lead reported to the Committee’s Fraud Hotline, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) has arrested five individuals connected with the IRS impersonation scam. Two individuals were identified as a direct result of the crucial information provided by a fraud investigator with the Aging Committee’s Hotline.