The Senate Appropriations Committee unveiled its subcommittee memberships for the 112th Congress and Maine Senator Susan Collins has been named the top Republican on the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee.
In addition to her senior position on the Transportation Appropriations subcommittee, Senator Collins will also serve as a member of the Defense; Energy and Water; Commerce, Justice and Science; Interior; and Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittees.
“As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will continue to work to strengthen our economy and adopt fiscally responsible policies,” said Senator Collins.
“I am delighted that I have been appointed to serve as Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, where I will be in a key position to advocate strongly for fiscally responsible investments in our nation’s aging transportation infrastructure. As the most senior Republican member of that subcommittee, I will continue to make it my top priority to change federal law to allow the heaviest trucks to travel on Maine’s federal interstates.
“As a member of the Defense Subcommittee, I will have critical input on projects that are important to Maine companies that contribute to our national security, including Bath Iron Works, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, and the Pratt & Whitney plant in North Berwick.
“In addition, I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Energy & Water, Commerce-Justice-Science, Interior, and Agriculture Subcommittees on priorities important to Maine and our nation while pressing for the elimination of wasteful spending that exacerbates our federal deficit,” Senator Collins continued.
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE RESPONSIBILITIES
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development:
As the Ranking Member of Transportation, Housing and Rural Development Subcommittee, Senator Collins will be the most senior Republican on the Subcommittee that helps to set our nation’s transportation and urban and community development funding priorities. In late 2009, Senator Collins authored a law that established a one-year pilot project that allowed trucks weighing up to 100,000 pounds to travel on all federal interstates in Maine. According to the results of a preliminary study by the Maine Department of Transportation, the pilot project, which expired in mid-December 2010, allowed Maine businesses to receive raw materials and ship products more economically, thus helping to preserve and create jobs. Through her role as Ranking Member, Senator Collins will work to enact legislation to make that law permanent.
Defense:
Senator Collins’ positions on both the Armed Services authorizing committee and Department of Defense Appropriations subcommittee place her in a key position to shape our nation’s defense policy. Senator Collins is the leading advocate in the Senate for a strong shipbuilding base. The contributions of Bath Iron Works, the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Pratt and Whitney in North Berwick, and many other small defense-related businesses make Maine a national leader in both shipbuilding and ship repair, and an important component of our nation’s defense industrial base.
Energy and Water Development:
As a member of the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Collins will be responsible for helping to set funding levels and priorities for the Department of Energy, which, among other things, provides resources for research and development into innovative new technologies to improve energy efficiency and reduce our reliance on foreign oil. Senator Collins has also helped advance a University of Maine-led effort that is working to deploy the first deepwater floating wind turbine prototype off the U.S. coast. Additionally, the Energy and Water Development appropriations bill sets funding levels for the Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works division to maintain and deepen our nation’s channels and harbors.
Commerce, Justice and Science:
The Commerce, Justice and Science bill sets the funding levels for a myriad of important agencies, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service is responsible for managing the federal fisheries off Maine’s coast, while Maine’s fishermen rely on timely and reliable information from the NOAA’s National Weather Service to ensure safe navigation at sea.
As a member of the Commerce, Justice, and Science Subcommittee, Senator Collins will be responsible for helping to set funding priorities NOAA’s research and management activities.
Interior and Environment:
The Interior and the Environment Subcommittee sets the funding levels for much of the Department of the Interior, including the Minerals Management Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Park Service. Maine’s Acadia National Park, which is part of the National Park Service, attracts more than 2 million visitors each year, making it an important contributor to Maine’s economy. Additionally, the Interior appropriations bill also provides funding for the Environmental Protection Agency. Senator Collins has been a harsh critic of the EPA at times, working to ensure that the upcoming Boiler MACT rules are reasonable and protecting Maine jobs in the pulp and paper industry. Last year, Senator Collins successfully persuaded the EPA to allow Maine small contractors more time to comply with EPA rules regarding lead paint abatement. As a member of this subcommittee, Senator Collins will be able to provide much-needed oversight of EPA.
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration:
The Agriculture Subcommittee and Rural Development Subcommittee is responsible for setting funding levels for research important to Maine’s agricultural industry, including potato growers and blueberry farmers. As a member of the Subcommittee, Senator Collins will be able to help develop and oversee the Department’s agriculture research, marketing, and rural development budgets.
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