"We are very concerned about the welfare of the workers at Houlton International," said Senators Snowe and Collins in a joint statement. "The loss of these jobs will have a major impact on the community, the employees, and their families. We will help these workers receive the training, assistance, and access to health benefits they need to get back into the job market, including petitioning Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao for Trade Adjustment Assistance, a program from which we have been successful in obtaining significant funding to dislocated workers in the past."
Under the Federal Trade Act, workers dislocated by trade are eligible to receive cash assistance, training and job search and relocation allowances. Earlier this year, Senators Snowe and Collins worked to amend the Trade Act to extend the amount of training and benefits available to eligible workers and, for the first time, to provide a refundable health tax credit for the cost of health insurance premiums.