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  • October 26, 2007

    “Helping Retired Teachers And Public Employees Receive Earned Social Security Benefits"

                                In 2003, I chaired a Senate...

  • October 19, 2007

    "A Sound Approach To Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions"

    Global climate change is the most significant environmental challenge facing our country today. The scientific evidence clearly demonstrates the human contribution. According to...

  • September 21, 2007

    "Safety Is Not Child's Play"

    When parents, relatives, or friends purchase a toy for child, they should feel confident that the toy’s safety was checked before it reached the store shelf. This summer...

  • September 14, 2007

    “Angels In Our Community”

    There are few things in life more touching than to see individuals give generously of themselves to improve the lives of children. There is no place where this is more evident than...

  • September 07, 2007

    “Communicating During A Crisis”

    Six years after the September 11th attacks, too many police officers, firefighters, emergency medical workers and other first responders still lack the basic ability to communicate...

  • August 31, 2007

    "The Threat Of Mercury"

    It is well known that mercury is one of the most persistent, widespread, and dangerous of environmental pollutants. Exposure to this powerful toxin affects the senses, the brain,...

  • August 24, 2007

    “Protecting Our Nation’s Food Supply”

    Recently, we have been reminded that we can not take the safety of our nation’s food supply for granted. We have heard news reports about bacterial contamination of spinach...

  • August 17, 2007

    “Rural AED Program Brings Life-Saving Machines To Maine”

    On March 5th of this year, Joe Gould was exercising at the Kennebec Valley YMCA in Augusta. Suddenly, he went into full cardiac arrest and collapsed. Just as suddenly, Rob Pekins,...

  • August 10, 2007

    “See Something, Say Something”

    “If You See Something, Say Something.” That is the message adorning the New York City subway, urging passengers to report suspicious activity. In Washington, the United...

  • August 03, 2007

    “SCHIP: A Prescription For Good Health”

    One of the first bills that I sponsored when I came to the Senate 10 years ago was the legislation that established the State Child Health Insurance Program – or SCHIP...

  • July 27, 2007

    “A Lesson In Democracy”

    Recently, I welcomed to Washington four outstanding high-school students from Maine – our state’s delegates to Boys and Girls Nation. Coral Sandler of South Portland,...

  • July 20, 2007

    “A Bipartisan Path Forward In Iraq”

    The war in Iraq is the greatest challenge facing our country. Unfortunately, the political debate in Washington has not been conducive to finding a solution, as political divisions...

  • July 13, 2007

    “Alzheimer’s Disease: Confronting The Challenges Ahead”

    Nearly 30,000 people in Maine have Alzheimer’s disease. An estimated five million are afflicted nationwide. Tragically, that number that has doubled since 1980 and it...

  • July 06, 2007

    “Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act”

    Home health care has proven to be a compassionate and cost-effective alternative to institutional care. Nurse practitioners, physician assistants, certified nurse midwives, and...

  • June 22, 2007

    "Juvenile Diabetes: The Race For A Cure"

    As the founder and co-chair of the Senate Diabetes Caucus, I have learned much about the disease and the difficulties and heartbreak that diabetes causes for so many American...

  • June 15, 2007

    "Federal Help For Better Cell Phone Coverage In Maine"

    Chief Deputy Sheriff Everett Flannery of Kennebec County recently met with me to discuss the challenges that Maine's inadequate network of cell phone towers poses for law...

  • June 01, 2007

    “Breast Cancer: A Continuing Threat”

    One of the great health care success stories during the last two decades has been in the fight against breast cancer.  Between 1987 and 2000, the percentage of American women...

  • May 25, 2007

    "Hopeful Signs For Disaster Readiness"

    Maine people may not feel immediately threatened by federal forecasters’ newly announced outlook for “a very high likelihood of an above-normal hurricane season”...

  • May 18, 2007

    "Tracking And Reducing Harmful Mercury"

                  Mercury is one of the most persistent and dangerous environmental pollutants that threatens our state and...

  • May 11, 2007

    "Limiting Heavy Trucks On Maine Roads"

    My senior colleague, Senator Olympia Snowe, and I have authored legislation that addresses a significant safety problem in our state: the federal weight-limit restriction that...