‘These are the 4 Women Who Will Control the Most Powerful Levers of Government’

CNN | By: Melanie Zanona 

“When Susan Collins first arrived in the Senate in 1997, a male colleague approached her about committee assignments and assumed that the Maine Republican would want to serve on education and child care panels.

“‘Yes, those are really important,’ Collins recalled. Then she told her colleague: ‘And I want to be on the Armed Services Committee.’

“It was seen as a bold ask at a time when there were only a handful of women serving in Congress, and they didn’t even have their own bathroom yet, let alone coveted committee seats or powerful gavels. But more than 25 years later, Collins – along with Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington state, Republican Rep. Kay Granger of Texas and Democratic Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut – will hold the top spots on the Senate and House Appropriations committees, an influential crew on Capitol Hill commonly known as the ‘Four Corners.’"

‘Meet the Women Trying to Avoid a Spending Train Wreck in Congress’

‘For the first time, the leaders of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees are all women, as is the top White House budget official. Can they avert a fiscal disaster? They’re determined to try.’

NYT | By: Emily Cochrane

“Their political profiles are vastly different — Ms. Murray and Ms. DeLauro are both liberals, Ms. Collins is a center-leaning Republican and Ms. Granger is a staunch conservative. But they have all experienced versions of the same struggle on Capitol Hill: the hustle to get recognized, the extra layer of scrutiny from male colleagues and often being the only woman in the room.
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“’We do bring different experiences, and in my experience, are often more collaborative than our male counterparts,’ Ms. Collins said. The hope, she added, was ‘that we will work together as a team, knowing that it is going to be difficult. But I think that new leadership and sometimes, ironically, a divided Congress politically can plant the seeds for good compromise.’”

‘5 Women, Immense power: Can They Keep US from Fiscal Brink?’

Associated Press | By: Mary Clare Jalonick and Seung Min Kim

“Murray and Collins, in particular, have a long history together. In 2013, they were both key to efforts to end a government shutdown. And as they replaced Leahy and retiring Republican Sen. Richard Shelby as committee leaders this year, they immediately issued a joint statement calling for a return to the regular process of passing individual spending bills ‘in a responsible and bipartisan manner,’ instead of shoving them all into one massive bill at the end of the year.

“Collins said no one on either side of the aisle, in either chamber wants to fund the government again with a huge, end-of-the-year bill. ‘I truly believe we can make real progress by working closely together,’ she said.

“All of them give credit to their female predecessors on the committees, including former Sen. Barbara Mikulski, a Maryland Democrat who was the first chairwoman of the Senate appropriations panel and used to invite new senators to her office for what she called a ‘workshop’ on the appropriations process so they could become more familiar with the elaborate workings of the committee.

“In an interview, Mikulski, who retired in 2017 after 30 years in the Senate, says the women are ‘brilliant strategists’ who may disagree on policy but won’t let rancor come between them.”

‘Collins’ new defense posting could bring more work to Maine shipyards’

‘Sen. Susan Collins' new role as ranking Republican on the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee will help advance her goal of expanding the Naval fleet, which could mean more work for Bath Iron Works and other defense contractors in Maine.’

Times Record | By: John Terhune

"Sen. Susan Collins has spent years fighting to authorize and fund defense contracts that keep thousands of Maine shipbuilders employed at Bath Iron Works.

"Now, as the ranking Republican member of the powerful Senate Defense Appropriations Committee, experts say Collins is well positioned to bring more defense dollars to the state as she pursues one of her top priorities: Expanding the Naval fleet to keep up with China’s forces.

"Collins, who last week officially took over as the top Republican on the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee, will wield significant power to advance her own shipbuilding philosophy, which calls for steady production of current-generation ships...

"[National security counsultant Craig] Hooper predicted defense contractors could follow the money by setting up shop in Maine, bringing new jobs with them.

“'If you are a defense contractor and you are not trying to figure out how to maximize your investments in Maine or to get a footprint in Maine, you’re not doing defense contracting,'he said.”

After ascending to the Vice Chairmanship of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Collins kicked off her Funding Maine’s Future tour by visiting several community projects benefitting from funding she sponsored in government appropriations laws.  They included:

$1.6 Million for Stephens Memorial Hospital to support facility improvements and equipment for the PACE Paramedic Station, which serves 18 rural communities in Oxford County.

$1.3 Million for Bradford Municipal Fire Station to replace the current 175-year-old structure.  

$2.9 Million for Mill Pond Dam in Whiting to protect the pond’s scenic beauty, restore Atlantic salmon habitat, and maintain this reservoir used by firefighters.

As part of her Funding Maine’s Future initiative, Senator Collins champions investments in Maine that will promote job creation, workforce training, and economic development; expand access to health care; improve public safety, infrastructure, and community resources; and protect our environment. In the past two years, since the restoration of Congressionally Directed Spending, Senator Collins has secured a total of more than $500 million for 285 Maine projects. Eligible Maine municipalities and non-profit organizations can learn more about how to apply for the fiscal year 2024 federal appropriations process through Senator Collins’ website.

‘With Leadership on Appropriations Committee, Maine’s Influence Grows in Washington’

Bangor Daily News | By: Sen. Susan Collins

“Maine has played a special role in the history of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Our state has produced four Senate Appropriations chairmen – no other state has had more than two. The committee’s very first chairman, Sen. Lot Morrill, was a native of Belgrade. Until this year, the last Mainer to hold a leadership position on the Appropriations Committee was Sen. Frederick Hale, who retired just prior to World War II.

“In the new 118th Congress, I am breaking this more than eight-decade-long drought by serving as vice chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
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“[I] am honored to renew Maine’s proud tradition at the helm of this committee, and I will work to ensure that federal spending produces real results for the people of Maine and across America.”

To learn more about Senator Collins’ priorities for the Appropriations Committee this Congress—from modernizing our military and expanding our Naval fleet to investing in biomedical research, infrastructure, and rural America—click on the link below.