Sharing Your Concerns

The news from Washington is coming in so hard and fast these days, that it's hard to sort it all out. Every day seems to bring something new that captures our attention, our concern and our interest. As your Senator, I'm trying to keep up with the headlines and threat — and I'm also listening to you. Earlier this week, I spent some time answering the phones and speaking to some of you. So, I wanted to start off this newsletter by trying to put all these headlines into perspective: the United States Constitution is under an existential threat. 

My colleagues and I all began our careers here with the following words: "I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic." Our oath was not to the Republican Party or the Democratic Party or to one president — it was to the Constitution. 

When the framers put together the Constitution they created a system of checks and balances to ensure no one branch would have unlimited power. The United States government is not a private company: we do not have a Chief Executive Office (CEO). 

However, the freezing of federal funds and dismantling of critical federal agencies like the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and USAID would have you believe otherwise. Under our Constitution, only Congress has the power to make decisions creating or dismantling a federal agency. Don't believe me? Here it is in Article I.

It's been said that the Trump Administration was elected to be a disruptor. Disruption, when thoughtfully and carefully targeted, can be a productive force for positive change. However, unlawful and unconstitutional proposals are not just disruptive, but dangerous and destructive.  

The Administration is breaking this longstanding tradition of nonpartisanship and separation of power — and removed highly necessary security checks in the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) quest to reduce federal spending. Now hear me out: I am not against making government more efficient or downsizing where appropriate. In fact, when I was Governor, I instituted a hiring freeze and we had an entire process that was centered around keeping morale up and not throwing the entire operation of Maine's government into chaos. But I did so carefully over the course of eight months. Unfortunately, what Elon Musk and DOGE are doing right now is blatantly destructive; not just to the structure of federal agencies, but to the lives of the dedicated Maine people and Americans who proudly serve their country. 

As history tells us, it is easy to surrender power (think how the power of declaring war has evolved), but extremely difficult to get it back. So, if Congress wants to hand over its power to the President, then we might as well adjourn and eliminate the Constitution — with all the checks and balances — in its entirety.

So, I want to be very clear about the constitutional crisis that is happening. Together, with my colleagues, we must stand up and  say 'no, we don't do it this way.'

And while it might be slow, this back and forth between branches is what the framers intended to keep power in check.

This is an important moment in our nation's history and what we do today will define American democracy for generations to come. My colleagues and I swore an oath to not only protect the Constitution and the institution, but to protect the people of the United States of America. And I promise to uphold that oath.

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Supporting Those Who Served

Our veterans and servicemembers have made many sacrifices serving our nation, and we now have an obligation to serve them. 

Unfortunately, the federal hiring freeze and thousands of job cuts at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will have catastrophic consequences for veterans all across Maine and the nation. And, just this week, we learned that seven employees at Togus — five of whom are veterans — have been fired without justification. At a time when our veterans' needs are rising, we cannot be making reckless and arbitrary cuts, which ultimately puts their care at risk.

I raised the alarm on these firings during back-to-back joint hearings of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee (SVAC) and the House Veterans Affairs Committee (HVAC). Every role at the VA plays an important part — from telephone operators to doctors. If there's no one to answer the phone then that is a denial in benefits itself.

And while it is important to continue spotlighting the impacts of the mass layoffs, I am also still working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to deliver for our veterans through commonsense legislation. Alongside Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS), the Chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee, I introduced a bill that would help better improve care coordination between the VA and Medicare. The Coordinating Care for Senior Veterans and Wounded Warriors Act would assign case managers to veterans who rely on care from both the VA and Medicare to develop individualized health care plans to streamline treatment. Not only will this cut down on duplicative services, it also will improve the quality of care and lower expenses for taxpayers. It's a win-win.

While streamlining care is important, we also need to make sure our veterans can easily access their care. So, I teamed up with Senators Mike Rounds (R-SD), Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) to introduce the Servicemember to Veteran Health Care Connection Act. This bipartisan bill would fast-track veterans' access to their VA benefits by pre-registering them before they leave active duty. It's an easy fix to help cut some red tape and make the system run more efficiently.

And, on that note of making the VA more accessible and easier to navigate, my colleague Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and I introduced a bill that would formally establish a veteran experience office (VEO) within the VA. The VEO has been around for a decade now, but its not an official part of the VA — putting it at risk of potentially being cut or changed, despite its usefulness to veterans from Maine to Texas. This office is foundational to help our veterans get the proper care they deserve and I'm grateful the effort to protect the VEO has bipartisan support.

Lastly, this month, I was also honored to be named the "Legislator of the Year" by Disabled American Veterans (DAV). It is a tremendous privilege to work alongside these dedicated advocates and I am inspired by all they do to ensure we're delivering for our veterans. However, I could not do this work without my incredible veterans policy lead, Kate Durost of Bucksport — who, I am excited to announce, was also honored by the DAV for her efforts to champion veterans in the Senate with it's 2025 Special Recognition Award. Way to go, Kate!

I promise to work with anyone in Congress on behalf of our veterans in Maine and across the country. It is one of our most solemn duties to protect and look after those who gave their very best to our nation.

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Making Prescription Drugs More Affordable and Effective

As the cost of living continues to rise, so does the cost of prescription drugs. And while more Maine people are digging into their pockets to afford their medication, pharmaceutical companies are turning record profits. So, it's clear we need to make sure no one ever has to choose between affording life-saving medications or putting food on the table.

This month, I cosponsored bipartisan legislation that would give Maine people the ability to purchase their prescriptions directly from pharmacies in Canada. As we work to address the cost of living, making the prescription drug market more competitive is a simple way to help Americans — especially when we see our neighbors to the north enjoy lower out-of-pocket prices. The Safe and Affordable Drugs from Canada Act is a commonsense step that will not only help Maine people save money, but also stay healthy.

We also need to make sure we're keeping the pharmaceutical industry as transparent as possible. Each time you turn on your TV, you probably see dozens of ads for new prescription drugs. This direct-to-consumer advertising turns profits for drug companies but can be misleading and manipulative. To ensure Maine people are getting the most accurate health care information possible, I introduced legislation that would prohibit direct-to-consumer ads of a new drug in the first three years after it receives Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approval. This bill would make sure we fully understand the impact of new drugs before flooding the market with promotional ads, and, most importantly, help prioritize Maine people over pharmaceutical profits.

Another important bipartisan step my colleagues and I have taken is introducing legislation that will fast-track and modernize prescription drug testing protocols. The FDA Modernization Act 3.0 will remove current requirements for new drugs to undergo testing on animals and instead will allow drug developers to use more humane and advanced methods like computer modeling. By cutting red tape and making space for innovation, we can streamline drug testing so Maine people have access to new, effective treatments.