Scary, Trying Times in Maine

I have seen the videos and headlines from immigration enforcement operations conducted in Maine, Minnesota, and other places around the nation – many of which are reckless, heartless, and irreversibly destructive. Like many of you, I am appalled and heartbroken. 

There is no need for this overwhelming show of force in our neighborhoods across the country. None. I believe what we're seeing is an unnecessary attempt to intimidate the American people. We have seen arrests without warrants, the intimidation of protestors armed with cameras, and the killing of an American citizen exercising his 2nd amendment rights. That's not America. That's a blatant violation of our 1st, 2nd, and 4th amendment constitutional rights.

Maine believes in law and order. We enjoy that order because our state and local law enforcement authorities place a priority on lawful and timely responses to clear criminal threats. So, I agree with the Cumberland County Sheriff who stated that the ICE operation in Maine is "bush league policing."

The question is not should we enforce the law or try to expel dangerous criminals – the question is, how is it done. I believe the way it's being done is flat out wrong.

That’s why I could not vote for a “status quo” spending bill that funds the Department of Homeland Security, specifically ICE, under these circumstances. ICE’s conduct in Maine and across the nation over the last few months has blatantly violated the Constitution and harmed our communities. This heavy-handed, heavily armed approach to immigration enforcement has endangered many and left U.S. citizens fearful to go about their daily lives.

As I told “Maine Calling” last Monday and “Face the Nation” the day before, the Senate had six agency spending bills to approve and I thought we could fund the government, reform the DHS, and still avoid a shutdown. As we’ve all seen, the DHS needs additional commonsense guardrails so we don’t see more unrest and violence in American streets. So I suggested we separate the five noncontroversial spending bills and pass them, then give the DHS budget a continuing resolution for a few weeks so that Congress has time to debate reforms and civilian protections.

Abraham Lincoln once reminded Americans in the face of conflict to have faith that ‘right makes might, and in that faith let us do our duty as we understand that.’ In the days ahead, I want to encourage everyone to look out a little closer for one another and be mindful of the rights that our Constitution gives to every man, woman, and child in this nation. 

If you witness any lawlessness done cloaked in the cause of federal law enforcement, please alert your local leaders, state officials, and federal delegation.

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Supporting our NATO Allies and Arctic Priorities in Greenland

Over the last few weeks, there have been escalating threats from the White House against the sovereignty of our NATO ally, Greenland. Greenland is a strategic ally – there's no question – and under the leadership of the Denmark government, Greenland has always proven to be a steadfast friend. As a matter of fact, the United States has had a national security presence on the island for 75 years – and they have always been open to us working with them secure our shared interests. So there is no need for the United States to threaten a military takeover of the sovereign territory; American troops are already there, and the Greenlanders would work with us if we wanted to increase our operations.

So when the Foreign Minister of Denmark, the Foreign Minister of Greenland and the Danish Ambassador came to Washington to share their concerns with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President J.D. Vance, I also invited them to visit the Senate to meet with me and Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski.

In the meeting, the Denmark and Greenland coalition reiterated to us that they are fully prepared to cooperate with the United States in any way to expand our national security presence in Greenland.

As Arctic Caucus Co-Chairs, Senator Murkowski and I understand the strategic importance of the region. And I am glad to report that it was a very productive meeting amongst friends. I'm hopeful that the administration is now realizing that taking Greenland over by a military force is almost unthinkable –to attack essentially a NATO ally. That would be the greatest gift to Vladimir Putin that this country could possibly bestow – an open invitation to take over territory without respect to international law. 

I'm hopeful that the White House respects the sovereignty of Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark.

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Nationwide Access to Veterans Benefits in the Workplace

Veterans have sacrificed greatly in service to our country, so we owe it to them to make it as easy as possible to find information about the resources and benefits that are available to them.

So together with U.S. Representatives Chris Deluzio (D-PA17) and Nick LaLota (R-NY-01), and Senator Jim Banks (R-IN), we introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to help veterans better understand the benefits and services available to them through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). 

The Thomas M. Conway Veterans Access to Resources in the Workplace Act  would require employers to display posters with information about state and federal veteran benefits like the Veterans Crisis Line, disability compensation, healthcare, workforce training programs, legal services, and more.

While Maine employers are already required by state law to display veterans’ benefits flyers in the workplace, passage of this legislation at the federal level would expand the policy nationwide.

This legislation is an easy, low-barrier way to ensure veterans across the country are aware of the resources they have earned and could help veterans feel comfortable gaining access to those services.

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The Unprecedented Attack on Venezuela

I realize there has been a lot of activity this month – and it can be exhausting trying to keep up – but I can’t send this update from Capitol Hill without commenting on this administration’s actions in Venezuela at the beginning of the month and calendar year.

Let me be very clear: Nicolas Maduro is and was a bad guy. No question. He was a dictator, the leader of a drug cartel, and an illegitimate leader who ignored the results of the most recent Venezuelan election and deserved to be brought to justice. However, doing the right thing can only be truly effective if you do it the right way.

When we look at the early January military operation, I also want to emphasize that our military is exceptional, and the skill and preparation they demonstrated was absolutely extraordinary. Having said that, I'm very concerned about where this leads. Does this set a precedent that gives the President the sole authority to commit our nation to what can only be defined as war? Further, when the United States takes an action like this and baldly asserts the right to “run the country,” it invites similar acts of aggression by unfriendly regimes like China, North Korea, or Russia and robs us of the protections of the rules and norms of responsible international behavior.

The Constitution lays out very clearly that Congress has the power to declare war. I know Congress has abdicated many of its powers in recent years, but I hope and plan on trying to return those fundamental duties back to the legislative branch as the founders designed.

Only time will be helpful in answering these questions and assessing what could likely be a lasting shift in Latin American and global geopolitics. I intend to remain engaged with these critical questions through the conduct of the needed oversight in my roles on the Armed Services and Intelligence Committees.

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Protecting USPS Postmarks for Rural Maine People

The United States Postal Service (USPS) announced recently that they may or may not immediately postmark pieces of mail when they arrive at – or are walked into – a postal facility.

So, I joined my Senate colleagues in a push to protect the timely delivery of United States Postal Service (USPS) mail across the nation. In a letter to USPS Postmaster General David Steiner, we asked about his recent decision to change its practices with a rule that “the postmark date does not inherently or necessarily align with the date on which the Postal Service first accepted possession of the mail piece.”

As we shared with the Postmaster General, delayed postmarks further pressure a mail delivery system struggling under the weight of cost-cutting measures – and could also lead to disenfranchising Maine people who choose to vote by mail. In recent years, mail processing facility closures and consolidations implemented under the disastrous “Delivering for America” plan have caused delays in mail delivery, affecting vital services like prescription deliveries, bill payments, and other essential communications. 

Seniors, rural residents, and small business owners have been particularly impacted by downgraded postal services. In addition to election and tax implications, delayed postmarks result in late fees, missed legal document submissions, application denials, overdue notices, and increased costs for the American people – and many people across Maine.

I have always been a vocal supporter of the USPS’s critical role in American society and in Maine, one of the nation’s oldest and most rural states that relies heavily on USPS and I will continue to do so in an effort to provide Maine people with these vital services.