In
Recognition
of
Her
Outstanding
Leadership
and Commitment
to
Improving
Education,
Senator
Collins
Receives
National
PTA
Congressional
Voice
for
Children
Award
The
National
Parent
Teacher
Association
honored
Senator
Susan
Collins
with
the
2017
Congressional
Voice
for
Children
Award
for
her
“outstanding
leadership
and
commitment
to
improving
education
and
advancing
issues
impacting
children’s
health
and
well-being.”
Maine
PTA
President
Tracy
Walker
and
Vice
President
Haley
Tripp
presented
the
award
to
Senator
Collins
in
her
Washington,
D.C.,
office.
The
award
is
given
to
only
one
Senator
each
year.
“Senator
Collins
is
leading
the
charge
to
strengthen
public
education,
ensure
children
have
a
healthy
environment
in
which
to
thrive
and
learn,
and
make
sure
every
child
has
the
opportunity
to
reach
their
full
potential,”
said
Laura
Bay,
president
of
the
National
PTA.
“We
commend
her
for
her
leadership
and
commitment
to
improving
education
and
being
a
champion
of
change
for
our
nation’s
youth.
We
are
thrilled
to
honor
her
with
our
2017
Congressional
Voice
for
Children
Award.”
Senator
Collins
Chairs
Hearing
on
Improving
and
Financing
the
Nation’s
Infrastructure
At
Senator
Collins'
invitation,
Maine
DOT
Commissioner
David
Bernhardt
testified
America
currently
faces
a
backlog
of
$836
billion
in
unmet
needs
for
our
nation’s
highways
and
bridges,
and
$100
billion
is
needed
for
airport
infrastructure
projects
over
the
next
five
years.
In
Maine,
deficient
roads
are
costing
motorists
$1
billion
annually
in
vehicle
damage,
congestion
delays,
and
traffic
crashes.
While
some
progress
has
been
made
to
reduce
the
percentage
of
bridges
that
are
structurally
deficient
and
functionally
obsolete,
the
percentage
of
highways
rated
as
“poor”
quality
has
increased,
particularly
in
rural
areas.
The
need
to
make
additional
investments
in
our
transportation
network
was
the
subject
of
a
Transportation,
Housing
and
Urban
Development
Appropriations
Subcommittee
hearing
led
by
Senator
Collins,
the
Chairman
of
the
Committee,
titled,
“Investing
in
America:
Funding
our
Nation’s
Transportation
Infrastructure
Needs.”
At
Senator
Collins’
invitation,
David
Bernhardt,
the
Commissioner
of
the
Maine
Department
of
Transportation
and
the
President
of
the
American
Association
of
State
Highway
and
Transportation
Officials,
testified.
“Working
with
the
new
administration,
we
in
Congress
have
a
great
deal
of
work
to
do
in
developing
an
infrastructure
package
to
promote
economic
development,
improve
the
transport
of
people
and
products,
and
create
jobs,”
said
Senator
Collins.
“The
challenge
that
we
face
is
finding
a
way
to
pay
for
the
much-needed
infrastructure
spending
without
increasing
taxes
on
those
who
are
least
able
to
afford
them
or
using
budget
gimmicks
that
simply
lead
to
more
deficit
spending
and
add
to
our
nation’s
ever-growing
debt.”
“Transportation
matters
more
today
than
ever
before,
not
only
in
Maine,
but
throughout
our
country
and
across
the
world,”
said
Commissioner
Bernhardt.
“Families
and
businesses
depend
on
a
strong
transportation
infrastructure
to
keep
our
state
competitive.
Smart
investment
in
the
maintenance
and
upgrade
of
this
infrastructure
is
critical
to
sustaining
a
vibrant
Maine
economy
and
connecting
us
to
a
global
economy.”
During
the
hearing,
witnesses
discussed
new
and
innovative
methods
to
finance
much-needed
transportation
projects,
such
as
vehicle-miles-travelled
user
fees,
passenger
facility
charges,
public-private
partnerships,
tolling,
and
expansion
of
the
TIFIA
loan
program.
House
Passes
Defense
Bill
with
Balance
of
Funding
Senator
Collins
Secured
for
Additional
DDG-51
Likely
to
Be
Built
at
BIW
As
a
senior
member
of
the
Senate
Appropriations
Committee,
Senator
Susan
Collins
successfully
secured
the
remaining
$433
million
needed
for
the
construction
of
an
additional
DDG-51
likely
to
be
built
at
BIW.
The
funding
was
included
in
the
House-passed
fiscal
year
(FY)
2017
Defense
funding
bill.
Assuming
this
legislation
becomes
law,
the
ship
will
be
fully
funded,
having
previously
received
an
initial
$1
billion
that
Senator
Collins
secured.
“I
worked
hard
to
ensure
that
the
FY
2017
Defense
funding
bill
included
the
recommendations
of
the
Navy
to
fully
fund
this
Arleigh
Burke
class
destroyer
slated
to
be
built
at
BIW,”
said
Senator
Collins.
“With
countless
threats
across
the
globe,
the
value
and
importance
of
our
naval
assets
to
security
and
stability
have
never
been
greater.
Destroyers
are
the
workhorses
of
the
Navy,
and
there
is
no
workforce
better
positioned
to
build
this
DDG-51
than
the
men
and
women
of
BIW.
This
investment
will
help
to
grow
the
Navy’s
combat
capabilities
at
a
time
when
the
Navy
fleet
is
in
high
demand
to
protect
national
security
interests
worldwide
and
preserve
the
security
and
stability
of
our
country.”
The
Senate
will
likely
consider
the
FY
2017
Defense
funding
bill
next
month.
Meeting
with
Maine’s
U.S.
Senate
Youth
Program
Delegates
Senator
Collins
met
with
Lily
Tedford
of
South
Portland
and
Katie
Waeldner
of
Yarmouth,
Maine’s
2017
delegates
to
the
55th
Annual
United
States
Senate
Youth
Program
(USSYP).
Lily
and
Katie
were
among
102
other
students
from
across
the
country
who
were
selected
to
spend
a
week
in
Washington,
D.C.,
to
learn
about
the
role
of
the
federal
government
and
the
importance
of
our
democratic
process.
“Lily
and
Katie
are
outstanding
students
who
have
demonstrated
a
commendable
desire
to
give
back
to
their
communities.
I
am
so
pleased
that
they
have
been
chosen
to
represent
Maine
in
the
U.S.
Senate
Youth
Program,”
said
Senator
Collins.
“I
have
the
honor
of
being
the
first
delegate
to
the
U.S.
Senate
Youth
Program
to
have
been
elected
to
the
U.S.
Senate.
As
a
senior
in
high
school,
this
incredible
program
strengthened
my
commitment
to
public
service.
I
am
delighted
that
Lily
and
Katie
will
have
this
opportunity
to
develop
their
leadership
skills
and
learn
about
our
legislative
process
firsthand.”
Bill
Introduced
by
Senators
Collins,
Murray
would
Expand
Veteran
Caregiver
Services
Senator
Collins
and
Senator
Patty
Murray
(D-WA)
reintroduced
bipartisan
legislation
to
expand
a
successful
program
that
helps
those
who
care
for
wounded,
ill,
or
injured
veterans.
The
Military
and
Veteran
Caregiver
Services
Improvement
Act
would
open
the
program
to
veterans
of
all
eras,
making
resources
available
to
more
of
the
family
members
and
other
loved
ones
who
have
taken
on
a
caregiver
role
for
a
veteran.
“Our
nation’s
military
caregivers
shoulder
the
everyday
responsibilities
of
providing
care
to
those
who
suffered
the
emotional
and
physical
tolls
of
war.
These
dedicated
individuals
make
many
sacrifices
to
care
for
their
loved
ones,
and
they
deserve
our
support,”
said
Senator
Collins.
“That
is
why
I
am
pleased
to
be
joining
my
colleagues
in
introducing
this
bill,
which
will
expand
access
to
services
for
caregivers
and
help
ensure
they
have
the
resources
they
need
to
care
for
our
veterans.”
To
learn
more
about
the
legislation,
click
HERE.
From
Senate
Floor,
Senator
Collins
Speaks
in
Support
of
Her
Bill
to
Increase
Access
to
Home
Health
Care
As
more
Americans
express
their
preference
to
age
in
place,
Senator
Collins
introduced
legislation
that
will
help
make
independent
living
less
burdensome.
The
Senior
Home
Modification
Assistance
Initiative
Act
would
establish
a
process
to
better
coordinate
the
many
existing
federal
home
modification
programs
and
provide
more
consumer-friendly
information
on
how
those
programs
can
benefit
older
Americans.
She
recently
spoke
on
the
Senate
floor
in
support
of
her
bill.
“Understandably,
the
vast
majority
of
seniors
would
prefer
to
stay
in
the
comfort,
security,
and
privacy
of
their
own
homes
as
they
age,”
said
Senator
Collins
from
the
Senate
floor.
“In
addition
to
allowing
seniors
to
remain
near
friends,
family,
and
loved
ones,
home
modifications
that
increase
accessibility
are
also
highly
cost
effective.
This
bipartisan
legislation
cuts
through
the
unnecessary
complexity
that
surrounds
existing
federal
programs,
helping
more
seniors
to
live
independently
and
safely
right
where
they
want
to
beat
home.”
By
helping
older
adults
take
advantage
of
federal
programs
to
modify
their
homes,
this
legislation
would
achieve
the
dual
goals
of
helping
people
age
more
safely
in
place
and
expanding
the
supply
of
accessible
housing.
Senators
Collins,
King
Introduce
Legislation
to
Encourage
Innovation,
Support
Jobs
in
Forest
Products
Industry
Senator
Collins
and
Senator
Angus
King
have
teamed
up
with
Senators
Debbie
Stabenow
(D-MI)
and
Mike
Crapo
(R-ID)
to
reintroduce
the
Timber
Innovation
Act,
bipartisan
and
bicameral
legislation
that
aims
to
find
new
and
innovative
uses
for
wood
as
a
building
material.
The
legislation
would
accelerate
the
research
and
development
of
wood
for
use
in
construction
projects,
focusing
on
the
construction
of
buildings
over
85
feet
in
height.
“Maine
has
an
abundance
of
timber
and
a
strong
tradition
of
maintaining
sustainable,
working
forests,”
said
Senator
Collins.
“By
promoting
the
research
and
development
necessary
to
engineer
wood
for
innovative
uses
in
larger
construction
projects,
this
legislation
would
support
Maine
jobs,
particularly
in
rural
parts
of
the
state,
and
invigorate
our
forest
products
industry.”
The
bipartisan
bill
is
supported
by
Weyerhaeuser,
National
Wildlife
Federation,
and
the
American
Wood
Council,
in
addition
to
more
than
100
other
stakeholders.
In
Maine,
the
legislation
is
supported
by
the
Maine
Forest
Products
Council
and
the
University
of
Maine
School
of
Forest
Resources.
At
Maine
Credit
Unions'
Luncheon,
Senator
Collins
Discusses
Importance
of
Small
Financial
Institutions
to
Maine’s
Economy
Senator
Collins
attended
the
annual
Maine
Credit
Union
League
Congressional
Luncheon
in
Washington,
D.C.
The
event
was
attended
by
approximately
90
credit
union
representatives
from
Maine.
“In
2016,
the
Maine
credit
unions
set
a
new
membership
high
of
more
than
680,000
Mainers.
Maine’s
credit
unions
are
characterized
by
community
spirit,
and
they
play
a
key
role
in
strengthening
our
state’s
economy
for
both
individuals
and
businesses,”
said
Senator
Collins.
“Unfortunately,
many
credit
unions
and
small
community
banks
have
told
me
that
they
are
devoting
so
much
time
to
compliance
that
could
be
better
spent
serving
their
members
directly.
I
remain
committed
to
easing
unnecessary
burdens
on
small
financial
institutions.”
Senator
Collins
commended
the
Maine
Credit
Union
League
on
their
efforts
to
combat
scams
targeting
seniors.
She
also
congratulated
John
Murphy,
the
current
president
of
the
Maine
Credit
Union
League,
on
his
outstanding
leadership
of
the
organization.
John,
who
has
been
a
part
of
the
Maine
Credit
Union
league
for
four
decades
and
has
served
as
its
leader
for
the
past
25
years,
plans
to
retire
this
summer.
In
Case
You
Missed
It:
Senator
Collins
Appeared
on
CBS
“Face
the
Nation”
and
NBC
"Meet
the
Press"
In
Interview
with
Yahoo’s
Katie
Couric,
Aging
Committee
Chairman
Susan
Collins
Highlights
Efforts
to
Fight
Scams
Targeting
Seniors
Click
HERE
to
watch
the
interview
Meeting
with
Mainers
|
From
top
to
bottom,
left
to
right:
Neal
Williams,
National
Director
&
ADA
Coordinator
of
New
England
Paralyzed
Veterans
of
America,
of
Greenville;
Kaylee
Blanchard,
Terry
Blanchard,
Jacob
Blanchard
and
Corey
Blanchard
of
Biddeford;
Whitney
Saunders
and
Gayle
Norton
of
Ellsworth;
Kera
Pingree
of
Portland;
and
students
from
Husson
University
in
Bangor |
|