Senator Dianne Feinstein was a trailblazing Senator, a strong and effective leader, and a good friend.
This morning, I spoke on the Senate floor to honor her incredible life.
Fred Stone has raised prize-winning cows for nearly half a century, but the discovery of high levels of PFAS contamination on his Arundel farm has upended his livelihood. To support farmers like Fred who have faced substantial financial losses through no fault of their own, I am introducing a bill that would provide financial assistance to affected farmers, expand monitoring and testing, remediate PFAS, or even help farmers relocate.
As temperatures start to drop, the extremely high cost of home heating oil is creating significant challenges for many Mainers. Congress recently authorized a $1 billion increase for the LIHEAP program, which will help more low-income families and seniors avoid having to make the impossible choice between paying for heat and paying for food or medicine. The Administration also must work with Congress to lower the skyrocketing cost of energy.
A $44.1 million grant for Presque Isle will help complete a bypass to divert large trucks from Main Street, making it easier and safer for residents to visit downtown businesses.
As a leader of the Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, I strongly advocated for this highly competitive grant. According to Transportation Secretary Buttigieg, more than 260 applicants requested $26 billion, and $1.5 billion was awarded in funding this year. Maine received two of these grants.
More than 10 percent of drug overdose deaths in our state last year occurred among Mainers 60 and older. To strengthen resources for seniors, I joined Senator Ben Cardin in introducing a bill that would improve Medicare beneficiaries’ access to treatment for opioid use disorder. We must pursue an all-of-the-above approach to address the opioid epidemic that is harming countless Mainers of all ages.
Today, a bipartisan group I co-led with Senator Joe Manchin III introduced legislation to fix the flaws in the archaic and ambiguous Electoral Count Act of 1887.
After numerous discussions amongst our colleagues as well as conversations with a wide variety of election experts and legal scholars, we reached consensus on commonsense reforms that establish clear guidelines for our system of certifying and counting electoral votes for President and Vice President.
Senator Collins Secures COVID-Relief for Buses, Passenger Vessel Companies
Great Northern Docks' Scam in Naples
Senator Collins Urges Swift Passage of Bipartisan Infrastructure Package
Senator Collins Urges Swift Passage of Bipartisan Infrastructure Package
Senator Collins' Floor Statement on Cyber Incident Notification Act of 2021
Sen. Collins Announces Maine Airport Grants
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