Déjà vu: The Postal Service’s Economic Troubles

Weekly column by Senator Susan Collins

The United States Postal Service (USPS) recently outlined a ten-year plan intended to address declining mail volume and increase its slumping revenue. In recent years, the USPS has been hit with falling mail volume, the recession, and the loss of customers to digital technology, such as e-mail and online bill paying, that has replaced traditional mail.

During a recent hearing before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, of which I am Ranking Member, Postmaster General John Potter testified that the Postal Service faces a projected $238 billion shortfall during the next decade. And he’s asking Congress to help fix its dire and deteriorating financial condition.

If this sounds familiar, it’s because we have been here before.

I also serve as Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which has held 14 hearings related to the financial crisis at the Postal Service since 2003.

Nine years ago, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) first placed the Postal Service on its “high-risk list” because it faced formidable financial, operational, and human capital challenges that threatened its long-term viability. As a result of the passage of the postal reform act of 2006, which I authored with Senator Tom Carper (D-DE), the GAO removed the USPS from the list. But last year, the Postal Service, losing billions and facing a crisis, was once again added to the high-risk list.

Approximately every three years – in 2003, 2006, and again last year, the Postal Service has come to Congress seeking relief from its financial obligations in exchange for promises of future profitability. Now, among other things, the Postmaster General is asking Congress to allow it to reduce delivery services from six to five days a week. The USPS also wants to be freed from its obligation to pre-fund retiree health benefits.

In 2003, Congress passed pension reform legislation I coauthored that reduced the Postal Service’s pension costs by approximately $9 billion from fiscal year 2003 to 2005.

In 2006, the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act that Senator Carper and I sponsored relieved the Postal Service of a $27 billion obligation, primarily by transferring the Postal Service’s obligations for the retirement benefits of its employees with prior military service to the Treasury Department.

In 2009, Congress voted, at the Postal Service’s request, to reduce the Postal Service’s annual retiree health benefits payment that was due on September 30th by $4 billion.

Over and over again, the Postmaster General has promised that if only Congress would allow the USPS relief from its financial obligations and take other actions, it would be on solid financial footing. But time and again, I have been disappointed in the results.

The Postal Service is one of our oldest institutions and is the linchpin of a $900 billion mailing industry that employs close to nine million people in businesses as diverse as paper manufacturing, printing, catalog companies, publishing, and financial services.

This is why I believe the Postal Service needs to focus first on expanding customer services and developing new revenue streams rather than cutting services in order to reduce its red ink.

I will, as I always have, carefully consider the Postmaster General’s latest requests. But the USPS will have to present a compelling case that cutting services, such as reducing delivery to five days a week, will not further decrease volume, drive more customers away, and set off a death spiral.

It will take all members of the postal community, including Postal Service employees and management, members of the mailing community, Congress, and the Administration to contribute to the solution to this financial crisis.

Working with Maine Families to Support Critical Funding for Diabetes Research

Weekly column by Senator Susan Collins

As the founder and co-chair of the Senate Diabetes Caucus, I have learned much about the disease and the difficulties and heartbreak that diabetes causes for so many American families as they await a cure. Diabetes is a life-long condition that affects people of every age, race and nationality. It is the leading cause of kidney failure, blindness in adults, and amputations not related to injury.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 85,000 Mainers were diagnosed with diabetes in 2008, up from 34,000 in 1994. The burden of diabetes is particularly heavy for children and young adults with Type 1, or juvenile diabetes. Juvenile diabetes is the second most common chronic disease affecting children, and it is one that they never outgrow. On average, a child with Type 1 diabetes will have to take over 50,000 insulin shots in a lifetime.

I recently met with several Maine children, and their families, to discuss federal efforts to help those who are afflicted with this devastating illness. Among them was Caroline Sweeney of Gray whose seven-year-old son, Aidan, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes just months before his second birthday. Youngsters, like Aidan, whose lives have been forever changed by diabetes, motivate me to continue to devote so much energy to this issue.

It was heart-warming to receive hugs from these children who are so thankful for federal efforts to help find a cure, and we are making progress. Since I founded the Senate Diabetes Caucus in 1997, funding for diabetes research has more than tripled from $319 million to more than a billion dollars last year. That sounds like a lot of money, but consider this-- treating people with diabetes accounts for more than $174 billion of our nation’s annual health care costs. Overall, health care spending for people with diabetes is almost double what it would be if they did not have the disease. If we can find a cure for diabetes, not only do we dramatically improve the lives of children like Aidan and millions of other people, but we also significantly reduce the nation’s overall health care costs. And, as a result of our commitment, we have seen some encouraging breakthroughs in diabetes research, and we are on the threshold of a number of important new discoveries.

This is clearly no time to take our foot off the accelerator. We have two choices, we can sit back and continue to pay the bills and endure the suffering, or we can aggressively pursue a national strategy aimed at curing this terrible disease. That is why I recently joined Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) in introducing bipartisan legislation to renew the Special Diabetes Program which expires next year. We need to act now to renew and increase the funding. This program is credited with helping the medical community achieve major advancements, resulting in tangible improvements in the lives of Americans who are living with diabetes. But if this crucial program is not renewed, federal support for Type 1 diabetes research will be cut by 35 percent.

During our meeting, Caroline Sweeney thanked me for my support of the Special Diabetes Program. “Renewing this program provides hope for Aidan and all those living with Type 1 diabetes,” she said. But it is I who wants to thank families, like the Sweeneys, who are so committed to helping me lead the effort to secure critical funding that, one day, will hopefully lead to a cure.

U.S. TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY PLEDGES TO WORK WITH SENATOR COLLINS TO SEEK FEDERAL FUNDING FOR MEMORIAL BRIDGE PROJECT

U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a member of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, received a commitment from U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood that his staff will work closely with stakeholders in Maine and New Hampshire to carefully consider supporting an application for grant funding to rehabilitate the historic Memorial Bridge that links Kittery with Portsmouth.

Senator Collins, along with other members of the Maine and New Hampshire Congressional delegations, supported a joint request from Maine and New Hampshire for $70 million in funding from the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) program which would have been used to update this critical bridge. The Department of Transportation received $56.5 billion in grant application requests for a total just $1.5 billion. Unfortunately, the Memorial Bridge project was not funded in the first round of grants announced last month.

Today, during a Senate Appropriations Transportation Subcommittee hearing, Senator Collins explained to Secretary LaHood the importance of this rehabilitation project and urged him to carefully consider supporting the project in an upcoming, second round of TIGER funding.

“These two states collaborated on a TIGER grant application with unanimous support from the Maine and New Hampshire congressional delegations and both governors,” said Senator Collins. “This is a major thoroughfare connecting Maine and New Hampshire. It’s important for commerce, for tourists, and for day-to-day residents, and I urge you to take a close look at this proposal as you consider the second round of grant applications.”

Secretary LaHood responded, “Senator, let me suggest that we work with your staff and get the stakeholders from both states together to review their application in anticipation of us posting up our guidance on the next round. That may be helpful for them and if we could work with your staff to get those people gathered together we could talk about the previous application and the way forward.”

Senator Collins said her office will work with local officials in Maine and New Hampshire to discuss the next steps.

SENATOR COLLINS SECURES COMMITMENT FROM TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY TO HELP SECURE FEDERAL FUNDING TO SAVE MAINE, MONTREAL AND ATLANTIC RAILWAY

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a member of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, today secured a commitment from U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to work with her, state, and local officials in an effort to keep the important Maine, Montreal & Atlantic (MMA) Railway operating in Northern Maine. Secretary LaHood pledged to send the Federal Railroad Administrator to Maine to work on a plan to keep the railway operating.

During a Senate Appropriations Transportation Subcommittee hearing, Senator Collins explained to Secretary LaHood how the current owner of MMA recently filed a notice of intent to abandon 233 miles of its track in Aroostook and northern Penobscot Counties, citing high operating costs and low shipping volume as a result of the current economic climate. MMA provides the only freight rail service in Aroostook County, serving primarily the pulp and paper, agricultural and potato processing industries.

Senator Collins expressed serious concerns regarding the proposal to abandon this critical rail link, which would have a devastating impact on the economy of Aroostook County and the State of Maine.

“I am so committed to saving freight rail service to Northern Maine. If the MMA rail line is abandoned, it will be devastating to Maine’s economy, especially given the already steep 9.8 percent unemployment rate in Aroostook County,” Senator Collins said to Secretary LaHood. “Twenty-two shippers directly rely on the rail line. The pulp and paper industry is the primary source of traffic for the MMA. Other major sources of traffic include petroleum, forest products and chemicals.

Senator Collins continued, “All parties involved agree that in order to make this line work, it will take an investment of capital whether from state, federal and private sources. Today, I am asking you to work with me to help identify a solution.”

Secretary LaHood responded, “Senator Collins, thank you for your leadership on this issue. You’ll have my full commitment. Freight rail is very important-- it’s a big component of our transportation system in America. What I’d like to offer is for our Rail Administrator to go to Maine as quickly as possible and meet with all the stakeholders and we’ll figure out some kind of funding opportunity to make sure that this rail line is not closed down. It’s like an interstate- you can’t close down part of an interstate that connects so many different parts of the state. I am committed to helping you. I’ll have our Rail Administrator in Maine and we will work with you on a plan to get this funded.”

Read Across America Day

Weekly Column by Senator Susan Collins

The poet Emily Dickinson wrote, “There is no frigate like a book to take us lands away.” On March 2, we can all help our nation’s children set sail on a wonderful voyage of discovery, imagination, and possibilities by celebrating Read Across America Day.

For 13 years, this particular date has been set aside because it is the birthday of one of the world’s favorite children’s book authors – Theodore Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss. Everyone has a favorite Dr. Seuss book, but the one that stands apart is, of course, The Cat in the Hat.
The story behind this classic book is fascinating. In 1954, Life magazine published an alarming report on illiteracy among school children, which concluded that children were not reading simply because many of their books were boring. Geisel, already a successful author and cartoonist, was given a list of 250 words by his editor and the challenge of turning them into a “book children can’t put down.” Geisel cut the list down to 236 words and produced a captivating book that hasn’t been put down ever since.
Despite much effort and some progress, early literacy remains a problem. The National Institutes of Health has estimated that about 20 million of America’s 53 million school-age children have difficulty reading, and intervention often occurs too late. For those children who reach the third grade without the ability to read, every assignment is a struggle and every day in the classroom can bring embarrassment. Children without basic reading skills are at a greater risk of losing their natural curiosity and excitement for learning.
The key to success is to attack the problem right away. If a child’s reading difficulty is detected early and he or she receives help in kindergarten or first grade, that child has a 90 to 95 percent chance of becoming a good reader. By contrast, if that intervention does not occur, the “window of literacy” closes, and the chances of the child ever becoming a good reader plummet. Moreover, if a child with reading disabilities becomes part of the special education system, the chances of his leaving special education are less than five percent.
While there are many ways that teachers and lawmakers are addressing this issue, nothing can replace the learning that takes place during interaction between parents and their children. Much of the learning and preparation that make reading possible occurs long before a child ever sets foot in a classroom. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, children whose parents read to them three or more times a week are almost twice as likely to be able to identify every letter of the alphabet by the time they enter kindergarten. They are also more likely to be able to count to 20 and write their own names. When a child enters kindergarten already recognizing letters and familiar with books, she or he is better prepared to learn and less likely to encounter difficulty in learning to read.
One of my first jobs as a teenager was reading to children during “Story Hour” at the public library in my hometown of Caribou. I learned at that early age that encouraging children to read is an investment in our children's education and, ultimately, an investment in the future of our country. That is why I have made it a priority to support funding for reading programs and to visit as many schools as I can throughout our state to read to as many children as possible.
To date, I have visited more than 170 schools throughout Maine and have had the wonderful opportunity to share some of my favorite books with thousands of children. I often read books by Maine authors, such as Antlers Forever by Frances Bloxam, Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney, and The Sea Chest by Toni Buzzeo. The words and illustrations in these books are wonderful, but reading books by Maine authors also helps show students that they too can grow up to write books. Taking the time to read to children is not only a worthwhile investment but also a rewarding experience.
Read Across America Day will be celebrated with special events in schools, libraries, and community centers throughout the country. But capturing the spirit of this special day can be achieved through a much simpler act: spending 30 minutes of your time each day to enlarge a child’s world through a book. It is my hope that “Read Across America” will continue to encourage families to get into a daily practice of reading to their children and helping them enjoy the magic of books.

I applaud schoolteachers, librarians, and most of all, parents, for their commitment to teaching children the joys of reading. I encourage all Mainers who have or spend time with young children to observe and enjoy Read Across America every day, and to help them begin this great adventure. Remember, as they say in Seussville, "You're never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child.”

Seeking Bipartisan Health Care Solutions

Weekly column by Senator Susan Collins

President Obama recently announced that he plans to convene a health care summit with the goal of crafting consensus health care reform legislation. The summit, entitled “Next Steps,” could indeed be a positive step forward.

Rather than rehash the arguments surrounding the health care bills considered last year, it is time to look forward. The bitter rhetoric and partisan gridlock of the past year on health care legislation obscured a very important fact: there are many health care reforms that have overwhelming support in both parties.

Here are some of my thoughts on the specifics for this discussion. It is my judgment that the following seven proposals would win bipartisan backing and make a real difference in our health care system.

First, to expand access to health care, we should recognize that 63 percent of uninsured workers are employed by small firms. Tax credits to help small businesses afford health insurance for their employees would, therefore, reduce the number of uninsured.

I have heard from so many Maine small business owners who want to provide coverage but who cannot bear the burden of health insurance premiums that continue to increase by double-digits year after year. And if they pass on a greater percentage of the cost to their employees, workers often decline coverage because they simply cannot afford the additional cost.

These tax credits also should help the self-employed. For the self-employed and their families, the problem of affordability can be insurmountable since they are paying the entire monthly premium which often exceeds their mortgage payment. A generous tax credit, made refundable for low-income individuals who are self-employed, would help them afford coverage.

Second, we need reforms of the insurance market. Consensus reforms would include:

·preventing insurance companies from denying coverage to children who have pre-existing conditions,

·permitting children to remain on their parents’ policies until age 26,

·requiring standardized claim forms to reduce costs,

·allowing interstate sales of insurance with appropriate consumer protections, and

·enabling small businesses to join together to purchase health insurance to have the kind of bargaining clout now available only to larger companies.


Third, cost containment must be a primary focus. The soaring cost of health care is the reason millions are uninsured and millions more are struggling to pay their premiums. We should enact reforms that reward value rather than volume and quality over quantity.

Dartmouth College has done extensive work in comparing health care costs and quality across the United States. Some areas of the country, like here in Maine, are known for high quality care at a lower cost. Others, like Louisiana, are known for the opposite: lower quality and higher costs. If all health care providers were able to achieve the same level of efficiency as the famed Mayo clinic, Dartmouth researchers estimate that overall health care spending in the U.S. could be reduced by as much as 30 percent!

Because of its impact on cost, I would like to this bill include medical liability reform. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that medical liability reform could save $54 billion over the next decade. Doctors should not be forced to practice defensive medicine and order unnecessary and expensive tests just to protect themselves from potential litigation. That does nothing to improve quality and exacerbates costs.

I understand, however, that these reforms may not enjoy bipartisan support. Perhaps more modest medical liability reforms modeled on Maine’s successful pre-litigation screening panels would garner support on both sides of the aisle.

Fourth, reforms must help improve the quality of care. Greater use of electronic records, for example, would reduce medical errors. Everyone likes to joke about physicians’ indecipherable hand-writing, but it is no laughing matter when it leads to serious medication errors. Repeating medical tests because a primary physician’s office cannot transmit the results electronically to the specialist not only increases costs, but also can expose patients to needless risk.

Improving quality also means cracking down on hospital-acquired infections. An estimated 1.7 million Americans acquire an infection during a hospital stay each year, resulting in 99,000 deaths. In addition to the terrible human toll, these infections extend hospital stays and increase costs by $30 billion annually.

Fifth, we need greater transparency throughout the health care system. It is now difficult, and in some cases impossible, for health care consumers to compare cost and measures of quality. In deciding where to have a colonoscopy, for example, shouldn’t a person be able to easily compare the cost of the procedure at all the area hospitals that would be logical choices?

Sixth, virtually everyone agrees that our health care system should focus more on wellness and disease prevention. Federal law, however, limits the ability of large employers who self-insure their employees to reward those who participate in smoking cessation programs, monitor their blood pressure, or take advantage of work-site exercise programs. We must not penalize workers for having health challenges, but we should provide incentives for them to improve their health through wellness programs offered by the employer.

Seventh, we must address the serious health care workforce shortages that plague rural and small-town Maine. Simply having an insurance card will do you no good if there is no one available to provide the care.

The problem of access to health care is not limited to the uninsured, but is shared by the millions of Americans living in areas like Aroostook County that have severe shortages of physicians, nurses, mental health professionals and other critically important health care providers. Moreover, a recent report released by Maine’s Office of Rural Health and Primary Care found that Maine’s rural residents tend to be older, poorer and sicker than residents of our more urban areas. While they suffer disproportionately from chronic illness, just 39 percent have a personal doctor. In terms of their medical care, they are hanging on by a thread.

These seven steps, I believe, could be the foundation for a health care bill that could pass with strong bipartisan support and demonstrate to the American people that their President and their representatives in Washington can work together to tackle a major problem.

Protecting a Woman’s Heart

Weekly column by Senator Susan Collins

February brings to mind thoughts of Valentine's Day and images of hearts. But the heart is much more than a symbol - it is also a vital organ that is all too often taken for granted. Cardiovascular diseases are our nation’s number-one killer. Every year since 1963, Congress and the President have joined together to proclaim February as American Heart Month to urge Americans to join the battle against these diseases.
Nearly 80 million Americans suffer from heart disease, stroke, or some other form of cardiovascular disease. The toll is especially high among American women, taking the life of one female in the United States nearly every minute. Studies have shown that while the heart disease death rate is declining in men under age 45, the rate in young women has actually increased. Yet many women do not even realize they are at risk – nor do their physicians. Among women, cardiovascular disease truly is the “silent killer.”
That is why I have joined my Senate colleagues to sponsor the HEART (Heart Disease Education, Analysis, Research, and Treatment) for Women Act. This bipartisan legislation, a top priority of the American Heart Association, takes a multi-pronged approach to improving the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of heart disease and stroke.
The first step is education. This legislation would raise awareness of this threat through grants to better educate women and their health-care providers about the prevalence and unique aspects of care for women in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. It also would provide funding for the Medicare program to conduct an educational awareness campaign for older women about their risk for heart disease and stroke.
It also would strengthen analysis, research, and treatment efforts for women. Experts believe that a primary reason women are at such great risk of dying from cardiovascular disease is that the preponderance of studies, including the research their physicians are most familiar with, have been targeted at men. As a result, women with heart disease are less likely to be diagnosed until their disease is at an advanced stage and less likely to receive aggressive treatment. In many cases, it is not even known whether new drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat cardiovascular disease are safe and effective in women.
The HEART for Women Act would address this shortcoming by requiring that health-care data that are already being reported to the federal government be broken down by sex, as well as by race and ethnicity. This information would include clinical trial results, and data on pharmaceutical and medical device approval, medical errors, hospital quality, and quality improvement. This body of knowledge will greatly increase the ability of our health-care providers to diagnose and treat cardiovascular disease among their female patients.
This legislation also would improve upon a program that already is producing outstanding results. WISEWOMAN (Well-Integrated Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation), which is administered by the Centers for Disease Control, provides hearts disease and stroke prevention screening, such as tests for high blood pressure and high cholesterol, to low-income uninsured and underinsured women in 14 states.
The benefits of this program are clear: women who participate in WISEWOMAN are more likely to return to their health-care provider for regular health screenings, and have experienced significant reductions in blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Best of all, 10 percent who came into the program as smokers have quit! The HEART for Women Act would expand this proven program to all 50 states, including Maine.
It is vitally important that women and their healthcare providers become more aware that cardiovascular disease is not just a “man’s disease,” and that we address disparities in the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease and stroke in women. The HEART for Women Act will help provide much-needed knowledge and resources to fight back against this silent yet devastating killer.

The Maine State Society: A Home Away from Home for Mainers

Weekly column by Senator Susan Collins

Every year, a group of Mainers living and working in our nation’s capital get together for breakfast with the members of the Maine congressional delegation to catch up on the news and to discuss the state we all are proud to call home. I recently enjoyed an opportunity to speak to this group, called the Maine State Society.

Fifty-five states and U.S. territories have societies in the Washington area. Founded in 1894, Maine’s is one of the oldest and most active. The society describes itself as a “home away from home” for Mainers who live and work around Washington, D.C., and members frequently get together for events, volunteer for community service projects, and gather each summer for the Society’s annual Maine lobster dinner – a tradition that dates back to 1945. One of the most well-known members of the Society is former Maine Governor John Reed.

The handprints of Mainers are all over this nation’s history; they are evident even in the architecture of Washington, D.C. Who can stand in the Lincoln Memorial, read the Gettysburg Address and not think of Joshua Chamberlain and the 20th Maine at Little Round Top? Who can walk The Mall, that great battlefield of the Civil Rights movement nearly a half century ago, and not think of Hannibal Hamlin who, as a Senator more than century earlier, jeopardized a brilliant political career by breaking with his party over slavery?

There is never a day that I go to the Capitol without being aware of the giants who preceded me. Thomas Reed, Margaret Chase Smith, and Edmund Muskie are but a few of the Mainers whose principles were large enough to fill that enormous building.

Usually, when I speak with a group of Mainers, my task is to provide an update on what’s going on in Washington. With a group of Mainers who know Washington, I chose instead to offer an update on what’s going on in Maine.

I began by advising them about what they won’t see on their next trip home – the heaviest trucks needlessly clogging our downtowns and secondary roads. Last December, after years of hard work, I finally was able to convince my colleagues in Congress to approve a one-year pilot project to allow these trucks to use the interstate highways in Maine. This has always been one of my top priorities.

I am confident that this pilot project will show positive results in reducing heavy truck traffic through our downtowns and residential areas, saving fuel, and decreasing emissions. Most important, it should greatly improve safety for motorists and pedestrians. This pilot project received strong support from public safety and law enforcement agencies throughout Maine.

Another notable development back home isn’t as immediately noticeable, but it will eventually make a great difference – the leadership role Maine is taking in securing America’s energy future. Meeting the challenge of developing energy alternatives will provide great opportunities for Maine to build an economy for the future, with new industries and thousands of good jobs.

This endeavor received a significant boost last October when the U.S. Department of Energy announced an $8 million grant for offshore wind research at the University of Maine, and Congress approved $5 million for the Maine Offshore Wind Initiative at UMaine that I advanced. This January, the Department of Commerce announced a $12.4 million laboratory construction grant for the University of Maine. That brings the total federal funding that I have helped secure to $25 million to support deepwater wind power off Maine’s coast.

I strongly advocated for these projects because Maine has great potential as an ideal location for offshore wind projects and has the potential to take the lead in the development of clean, renewable, and affordable energy for America. Estimates are that development of five gigawatts of off-shore wind in Maine – enough to power more than 1 million homes for a year -- could attract $20 billion of investment to our state and create more than 15,000 green energy jobs that would be sustained over 30 years

I concluded by noting one very important way the Society remains connected to our state. For the past 18 years, the Worcester Wreath Company in the Washington County town of Harrington has donated thousands of wreaths to decorate the graves at military cemeteries throughout America. Maine State Society members are always among the most devoted volunteers at Arlington National Cemetery laying wreaths in tribute to our fallen heroes.

The Society’s annual Congressional Breakfast is a wonderful tradition in which we can all come together to celebrate our Maine roots. I have enjoyed attending each year since I first came to the Senate, along with several members of my Washington staff who also hail from Maine. While there’s no place like home, it is always wonderful to be in the good company of fellow Mainers.

SENATOR COLLINS ANNOUNCES MORE THAN $400,000 FOR SEVEN MAINE FIRE DEPARTMENTS

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, today announced that the Department of Homeland Security has awarded $409,688 in grant funding to seven Maine fire departments. The funding is provided through the "Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program," or FIRE Act.

“Our career and volunteer firefighters are among our bravest public servants. The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program is an extremely critical source of funds for our fire and rescue personnel,” said Senator Collins. “Since the creation of this program, Maine fire departments have been awarded more than $50 million to help purchase new, used, or refurbished vehicles, and to obtain equipment for firefighting, interoperable communications, chemical detection, and other purposes that are essential to first responders.”

Funding will be distributed to the following Maine fire departments through the Operations and Firefighting Safety Program, which consists of training, equipment, wellness and fitness, and modifications to the departments’ facilities.


* Allagash Volunteer Fire Department--- $39,900
* Bristol Fire and Rescue---$116,931
* Chebeague Island Fire Department---$6,818
* Milford Fire-Rescue Department---$38,380
* Norridgewock Fire Department---$20,650
* Oakland Fire Department---$40,616
* Winthrop Fire Department---$27,643


Additionally, the following fire department is being awarded funding through the Vehicle Acquisition Program, which helps local departments purchase equipment such as pumpers, brush trucks, tankers/tenders, rescue vehicles, ambulances, aerials, foam units and fire boats.


* Milford Fire-Rescue Department---$118,750


Senator Collins strongly supported the creation of the FIRE Act Grant program. These grants are awarded to fire departments across the United States to increase the effectiveness of firefighting operations, firefighter health and safety programs, emergency medical service programs, and Fire Prevention and Safety programs, and to purchase new fire equipment.

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Responding to the Crisis in Haiti

Weekly column by Senator Susan Collins

The devastation in Haiti is of unconceivable magnitude. The images and news reports are unbearable to watch, and the distress, suffering, and loss of the people of that devastated island are heartbreaking.



America is responding to this grave humanitarian crisis it always does – with everything it has and in every way it can. Our valiant military personnel are on the scene, saving lives and bringing relief. Doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals are pouring into the country with their skills, compassion, and dedication. Throughout our nation and across our state, collection baskets, benefit events, and telethons are overflowing with the generosity of our people, even in these difficult economic times here at home.



I have dedicated resources of my offices to aid in this effort. My staff-- here in Maine and in Washington—is working closely with constituents who have family and loved ones in Haiti. They are in constant contact with State Department officials and international relief organizations to locate the missing and to expedite their evacuation to the United States.



Here are just a few examples. A Maine couple had been in the process of adopting two Haitian boys, ages six and two. Working with the State Department, we were able to determine that the boys are safe and being cared for in an orphanage outside of Port-au-Prince, and that they are awaiting military transport to the U.S. Currently, we are working with two other families, in Winthrop and Pittsfield, to accelerate travel for Haitian children they are in the process of adopting.



We are working to bring about the return of an 11-month-old girl, who had been living with extended family in Haiti, to her parents in York County. After being contacted by her sister in Saco and by working through the U.S. Embassy, we were able to assist a 72-year-old nun in evacuating Haiti. We also have helped a family in Wayne locate their son who was in Haiti with a small group from his college, and assisted a Rockport woman in providing her brother, a priest, with information on evacuating his mission group to the Dominican Republic. And we assisted in locating a young woman from Eddington who had been visiting friends in Haiti and in providing information on how to return home.



In addition, I have joined a bipartisan group of member of Congress urging President Obama to require that federal agencies provide for the safe and swift evacuation of orphaned children in Haiti. It is essential that federal agencies work with the greatest possible speed to bring the estimated 600 to 700 orphans who have been granted humanitarian parole to their waiting adoptive U.S. families.



On Jan. 18, the Department of Homeland Security announced that it would extend humanitarian parole to those Haitian orphans with established adoptive relationships with U.S. families so that these orphans could travel immediately to the United States. In the days following the announcement, however, federal agencies failed to put forth a coordinated logistical plan to assure these orphans’ immediate safety, efficient immigration processing and exit to the U.S. Without such a plan, desperate American citizens will put themselves or the children they are seeking to adopt at risk in attempting evacuations on their own.



This delay is a direct result of a lack of inter-agency coordination and communication to the public, and of ad-hoc processing of travel documents by the U.S. Embassy. With the most innocent and helpless of lives at stake, this is no time for bureaucratic delay. I will continue to push for better cooperation and more rapid processing of essential documents.



A powerful earthquake has left the people of Haiti with an awful burden of loss, despair and ruin. Working together, with all of us doing what we can and as much as we can, we will at least help ensure our Haitian neighbors that it is a burden they do not bear alone.

SENATORS SNOWE, COLLINS ANNOUNCE $35 MILLION TO EXTEND DOWNEASTER RAIL SERVICE TO BRUNSWICK

Recovery Act funding will be used to upgrade 30 miles of track between Portland and Brunswick


Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Olympia J. Snowe and Susan Collins today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA) $35 million in High-Speed Rail Grants to be used to rehabilitate 30 miles of track to extend Amtrak’s Downeaster rail service from Portland to Brunswick.

“This is welcome news to Mainers and visitors alike,” said Senators Snowe and Collins in a joint statement. “Since its inception, the Downeaster service has enjoyed steady ridership increases, providing tremendous benefits to Maine, including reducing road congestion, cleaner air, commuting options, and easier access to the state for tourists and economic development opportunities for businesses and communities. Extending this critical rail service to Brunswick will not only build upon the these successes but also create jobs and further boost tourism in the Midcoast region, giving the Brunswick area, which is coping with the closure of Brunswick Naval Air Station, a much-needed economic shot in the arm.”

Patricia Quinn, Executive Director of the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority said, “The expansion of Downeaster service to Brunswick will have a lasting impact on Maine and on northern New England. In addition to making the Downeaster service more viable and efficient, it will create jobs, generate tourism, stimulate economic development and provide greater connectivity and mobility throughout the region. This is an exciting time for passenger rail in America, and we are honored to be included in the first round of this investment package.”

The funding is being distributed by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), which Senators Snowe and Collins worked to craft with a bipartisan group of senators last year. According to the NNEPRA, the expansion of Downeaster Service north to Freeport and Brunswick will further increase ridership by tens of thousands of individuals and take millions of passenger miles off Maine roads every year. Significantly, it enhances the efficiency of the service by reducing operating costs on a per passenger basis and maximizing the utility of existing equipment and labor pools. In addition to transportation benefits, expanding the Downeaster to Freeport and Brunswick will provide significant economic benefits to the region both in the near term and for years to come. It will support tourism, Maine’s largest industry, by creating a link between Boston and downtown Freeport, encouraging private development, potentially creating hundreds of jobs, and offers critical support to the redevelopment efforts that are ongoing at the Brunswick Naval Air Station, all the while providing connectivity to mid-coast Maine.

SENATOR COLLINS ANNOUNCES NEARLY $600,000 FOR TWELVE MAINE FIRE DEPARTMENTS

Albion, Arrowsic, Sebago, Bangor, North Lakes, Hodgdon, Jackman, Litchfield, Mapleton, Passadumkeag, Gouldsboro and Stoneham to Receive Assistance to Firefighter Grants

U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, today announced that the Department of Homeland Security has awarded $592,810 in grant funding to eleven Maine fire departments. The funding is provided through the "Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program," or FIRE Act.



“Our career and volunteer firefighters are among our bravest public servants. The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program is an extremely critical source of funds for our fire and rescue personnel,” said Senator Collins. “Since the creation of this program, Maine fire departments have been awarded more than $50 million to help purchase new, used, or refurbished vehicles, and to obtain equipment for firefighting, interoperable communications, chemical detection, and other purposes that are essential to first responders.”



The following fire departments is being awarded funding through the Vehicle Acquisition Program, which helps local departments purchase equipment such as pumpers, brush trucks, tankers/tenders, rescue vehicles, ambulances, aerials, foam units and fire boats.



o Arrowsic Fire Department--- $190,000

o Litchfield Fire Department-- $118,750



Additionally, funding will be distributed to the following Maine fire departments through the Operations and Firefighting Safety Program, which consists of training, equipment, wellness and fitness, and modifications to the departments’ facilities.



o Albion Volunteer Fire Department-- $70,728

o Sebago Fire Department--$19,252

o Bangor Fire Department-- $36,000

o North Lakes Fire Department (Aroostook County)-- $36,100

o Hodgdon Fire Department-- $38,000

o Jackman-Moose River Fire Department-- $7,410

o Mapleton Fire Department-- $34,675

o Passadumkeag Fire Department-- $19,095

o Gouldsboro Fire Department-- $12,540

o Stoneham Fire Department-- $10,260







Senator Collins strongly supported the creation of the FIRE Act Grant program. These grants are awarded to fire departments across the United States to increase the effectiveness of firefighting operations, firefighter health and safety programs, emergency medical service programs, and Fire Prevention and Safety programs, and to purchase new fire equipment.

Senators Pressure Federal Agencies to Develop Safe, Swift Evacuation of Orphan Children In Haiti

U.S. Senator Susan Collins joined a bipartisan group of 15 Senators and 35 House members in sending a letter to the Obama Administration asking for greater collaboration between the federal agencies in an effort to evacuate the 600 to 700 orphans who have been granted humanitarian parole. In a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Designate Rajiv Shah, these members of Congress stressed the need for a plan to swiftly evacuate orphans safely to their adoptive U.S. families.

The letter was co-signed by Senators Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Michael Bennet (D-CO.), Kit Bond (R-MO), Robert Casey Jr. (D-PA), John Ensign (R-NV), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), John McCain (R-AZ), Patty Murray (D-WA), Ben Nelson (D-NE), and Mark Udall (D-CO).

“In our view, the chaos that has ensued is a direct result of a lack of logistical inter-agency coordination, a lack of communication to the public, and ad-hoc processing of travel documents by the U.S. Embassy,” the members of Congress wrote. “Therefore, we are writing to ask for your personal assurances that the State Department, in collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Agency on International Development, puts in place a plan to directly ensure that ALL of the 600-700 orphans affected by Monday's announcement of humanitarian parole are safely and efficiently evacuated within the next ten days.”

On January 18, 2010, the Department of Homeland Security announced that it would extend humanitarian parole to those Haitian orphans with established adoptive relationships with U.S. adoptive families so that these orphans could travel immediately to the United States.

However, in the three days following the announcement, federal agencies have yet to put forth a coordinated logistical plan to assure these orphans’ immediate safety, efficient immigration processing and exit to the U.S. Without such a plan, American citizens will put themselves or the children they are seeking to adopt at risk in attempting an evacuation, the Senators argued.

“Over the past four days, we, along with several other congressional offices have been urging State Department, USAID and Homeland Security officials to consider the consequences of making this announcement without a plan that ensured safe and efficient processing and travel for these children,” the letter says. “Despite our best efforts, over 350 American families are now desperate and many are trying to independently evacuate their children. At the same time, orphanage directors, who are also lacking the information and support they need to protect the children in their care, are leaving the orphanages in search of help.”

“Understandably, families are anxious to bring their children to the United States where they can personally assure their safety, said Kathleen Strottman, Executive Director of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI). “If they are not given the benefit of a clear U.S. government led plan to do that, then they will come up with one of their own. Given the situation on ground, it is in no one’s best interest for 350 or so American families to be planning individual rescue missions.”

Senator Collins' statement on Scott Brown's election

Senator Collins released the following statement about the election of Scott Brown to the U.S. Senate:

“I congratulate Scott Brown on his victory in Massachusetts and look forward to welcoming him to the United States Senate. This election is an indication that voters in Massachusetts, indeed a majority of Americans, want checks and balances and do not support unfettered, one-party rule in Washington. The results of this election also reflect the fact that so many people are appalled at the process by which the health care bill was negotiated behind closed doors, rammed through the Senate with limited debate and amendments, and riddled with special deals to garner votes. People are frustrated with these tactics. They want their elected officials to set partisan politics aside and work together to forge solutions to the many challenges facing our country, particularly the need to strengthen the economy.”

Collins and Lieberman to hold hearings in wake of Christmas Day terrorist attack

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman, ID-Conn., and Ranking Member Susan Collins, R-Me., Friday announced the witness list for the first in a series of hearings the Committee will hold to discuss how to further improve the nation’s security in light of the Christmas Day terrorist attack.
The Committee will hear from Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair, and National Counterterrorism Center Director Michael Leiter on Wednesday, January 20, on the intelligence reforms recommended by the 9/11 Commission in its final report on the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
“We are grateful to Secretary Napolitano, Director Blair and Director Leiter for agreeing to testify before our Committee to discuss the reforms made after 9/11 relevant to the Christmas Day attack, including changes in areas such as intelligence analysis, information sharing, watch-listing, border security and aviation security,” Senator Lieberman said. “We are especially interested in the progress of the intelligence reforms that were made in 2004 in response to the 9/11 Commission’s recommendations, including the creation of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the National Counterterrorism Center.
“As the President noted, while enforcement and intelligence communities have worked successfully together to disrupt several plots against our country, the intelligence to discover and disrupt the plot, masterminded by al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, was available to our government. But it was not pieced together. We will ask Admiral Blair and Director Leiter why the intelligence community was unable to bring together pieces of intelligence held by various agencies to detect this plot and whether the DNI and NCTC have the authority to integrate the intelligence community into a single, integrated enterprise.
“From Secretary Napolitano, we will want to know how - even after reforms designed to prevent it - Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was able to exploit passenger pre-screening systems and the international aviation security system to board a plane bound for the United States with an explosive device.”
Senator Collins said: “Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and enactment of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act, much has been done to improve the performance of our intelligence, homeland security, and law enforcement agencies. Bureaucratic stovepipes that precluded information sharing have been dismantled, and collaboration has increased. As a direct result of these reforms, terrorist plots, both at home and abroad, have been thwarted.
“But human error, poor judgments, outmoded systems, and the sheer volume of data can still cause failures in the government’s ability to detect and detect terrorist plots as the recent attacks at Fort Hood and on Christmas Day demonstrate.

Video: Senator Collins to vote against Senate health care bill

Senator Collins to vote against health care legislation

Says bill fails to reduce costs and will hurt Maine's seniors, health care providers, and small businesses

U.S. Senator Susan Collins announced today her decision to vote against the final health care bill unveiled by Majority Leader Harry Reid on Saturday. Following is her statement:

"Our nation’s health care system requires substantial reform. The status quo of soaring health care costs, families struggling, millions uninsured, and health care provider shortages is unacceptable. That is why I am so disappointed that the partisan legislation before the Senate falls far short of what should be the goals of reform. This bill will actually increase health care costs, impose billions in new taxes, fees, and penalties, and hurt our seniors, health care providers, and small businesses. I simply cannot support such a bill.

"It is particularly disappointing that the bill does not do enough to rein in the cost of health care and to provide consumers with more affordable choices. Whether I am talking to a self-employed fisherman, a laid-off worker, the owner of a struggling small business, or the human resource manager of a large company, the soaring cost of health insurance is a primary concern. Yet, the government's own actuary projects that health care costs will be higher as a result of this bill than under current law.

"I am deeply opposed to the nearly $500 billion in cuts to Medicare – a program that already has long-term financing problems. It is fiscally irresponsible to raid Medicare to pay for a new entitlement program at a time when the number of Medicare beneficiaries is on the rise.

"It makes no sense that the bill would slash more than $47 billion in payments to home health and hospice providers. That is completely contrary to the goal of controlling health care costs because home care and hospice services have consistently proven to be cost-effective alternatives to institutional care.

"According to the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Actuary, these deep cuts could push one in five hospitals, nursing homes, and home health providers into the red. Many of these providers would simply stop taking Medicare patients, which would jeopardize access to care for millions of seniors.

"The comments of the Chief Executive Officer of Central Maine Healthcare, reflect what I have heard from many of Maine's health care providers about this bill. He told me that its passage would be 'disastrous' for Maine and would saddle our hospitals with some $800 million in Medicare cuts over the next ten years.

"Aside from the devastating cuts in Medicare, additional financing for this bill comes through an array of new taxes, penalties, and fees on individuals, employers, insurance providers, and medical device and pharmaceutical manufacturers. The Congressional Budget Office and Joint Committee on Taxation have testified that these costs will simply be passed on to consumers, further increasing the costs of health care for many Americans – the opposite of what health care reform should produce.

"And there is a four-year gap between when billions of new taxes and fees are imposed and when the new subsidies go into effect. The bill would provide fewer and more expensive insurance choices for many self-employed individuals who will not qualify for subsidies.

"The detrimental impact of this bill on small businesses, our nation's job creators, concerns me greatly. This bill would discourage small businesses from hiring more employees and paying them better. It could lead to onerous financial penalties on small businesses that are already struggling to provide health insurance for their employees.

"Small businesses want to provide health insurance for their employees, but many simply cannot afford to absorb double-digit increases in their health insurance premiums year after year. The National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business association, says this bill does too little to reduce insurance costs, imposes new taxes, establishes new entitlement programs, and creates new mandates that will burden small business owners and their employees. In short, the NFIB says, 'the Senate bill fails small business.' I agree.

"To remedy some of these fundamental problems, I worked with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to offer significant bipartisan amendments aimed at containing costs, helping small businesses, increasing affordability, and providing more choices for consumers. Unfortunately, we were precluded from offering our amendments due to procedural roadblocks.

"It is unfair that Republicans were allowed to offer only seven amendments to a bill that affects every single citizen and one-sixth of our nation’s economy.

"The health care legislation before the Senate has enormous consequences for our economy and our society. The Senate missed the opportunity to produce true, bipartisan health reform. Unfortunately, the process became too divisive and partisan, and the result is a bill that takes us in the wrong direction and will do more harm than good. Keeping in mind the oath every physician takes to 'first, do no harm,' I will cast my vote against this legislation."

Lieberman, Collins look to special commission to restore nation's fiscal balance

Leading financial experts Thursday told Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman, ID-Conn., and Ranking Member Susan Collins, R-Me., that the only way Congress can tackle the nation’s growing $12 trillion debt is through a statutorily-created, bipartisan commission.
At a hearing entitled, “Safeguarding the American Dream: Prospects for our Economic Future and Proposals to Secure It,” witnesses urged creation of a commission whose recommendations would be put on a legislative fast track and would not be subject to amendment by Congress.
“The American people have reached a tipping point on this,” Lieberman said. “They see that we in Washington are incapable of dealing with the debt, ultimately because we are irresponsible. We like to spend and we don’t like to raise taxes. You don’t have to be Alan Greenspan to know that that will lead to an unsustainable debt…
“If we continue adding to the debt without putting in place meaningful measures to pay it back, we put at risk both our economic and national security; we place our nation’s economy at the mercies of foreign creditors who don’t always share our values; and we put in jeopardy generational promises we have made to ourselves and our children, like Medicare and Social Security.”
Senator Collins said: “We cannot continue business as usual. This is the moment in history in which we must confront the conflict between what we want and what we can afford. It is time to reassess our national priorities, to make the hard decisions, and to set a new course.
“The budget reform proposals presented by our Senate colleagues would begin to move us forward as a nation in facing our fiscal challenges.”
During the hearing, Senator Collins asked witness David Walker, former Comptroller General of the United States, about the irony of the day’s hearing, saying: “I cannot help but observe the irony that we are having this debate about what to do with the unsustainable debt load of this country at a time that we are debating on the Senate floor a huge health care bill that is in essence creating a new entitlement program that has enormous consequences for our future budgets... and that could actually drive national health care spending up, not down.” Walker agreed with Senator Collins’ assessment, saying: “It is somewhat ironic.” The core issue is rising health care costs, he said. “The one thing that could bankrupt America is health care costs and we’re not doing enough to really truly be able to reduce health care costs as well as the rate of increase,” said Walker.


Lieberman has joined with Senator Voinovich, R-Ohio, in introducing legislation – the SAFE Commission Act of 2009, S. 1056 -- to get a handle on the growing debt. Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad, D-N.D., and Ranking Member Judd Gregg, R-N.H. – both of whom testified at the hearing -- have introduced a similar proposal, the Bipartisan Task Force for Responsible Fiscal Action Act of 2009, S. 2853, which Lieberman and Voinovich have co-sponsored.
Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan testified that expanded prosperity is finite and cannot be counted on to reduce the debt. For that reason, both commission proposals would require that all possible measures be considered – including raising taxes and fees, cutting loans and subsidies, and reigning in discretionary spending and entitlement programs, such as Medicare and Social Security.
Lieberman, Conrad, and others have vowed to oppose a long-term increase in the nation’s debt limit unless a special commission is created to bring the debt under control. The Senate is expected to vote this week or next on the short-term debt limit increase the House has already passed.
Witnesses at the hearing also included Walker, who now heads the Peter G. Peterson Foundation. The foundation estimates that in addition to the more than $12 trillion in debt, the nation’s unfunded liabilities related to pension obligations, Medicare, and Social Security exceed $40 trillion or almost $500,000 per American household.

Collins, Wyden introduce amendments to hold down premiums and expand health care choices

Bipartisan amendments offered to Senate health care bill

Washington, D.C.-. U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) today filed three bipartisan amendments to the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.” If adopted, the amendments will improve the Senate bill by doing more to hold down premium increases for all Americans while expanding health care choices for more Americans and their employers.

“At the end of the day, Americans don’t care if a health reform proposal originated with a Democrat or a Republican, what matters to them is that it works,” Senator Wyden said. “I’m proud to join forces with Senator Collins to offer common-sense amendments that will hold down premium costs and make health care more affordable for American families and their employers. As I have long said, the best way to hold down health care costs and make insurance companies accountable is to put Americans in the driver’s seat and empower them to pick the plan that best fits their needs.”

Senator Collins said; “Health care reform should give Americans more choices of affordable health insurance options. That is why I am pleased to have worked closely with Senator Wyden on this bipartisan amendment that would help keep costs down and provide individuals, employers and employees with more health care choices.”

Senators Wyden and Collins are proposing as amendments to the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” the following three amendments:

MORE CHOICES FOR EMPLOYERS AND WORKERS: While the current Senate legislation will eventually make it possible for employers to insure their workforce in the new health insurance exchanges, the legislation does not contain a mechanism to make it possible for employers to offer their workers the ability to choose any plan offered in the exchange. This Wyden-Collins amendment would correct that by making it possible for employers – who want to offer their employees the full range of choices in the exchange – to do just that while increasing competition in the new marketplace:

Under the amendment, any employer that sponsors a health plan would have the option to offer tax-free vouchers to its workers equal to the amount the employer contributes to its own health plan. Workers could then use that voucher to purchase the exchange plan that works best for them and their family. If a worker decides to purchase a less-expensive plan the worker would keep the savings as added income just as workers wanting to purchase more generous plans in the exchange will be able to pay the additional cost out of pocket. Whatever employers pay for vouchers will remain tax deductible for employers and tax free for employees; and while no employer will be required to offer vouchers under the new system, in order to encourage participation, employers who want to offer their employees tax-free vouchers will be given accelerated access to the new health insurance exchanges. Under the amendment, any employer offering its workers vouchers would have access to the exchange in 2015 rather than 2017, which is the schedule for employer access in the bill.

OFFERING MORE CHOICES IN THE EXCHANGE: This amendment will make it possible for individuals, who are not eligible for a subsidy, to purchase a catastrophic plan, regardless of age. Catastrophic plans will typically have much lower premiums than other plans offered through the exchange but subscribers will pay for most of their health care expenses “out-of pocket” up until they exceed their plan’s catastrophic limit.

Americans should have the choice to purchase more affordable coverage, if that is what works best for them. Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, individuals up to the age of 30 are eligible to purchase these plans. The Wyden-Collins amendment will extend that option to individuals – not receiving government subsidies – over the age of 30. This amendment would give consumers more choice and help ensure that more people can purchase coverage that fits their needs and is affordable to them.

The amendment includes aggressive disclosure requirements that will require catastrophic subscribers to certify that they understand the terms of the coverage and know that they are purchasing the lowest level of coverage available.

III. HOLDING DOWN PREMIUMS FOR CONSUMERS: Starting in 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will impose an annual fee on insurance companies based on the number of premiums written each year. This amendment will modify that fee to create an incentive for insurers to hold down rates. So, for example, insurance companies that hold down premium increases will pay lower fees, while insurers who jack-up their premiums will pay much higher fees. Starting in 2010 the fee will be varied by as much as 50% based on how aggressively insurers control costs which will give them a strong incentive to hold the line on overhead, executive salaries, provider payments and inefficiency. As under the bill, the total amount of the annual fee will be $6.7 billion per year.

Major victory for Senator Collins' effort to lift federal truck weights in Maine

Senate- House conferees approve one-year pilot program
Collins fought to include one year project in final 2010 Transportation Appropriations bill

A Senate-House conference committee late tonight gave final approval to Senator Susan Collins’ provision to create a one-year pilot project that would exempt Maine’s highways from the 80,000 pound federal truck weight limit. Senator Collins, who is the only delegation member from Maine to serve on an Appropriations Committee, has championed this provision. This provision was not included in the original House-passed bill but Senator Collins, who was a member of the Conference Committee, fought hard to have it successfully included in the final Fiscal Year 2010 Transportation Appropriations bill.

“Increasing federal truck weight limits on Maine’s interstates has always been one of my top priorities,” said Senator Collins. “A uniform truck weight limit would keep trucks on the interstates where they belong, rather than on the rural roads that pass through our small towns and villages. A one-year pilot project allowing heavier trucks on the interstates would permit an assessment of the impact of the safety, commerce and road wear and tear. I am delighted that I was able to convince my colleagues on the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to allow this pilot project to move forward. I hope that both the House and Senate will give final approval to this bill as quickly as possible and it will be signed by the President.”

In 1994, the U.S. Department of Transportation first notified the State of Maine that it was in violation of federal vehicle weight requirements. Maine’s Congressional delegation has been working since then to change the law, which forces northbound trucks weighing more than 80,000 pounds off Interstate 95 in Augusta. As a result, heavy trucks traveling I-95 to Houlton are forced onto smaller, secondary roads that pass through cities, towns, and villages, creating safety concerns.

Senator Collins first raised this issue in June during an Appropriations Committee hearing with U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who pledged to help address this issue. Senator Collins then worked with her colleagues on the Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee to have her provision included in the FY 2010 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill.

The FY 2010 Transportation Appropriations conference report must now receive final approval from both the House and Senate. It would then be sent to the President for his signature. The House is scheduled to vote on Thursday.