In a continuing effort to address the federal weight-limit restriction that prevents heavy trucks from traveling on much of Interstate 95, Senator Susan Collins, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today sent a letter to leaders of the Appropriations Committee. In the letter to the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Senator Collins requested that a one-year pilot project exempting Maine’s highways from the 80,000 pound federal truck weight limit be included in the upcoming Fiscal Year 2010 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill.
Under questioning from Senator Collins during an Appropriations Subcommittee hearing yesterday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood pledged to work with her, and state and local officials, to help address this significant safety and commerce issue. In addition, following that hearing, Senator Collins discussed the issue with Transportation Subcommittee Chairman, Patty Murray (D-WA).
Following is the full text of Senator Collins’ letter to Senate Appropriators:
Chairman Daniel K. Inouye Vice Chairman Thad Cochran
Senate Appropriations Committee Senate Appropriations Committee
S-131 The Capitol S-146 A The Capitol
The Honorable Patty Murray The Honorable Christopher Bond
Chairman Ranking Member
Appropriations Subcommittee on Appropriations Subcommittee on
Transportation, Housing and Urban Transportation, Housing and Urban
Development and Related Agencies Development and Related Agencies
142 Dirksen Senate Office Building 128 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Dear Senators Inouye, Cochran, Murray, and Bond,
As a follow up to yesterday’s Transportation-HUD appropriations hearing with Secretary LaHood, I want to specifically request that a one-year pilot project allowing trucks weighing up to 100,000 pounds to travel on Maine’s Interstates be included in the Fiscal Year 2010 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill. Secretary LaHood pledged to help address this significant safety issue in Maine. In addition, I am grateful for the recent opportunity to have also discussed this issue with the Subcommittee Chairman, Patty Murray. I will soon provide you with the language requested for inclusion in the bill.
Maine has struggled for years with the federal truck weight limit. Under current law, trucks weighing 100,000 pounds are allowed to travel on Interstate 95 from the border of Maine with New Hampshire, to Augusta, Maine. At that point, trucks weighing more than 80,000 pounds are forced off Interstate 95, which proceeds north to Houlton, a distance of more than 200 miles. As a result, heavy trucks are forced onto smaller, secondary roads that pass through our cities, towns, and villages, creating safety concerns. In fact, there have been several accidents, some of which have tragically resulted in death, which occurred after these large trucks were diverted onto secondary roads and through smaller communities.
A pilot project keeping these heavy trucks on the Interstates, which are designed to carry more weight than the rural roads, would permit an assessment of the impact of safety, commerce, and road wear and tear. This change is widely supported by public officials throughout Maine, including the Governor, Maine State Police, and the entire Maine Congressional Delegation.
Thank you for your consideration of this request.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Funding for Biomedial Research at Maine Medical Center
U.S. Senators Olympia J. Snowe and Susan Collins (R-Maine) today announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institute of Health has awarded a $434,492 grant totaling biomedical research and training at the Maine Medical Center.
The funding is being distributed to Maine through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Senators Snowe and Collins worked with a bipartisan group of senators to craft the legislation that became law in February.
“This funding from the Department of Health & Human Services will facilitate advanced medical research that will benefit the health of all Americans,” said Snowe and Collins in a joint statement. “We are pleased that Maine’s own Maine Medical Center is on the forefront of our nation’s medical research efforts.”
The Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) is the United States government's principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves. The Department includes more than 300 programs, covering a wide spectrum of activities, and administers more grant dollars than all other federal agencies combined
The funding is being distributed to Maine through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Senators Snowe and Collins worked with a bipartisan group of senators to craft the legislation that became law in February.
“This funding from the Department of Health & Human Services will facilitate advanced medical research that will benefit the health of all Americans,” said Snowe and Collins in a joint statement. “We are pleased that Maine’s own Maine Medical Center is on the forefront of our nation’s medical research efforts.”
The Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) is the United States government's principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves. The Department includes more than 300 programs, covering a wide spectrum of activities, and administers more grant dollars than all other federal agencies combined
Monday, June 15, 2009
Senator Collins applauds TD Banknorth's expansion in Auburn
During a news conference in Auburn this morning, U.S. Senator Susan Collins applauded TD Banknorth’s decision to expand its operations, creating up to 500 new jobs.
“It is just remarkable that in the midst of the worst economic climate since the Great Depression, when hundreds of thousands of jobs are being lost every month all around the country, we are here to celebrate the expansion of TD Banknorth’s operations in Auburn,” said Senator Collins. “What a testament to the skill and foresight of the TD Banknorth team that you have weathered the storm so well.”
“I met with TD Banknorth management last year and we discussed the company’s plans for the future and the importance of having top-quality workers to support its growth. I am delighted that TD Banknorth has made the decision to expand in Auburn – this is a great choice for Maine, and a great choice for your company.
“Congratulations to everyone who helped make this day happen.”
“It is just remarkable that in the midst of the worst economic climate since the Great Depression, when hundreds of thousands of jobs are being lost every month all around the country, we are here to celebrate the expansion of TD Banknorth’s operations in Auburn,” said Senator Collins. “What a testament to the skill and foresight of the TD Banknorth team that you have weathered the storm so well.” “I met with TD Banknorth management last year and we discussed the company’s plans for the future and the importance of having top-quality workers to support its growth. I am delighted that TD Banknorth has made the decision to expand in Auburn – this is a great choice for Maine, and a great choice for your company.
“Congratulations to everyone who helped make this day happen.”
Friday, June 12, 2009
Senator Collins supports bill to better regulate tobacco products
Collins is original cosponsor of legislation that passed the Senate today 79-17
Senator Collins voted to support legislation that would give the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority it needs to regulate the production and marketing of tobacco products. Senator Collins is an original cosponsor of the “Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act,” which would prevent tobacco companies from using misleading or inaccurate health claims, require them to inform consumers of tobacco product ingredients, and would restrict tobacco advertising and promotions that target children.
“Tobacco is the number one preventable cause of death in the United States today,” said Senator Collins. “Despite all the harm they cause, however, tobacco products are exempt from even the most basic health and safety regulations. This long-overdue legislation gives clear and comprehensive authority to the FDA to regulate tobacco products and better protect adults and children from the dangers of tobacco.”
The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act has been endorsed by a wide array of national public health and medical groups including the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association, the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, the American Public Health Association, the American Medical Association, the American Osteopathic Association, the American Dental Association, the March of Dimes, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, AARP, the Children’s Defenses Fund and Families U.S.A.
Maine organizations endorsing the bill include the Maine Medical Association, the Maine Dental Association, the Maine Lung Association, the Maine Academy of Family Physicians, the American Cancer Society - Maine, and the Maine CDC.
Senator Collins voted to support legislation that would give the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority it needs to regulate the production and marketing of tobacco products. Senator Collins is an original cosponsor of the “Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act,” which would prevent tobacco companies from using misleading or inaccurate health claims, require them to inform consumers of tobacco product ingredients, and would restrict tobacco advertising and promotions that target children.
“Tobacco is the number one preventable cause of death in the United States today,” said Senator Collins. “Despite all the harm they cause, however, tobacco products are exempt from even the most basic health and safety regulations. This long-overdue legislation gives clear and comprehensive authority to the FDA to regulate tobacco products and better protect adults and children from the dangers of tobacco.”
The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act has been endorsed by a wide array of national public health and medical groups including the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association, the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, the American Public Health Association, the American Medical Association, the American Osteopathic Association, the American Dental Association, the March of Dimes, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, AARP, the Children’s Defenses Fund and Families U.S.A.
Maine organizations endorsing the bill include the Maine Medical Association, the Maine Dental Association, the Maine Lung Association, the Maine Academy of Family Physicians, the American Cancer Society - Maine, and the Maine CDC.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
WSJ op-ed- Handouts for Hummers
Wall Street Journal -
by Senator Susan Collins and Senator Dianne Feinstein
It's amazing how quickly a good idea can go bad in Washington. In January, we joined with Sen. Charles Schumer to introduce a bill that would allow Americans to trade in gas-guzzling cars in exchange for vouchers worth up to $4,500 toward the purchase of vehicles with greatly improved fuel economy. This legislation was modeled after programs in California and Texas that improved fuel efficiency, reduced pollution, and stimulated auto sales.
Our "Cash for Clunkers" proposal was a win-win for the environment and the economy. Then Detroit auto industry lobbyists got involved. Soon a rival bill emerged in the House, tailored perfectly to the auto industry's specifications.
The House bill was written so quickly that one of its main components -- a provision that would have excluded any vehicle manufactured overseas -- had to be removed because it violated trade laws. But the worst item on the auto industry's wish list is still at the heart of the bill -- a provision that undermines fuel-efficiency standards.
Read more >>
by Senator Susan Collins and Senator Dianne Feinstein
It's amazing how quickly a good idea can go bad in Washington. In January, we joined with Sen. Charles Schumer to introduce a bill that would allow Americans to trade in gas-guzzling cars in exchange for vouchers worth up to $4,500 toward the purchase of vehicles with greatly improved fuel economy. This legislation was modeled after programs in California and Texas that improved fuel efficiency, reduced pollution, and stimulated auto sales.
Our "Cash for Clunkers" proposal was a win-win for the environment and the economy. Then Detroit auto industry lobbyists got involved. Soon a rival bill emerged in the House, tailored perfectly to the auto industry's specifications.
The House bill was written so quickly that one of its main components -- a provision that would have excluded any vehicle manufactured overseas -- had to be removed because it violated trade laws. But the worst item on the auto industry's wish list is still at the heart of the bill -- a provision that undermines fuel-efficiency standards.
Read more >>
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Friday, June 5, 2009
Reforming Pentagon Purchasing to Save Money
Weekly column by Senator Susan Collins
Every year, the Department of Defense (DoD) spends billions of dollars on major weapons systems. In fiscal year 2008 alone, DoD spending reached $396 billion, approximately 74 percent of total federal contract spending. The scope of the Department’s contract spending is particularly evident when the Army’s procurement activities are examined. The number of Army contracts has grown by more than 600 percent since 2001, and contract dollars have increased by more than 500 percent. In 2007, the Army is responsible for one out of every four federal contracting dollars.
Unfortunately, the Defense Department does not always spend wisely. In purchasing major defense systems, the Department has a record of being over budget and behind schedule. According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), 95 of the DoD’s largest weapons programs are over budget by a total of $295 billion and are behind schedule by an average of two years.
To address these persistent problems, I joined Senators Carl Levin (D-Michigan) and John McCain (R-Arizona) in cosponsoring bipartisan procurement reform legislation. Recently, President Obama signed our bill into law. The Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act of 2009 will help prevent cost overruns, keep programs on track, and bring increased accountability and transparency to major defense acquisition programs.
The new law will help strengthen DoD’s procurement process by requiring more planning, better estimation of costs, more competition, a larger acquisition workforce, and improved oversight of projects. It will help build discipline into the planning and requirements process, keep projects focused, prevent cost overruns and schedule delays, and ultimately save taxpayer dollars.
This law improves DoD’s planning and contracting oversight in many ways. It creates a new senior leader at the Pentagon who will be charged with accurately estimating the costs of defense systems. These cost estimates are critical for the Pentagon to evaluate cost, schedule, and system performance before a contract is awarded. Weighing these factors carefully from the very beginning of the decision-making process will enhance overall project planning and improve contracting outcomes.
In addition, the law will require that the Department establish clear lines to prevent conflicts of interest by defense contractors. These reforms will strengthen the wall between government employees and contractors, helping to ensure that ethical boundaries are respected. While contractors are important partners of military and civilian employees at DoD, their roles and responsibilities must be well-defined and free of conflicts of interest as they undertake their critical work supporting our nation’s military.
The law also includes an amendment that I offered with Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) to ensure that DoD reliably and consistently measures contract performance. Contractors would be required to use approved systems that track a project’s cost, schedule, and scope. These reports can provide early warnings of performance problems and better help programs stay on schedule and on budget. The quality and timeliness of a contractor’s reporting will also be taken into consideration when it bids on new contracts.
Research, development, testing, evaluation, and procurement of increasingly complex defense systems challenge the Pentagon’s ability to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely. This new law will strengthen the Department’s acquisition planning, increase and improve program oversight, and help prevent contracting waste, fraud, and mismanagement. Ultimately, it will help ensure that our military personnel have the equipment they need, when they need it, and that tax dollars are not wasted on programs doomed to fail.
Every year, the Department of Defense (DoD) spends billions of dollars on major weapons systems. In fiscal year 2008 alone, DoD spending reached $396 billion, approximately 74 percent of total federal contract spending. The scope of the Department’s contract spending is particularly evident when the Army’s procurement activities are examined. The number of Army contracts has grown by more than 600 percent since 2001, and contract dollars have increased by more than 500 percent. In 2007, the Army is responsible for one out of every four federal contracting dollars.
Unfortunately, the Defense Department does not always spend wisely. In purchasing major defense systems, the Department has a record of being over budget and behind schedule. According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), 95 of the DoD’s largest weapons programs are over budget by a total of $295 billion and are behind schedule by an average of two years.
To address these persistent problems, I joined Senators Carl Levin (D-Michigan) and John McCain (R-Arizona) in cosponsoring bipartisan procurement reform legislation. Recently, President Obama signed our bill into law. The Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act of 2009 will help prevent cost overruns, keep programs on track, and bring increased accountability and transparency to major defense acquisition programs.
The new law will help strengthen DoD’s procurement process by requiring more planning, better estimation of costs, more competition, a larger acquisition workforce, and improved oversight of projects. It will help build discipline into the planning and requirements process, keep projects focused, prevent cost overruns and schedule delays, and ultimately save taxpayer dollars.
This law improves DoD’s planning and contracting oversight in many ways. It creates a new senior leader at the Pentagon who will be charged with accurately estimating the costs of defense systems. These cost estimates are critical for the Pentagon to evaluate cost, schedule, and system performance before a contract is awarded. Weighing these factors carefully from the very beginning of the decision-making process will enhance overall project planning and improve contracting outcomes.
In addition, the law will require that the Department establish clear lines to prevent conflicts of interest by defense contractors. These reforms will strengthen the wall between government employees and contractors, helping to ensure that ethical boundaries are respected. While contractors are important partners of military and civilian employees at DoD, their roles and responsibilities must be well-defined and free of conflicts of interest as they undertake their critical work supporting our nation’s military.
The law also includes an amendment that I offered with Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) to ensure that DoD reliably and consistently measures contract performance. Contractors would be required to use approved systems that track a project’s cost, schedule, and scope. These reports can provide early warnings of performance problems and better help programs stay on schedule and on budget. The quality and timeliness of a contractor’s reporting will also be taken into consideration when it bids on new contracts.
Research, development, testing, evaluation, and procurement of increasingly complex defense systems challenge the Pentagon’s ability to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely. This new law will strengthen the Department’s acquisition planning, increase and improve program oversight, and help prevent contracting waste, fraud, and mismanagement. Ultimately, it will help ensure that our military personnel have the equipment they need, when they need it, and that tax dollars are not wasted on programs doomed to fail.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
