Senator Collins today announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will distribute $19,500,000 in federal Drinking Water State Funding to the Maine Department of Health and Human Services.
The funding is being distributed to Maine through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Senator Collins worked with a bipartisan group of senators to craft the legislation that became law in February.
The funding will be used to provide low interest loans for water quality protection projects for wastewater treatment, non-point source pollution control, and watershed and estuary management.
Senator Collins released the following statement:
“Clean drinking water is vital to the health of any community. This funding will create jobs and help enable Maine’s communities to continue their ongoing work to make needed upgrades to the state’s aging public works infrastructure which will result in a safer, and cleaner, water system,” said Senator Collins.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Senator Collins announces nearly $100 million in single family housing loan funding
U.S. Senator Susan Collins today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will distribute $99,996,518 in federal Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program Funding.
The funding is being distributed to Maine through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Senator Collins worked with a bipartisan group of senators to craft the legislation that became law in February.
The funding is primarily used to help low-income individuals or households purchase homes in rural areas. Funds can be used to build, repair, renovate or relocate a home, or to purchase and prepare sites.
Senator Collins released the following statement:
“During these tough economic times, the dream of homeownership is even further out of reach for many Maine families. This funding will help make the dream a reality and it will also help boost Maine’s slumping real estate market therefore stimulating the state’s economy when it is needed most ,” said Senator Collins.
The funding is being distributed to Maine through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Senator Collins worked with a bipartisan group of senators to craft the legislation that became law in February.
The funding is primarily used to help low-income individuals or households purchase homes in rural areas. Funds can be used to build, repair, renovate or relocate a home, or to purchase and prepare sites.
Senator Collins released the following statement:
“During these tough economic times, the dream of homeownership is even further out of reach for many Maine families. This funding will help make the dream a reality and it will also help boost Maine’s slumping real estate market therefore stimulating the state’s economy when it is needed most ,” said Senator Collins.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
Senator Collins introduces legislation to stabilize and reform U.S. financial system
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, today introduced “The Financial System Stabilization and Reform Act (FSSRA) of 2009” to fundamentally restructure our nation’s outdated financial regulatory system to strengthen oversight and accountability.
“As a former Maine financial regulator, I believe financial regulatory reform is absolutely essential to restoring public confidence in our financial markets,” said Senator Collins. “America’s consumers, workers, savers, and investors deserve the protection of a new regulatory system that modernizes regulatory agencies, sets safety and soundness requirements for financial institutions to prevent excessive risk-taking, and improves oversight, accountability, and transparency. My legislation will fundamentally restructure our financial regulatory system to help rebuild the confidence of our citizens in our economy and restore stability to our financial markets.”
FSSRA calls for the creation of an independent Financial Stability Council (FSC), composed of representatives from existing federal financial regulators which now have the responsibility to oversee portions of the financial system. The FSC will serve as a “systemic-risk monitor,” and would maintain comprehensive oversight of potential systemic risks to the financial system. It would have the ability to propose changes to regulatory policy, working with existing federal regulatory agencies, when systemic risk could emerge due to regulatory gaps or the emergence of risky new financial products. The FSC would also have the authority to close regulatory “black holes” that pose a systemic risk when risky products or activities fall outside the current authority of federal financial regulators. The FSC would also have the authority to adopt rules that ensure financial institutions do not grow “too big to fail,” by imposing different capital requirements, raising risk premiums, or requiring a larger percentage of debt be held as long-term debt.
Additional provisions in the FSSA would:
• Close the credit default swaps loophole to ensure oversight of a financial instrument that contributed heavily to the current financial crisis and the downfall of AIG. This regulatory gap allowed systemic risk to build in our financial system without the oversight and transparency needed to prevent a collapse;• Impose safety and soundness requirements on new investment banks by requiring them to organize under the Bank Holding Company Act. Under the current system, investment bank firms such as the Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers were left unregulated with no agency given the authority to examine the full scope of their operations;• Merge the Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) and Office of the Comptroller Currency (OCC) to consolidate and reduce the number of banking regulators, improving the effectiveness of the entire system. This merger was recommended by many experts, and the Treasury Inspector General recently raised concerns about the objectivity and effectiveness of OTS;• Protect the rights of states to regulate the insurance industry.
Senator Collins announces nearly $15 million in VA funding in Maine
Funding for Togus VA Hospital, Augusta, Caribou, and South Paris VA Homes
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a member of the Senate Armed Services and Appropriations Committees, announced that the Department of Veterans’ Affairs will be awarding $14,809,493 in funding to Maine’s VA hospitals and homes. The VA Hospital at Togus as well as the VA Homes in Augusta, Caribou, and South Paris will each be receiving a portion of the funding. The funding will be used for infrastructure upgrades and construction.
The funding is being distributed to Maine through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). Senator Collins worked with a bipartisan group of senators to craft the legislation that became law last month. “The quality of VA care is critical to Maine’s veterans. We will always be indebted to them. This funding will help ensure that they receive the very best health care available at Maine’s VA clinics and hospitals,” said Senator Collins.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a member of the Senate Armed Services and Appropriations Committees, announced that the Department of Veterans’ Affairs will be awarding $14,809,493 in funding to Maine’s VA hospitals and homes. The VA Hospital at Togus as well as the VA Homes in Augusta, Caribou, and South Paris will each be receiving a portion of the funding. The funding will be used for infrastructure upgrades and construction.
The funding is being distributed to Maine through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). Senator Collins worked with a bipartisan group of senators to craft the legislation that became law last month. “The quality of VA care is critical to Maine’s veterans. We will always be indebted to them. This funding will help ensure that they receive the very best health care available at Maine’s VA clinics and hospitals,” said Senator Collins.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Collins casts her 4,000th consecutive vote
from the Bangor Daily News:
Read the whole article >>On Thursday, there was no drama as Collins voted in support of final passage of the Public Lands Act, bringing her record of consecutive votes to 4,000. The Maine Republican also holds the distinction of never having missed a vote during her Senate career.
Collins’ inspiration is another Maine Republican, the late Margaret Chase Smith, who never missed a Senate roll call in 13 years before surgery ended the streak at 2,941.
“One of my goals has been to make sure that Maine is always represented to the extent that it’s humanly possible for me to be present for votes,” Collins said Thursday from Washington.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Senator Collins announces $485,000 in senior nutrition assistance funding
U.S. Senator Susan Collins today announced that the Department of Health and Human Services will distribute a total of $485,000 in federal senior nutrition assistance to Maine through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). Senator Collins led a bipartisan group of senators to craft the legislation that became law last month.
“Eating healthy, well-balanced meals helps to improve the quality of life of all of our seniors. This funding will help those organizations that are dedicated to ensuring that Maine seniors have continued and reliable access to nutritious food,” said Senator Collins.
The Recovery Act provides $325,000 for congregate nutrition services provided at senior centers and other community sites in Maine and $160,000 for home-delivered nutrition programs that are delivered to low-income seniors at their homes.
“Eating healthy, well-balanced meals helps to improve the quality of life of all of our seniors. This funding will help those organizations that are dedicated to ensuring that Maine seniors have continued and reliable access to nutritious food,” said Senator Collins.
The Recovery Act provides $325,000 for congregate nutrition services provided at senior centers and other community sites in Maine and $160,000 for home-delivered nutrition programs that are delivered to low-income seniors at their homes.
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