Susan Collins

Bipartisan bill would extend key production and investment tax credits for offshore wind until 2020

March 3, 2010 -- WASHINGTON – Today, Sens. Tom Carper (D-Del.), Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and Susan Collins (R-Maine) introduced legislation to provide critical financial incentives for the investment and production of offshore wind energy.

Specifically, the Carper-Snowe-Brown-Collins Offshore Wind Bill provides the offshore wind industry with enhanced stability by extending production and investment tax credits for offshore wind until 2020. These provisions are vital because of the long lead times required to permit and construct wind turbines offshore, compared to onshore wind energy.    » read more »

Bill Reduces Emissions, Returns Revenue to Consumers; Bipartisan climate bill uses simple system to reduce global warming pollution and spur clean-energy job growth

December 11,2009 -- WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced bipartisan legislation to reduce global warming pollution, spur job growth in clean energy technology, and return money directly to consumers.

The Cantwell-Collins Carbon Limits and Energy for America's Renewal (CLEAR) Act would set up a mechanism for selling “carbon shares” to fuel producers and would return most of the resulting revenue in checks to every American. The legislation will achieve a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 20 percent by 2020 and 83 percent by 2050.    » read more »

Continuation of Investigation into Terrorism on U.S. Soil

November 9, 2009 -- WASHINGTON -- Senate Homeland Security Chairman Joe Lieberman, ID-Conn., and Ranking Member Susan Collins, R-Me., formally announced on Monday that their Committee will be conducting an investigation into last week's murders at Ft. Hood, beginning with a public hearing next week. The Senators released the following statements today on their inquiry and intention to hold hearings on the attack:    » read more »

October 1, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. House of Representative today approved a measure that bars companies that sell or ship gasoline to Iran from receiving funds to fill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. U.S. Senators Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), who authored the measure, applauded today’s action and noted the message sent by Congress on the day the Obama Administration begins its engagement with the Iranians in Geneva, Switzerland.    » read more »

September 17, 2009 -- AUGUSTA – Maine Governor John E. Baldacci today said he was pleased that the full Senate has voted in support of a one-year pilot program authored by Senator Susan Collins. The provision will exempt Maine’s Interstate highway system from the current federal truck weight limit. The Collins’ proposal was part of the Fiscal Year 2010 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations legislation.    » read more »

Bill would require study before introduction of new gasoline/ethanol blend

September 14, 2009 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD) and Susan Collins (R-ME) today introduced legislation designed to ensure that new gasoline fuel mixtures introduced into the marketplace are compatible with gasoline-fueled engines already in widespread use.    » read more »

Senators Advocate for an effective system of financial oversight

June 19, 2009 -- WASHINGTON -- Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Joe Lieberman, ID-Conn., and Ranking Member Susan Collins, R-Me., Friday sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner expressing their support for a more effective system of financial oversight that will eliminate overlap, duplication, and increase accountability.

The Committee has held a series of hearings examining what led to last year's financial crisis and how to prevent a similar crisis from occurring in the future. The Senators expressed their support for restructuring the fragmented financial regulatory system, in addition to strengthening financial regulations, as the Administration has proposed.    » read more »

Bill would help patients, caregivers transitioning from hospital to home care

June 19, 2009 -- U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Susan Collins (R-ME) today held a press conference call to discuss the bipartisan Medicare Transitional Care Act, which would help ensure that appropriate follow-up care is provided for seniors who are discharged from a hospital, thus preventing unnecessary re-hospitalization.

A New England Journal of Medicine study conducted earlier this year found that almost one-third of Medicare patients who were discharged from a hospital were re-hospitalized within 90 days largely due to lack of follow-up care, unnecessarily driving-up health care costs. Shaheen and Collins will formally introduce the legislation tomorrow.    » read more »

Proposal would achieve 32 to 38 percent greater oil savings than House compromise

June 8, 2009 --
Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Tom Carper (D-Del.) today formally introduced legislation to establish a “Cash for Clunkers” program that incentivizes the purchase of more fuel efficient vehicles and would achieve at least 32 percent more oil savings than a House version of the bill. Senators Feinstein, Collins, and Schumer previously outlined the basic concepts in this bill on May 15.    » read more »

June 3, 2009 -- U.S. Senator Susan Collins today announced that she has introduced legislation to to provide efficient, cost effective, improved health care throughout the country, especially in underserved rural communities, such as Maine. Senator Collins introduced the legislation along with Senator Maria Cantwell, (D-WA) and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).

The Preserving Patient Access to Primary Care Act would address two fundamental problems in health care: a critical shortage of primary care physicians and inefficient Medicare reimbursements that do not reward a coordinated approach of patients' health care needs.    » read more »

June 2, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Senators Olympia J. Snowe and Susan Collins (R-Maine) today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration has awarded $3,736,695 to Maine for airport projects in the state.

"These Department of Transportation funds will address major infrastructure and safety issues at airports of all sizes in Maine," Senators Snowe and Collins said. "Maintaining runway safety and improving airport services will keep Mainers connected and safe."

The funds are distributed as follows:

§ $130,000 to the Town of Jackman- This grant will support the rehabilitation of an airport beacon and a phase of obstruction removal at Newton Field Airport in Jackman.    » read more »

May 22, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Senators Olympia J. Snowe and Susan Collins (R-Maine) today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded $712,655 for essential projects in Maine.

"Rail and aviation infrastructure are critical components of our transportation system," Senators Snowe and Collins said in a joint statement. "Funding from the Department of Transportation will allow these recipient communities to make much-needed improvements to their facilities, thereby increasing the safety and quality of their services."

The funding will be distributed as follows:    » read more »

May 22, 2009 -- Washington, D.C.—This week, Senators John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV (D-WV) and Susan Collins (R-ME) reintroduced a more expansive, comprehensive version of their Advance Planning and Compassionate Care Act with Senators Herb Kohl (D-WI), Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Tom Carper (D-DE) as original cosponsors. This important legislation would provide the tools and resources necessary to drastically improve care at the end of life.    » read more »

Proposal would achieve 32 to 38 percent greater oil savings than House compromise

May 19, 2009 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) today jointly announced an alternative ‘Cash for Clunkers’ proposal to encourage consumers to buy more fuel efficient vehicles.

Specifically, the Feinstein-Collins-Schumer counter proposal would require that the newly purchased vehicle have above-average fuel economy for its class of vehicles. The proposal would also require that the trade-in vehicle have a fuel economy of 17 miles per gallon (mpg) or less, instead of the 18 mpg in the House compromise.

In enacted, the Feinstein-Collins-Schumer proposal would:    » read more »