Majority News Releases
Senator Collins Urges Secretary of Labor to Reverse Halt on Job Corps Enrollment in Maine
Click HERE to download video and HERE to download photos. Washington, D.C. - At a hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2026 budget request for the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Appropriations Committee, urged DOL Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer to reverse the Department’s halt of new enrollment at Maine’s two Job Corps centers—Loring Job Corps Center (LJCC) and Penobscot Job Corps Center (Penobscot)—and the proposed elimination of the Job Corps progra… Continue Reading
05.20.25
Senator Collins Questions HHS Secretary Kennedy on Elimination of LIHEAP
Click HERE to watch and HERE to download. Washington, D.C. - At a hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2026 budget request for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Appropriations Committee, questioned HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. on the proposed elimination of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). During the Q&A, Secretary Kennedy committed to funding LIHEAP if appropriated by Congress for Fiscal Y… Continue Reading
05.15.25
Senator Collins Questions Secretary of Transportation on Rural Airports Program, Maine Maritime Academy
“In Maine, we have five airports that would not have commercial air service but for the Essential Air Service program.” Q&A on Rural Airports Program: Click HERE to watch and HERE to download. Q&A on Maine Maritime Academy: Click HERE to watch and HERE to download. Washington, D.C. - At a hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2026 budget request for the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Appropriations Committee, questioned Secreta… Continue Reading
05.15.25
Senator Collins Secures $23 Million to Prevent Erosion at Camp Ellis
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that she secured $23 million for the Maine Army Corps of Engineers to prevent erosion at Camp Ellis in Saco. This funding, which was included in the Fiscal Year 2025 full-year continuing resolution, supports the construction of a 750-foot spur jetty and the replenishment of an estimated 300,000 cubic yards of sand fill. “The construction of a spur jetty at Camp Ellis will help t… Continue Reading
05.08.25
Senator Collins Questions Secretary of Homeland Security, FBI Director on Illegal Marijuana Grow Operations in Maine
Q&A with Secretary Noem: Click HERE to watch and HERE to download. Q&A with FBI Director Patel: Click HERE to watch and HERE to download. Washington, D.C. - At hearings to review the Fiscal Year 2026 budget requests for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the FBI, U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Appropriations Committee, questioned Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and FBI Director Kash Patel about federal law enforcement efforts to help shut down il… Continue Reading
05.06.25
Senator Collins Questions Secretary of Agriculture on Delayed USDA Funding, UMaine PFAS Center of Excellence
Q&A on USDA Funding: Click HERE to watch and HERE to download. Q&A on PFAS: Click HERE to watch and HERE to download. Washington, D.C. - At a hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2026 budget request for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Appropriations Committee, questioned Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Brooke Rollins, on the delayed release of funding and its partnership with the University of Maine (UMaine). … Continue Reading
05.02.25
Senator Collins Secures $50 Million for Maine Air National Guard Hangar
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that she secured $50 million for the Maine Air National Guard to construct a new hangar in Bangor. This funding was included in the Fiscal Year 2025 full-year continuing resolution. “Home to the MAINEiacs, the Maine Air National Guard’s 101st Air Refueling Wing in Bangor plays an important role in our national defense,” said Senator Collins. “This funding will provide for the construc… Continue Reading
05.02.25
Senator Collins’ Statement on President’s Budget Request for Fiscal Year 2026
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued a statement on the President’s Budget Request for Fiscal Year 2026. “The President’s Budget Request is simply one step in the annual budget process. This request has come to Congress late, and key details still remain outstanding. Based on my initial review, however, I have serious objections to the proposed freeze in our defense funding given the security challenges we face and to the pr… Continue Reading
04.30.25
Senator Collins Questions MDI Lab President on NIH Cap on Indirect Research Costs
Q&A with Dr. Haller: Click HERE to watch and HERE to download. Opening Statement: Click HERE to watch, HERE to download video, and HERE to download text. Washington, D.C. - At an U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee hearing today chaired by Senator Susan Collins, she questioned Dr. Hermann Haller, President of the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory (MDI Lab), on how the proposed National Institutes of Health (NIH) cap on indirect costs would affect the important biomedical … Continue Reading
04.10.25
Senators Collins and Murray Announce the Start of the FY26 Appropriations Process, Releasing Guidance on Programmatic, Language, and Congressionally Directed Spending Requests
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Patty Murray, Chair and Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, respectively, released guidance for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 programmatic, language, and Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) requests. The Committee is moving forward with the FY 2026 appropriations process, and will begin hearings later this month. General guidance for Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations requests is available HERE. Programmatic/Language Reque… Continue Reading
03.27.25
Senators Collins, Murray Challenge the Administration’s Treatment of Emergency Spending in Continuing Resolution
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair and Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee respectively, sent a letter to Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Russ Vought challenging the Administration’s decision and authority to concur with only a portion of the emergency-designated funding included in the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025. “Regardless of our views on the Fiscal Responsibility… Continue Reading
03.14.25
Senator Collins Urges Colleagues to Support Continuing Resolution, Avert Shutdown
Click HERE to watch and HERE to download. Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, delivered remarks on the Senate floor today to urge her colleagues to support the continuing resolution to prevent a harmful government shutdown. A transcript of Senator Collins’ remarks are as follows: “Mr. President, I rise to urge passage of this funding measure to prevent an unnecessary, harmful, and costly government shutdown at midnight toni… Continue Reading
03.08.25
Senator Collins’ Statement on Continuing Resolution
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued a statement following the release of the text of the continuing resolution: “Our focus must be on preventing an unnecessary and costly government shutdown on Friday, March 14th, at midnight. Government shutdowns are inherently a failure to govern effectively and have negative consequences all across government. They require certain essential government employees, such as Border Patrol age… Continue Reading
02.10.25
Senator Collins’ Statement on NIH Biomedical Research Cap on Indirect Costs
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued a statement on the cap to indirect costs on biomedical research funded by National Institutes of Health (NIH). “I oppose the poorly conceived directive imposing an arbitrary cap on the indirect costs that are part of NIH grants and negotiated between the grant recipient and NIH. I have heard from the Jackson Laboratory, the University of Maine, Maine Medical Center Research Institute, the … Continue Reading
01.29.25
Senator Collins’ Statement on OMB Rescinding Memo to Freeze Federal Funding
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued a statement on the decision of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to rescind the memo to temporarily freeze certain federal funding. “I am pleased that OMB is rescinding the memo imposing sweeping pauses in federal programs. While it is not unusual for incoming administrations to review federal programs and policies, this memo was overreaching and created unnecessary con… Continue Reading
01.29.25
Collins, Murray Announce Appropriations Subcommittees Leadership and Rosters for the 119th Congress
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair and Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee respectively, announced the Senate Appropriations subcommittee chairs, ranking members, and full rosters for the 119th Congress. The Senate Appropriations subcommittee rosters for the 119th Congress are as follows: Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) - Chair Sen. Mitch M… Continue Reading
01.07.25
Senator Collins Officially Becomes Chair of Senate Appropriations Committee
Collins is the first Republican woman to lead the powerful Committee Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins officially became Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. The Committee holds jurisdiction over all discretionary spending for the entire federal government. First elected in 1996, Susan Collins ranks seventh in Senate seniority and is the most senior Republican woman. She is the first Republican woman to be elected to a fifth term, the first Republican wom… Continue Reading
01.02.25
More Than $42 Million for Maine Coast Guard Facilities Secured by Senator Collins in Disaster Relief Bill
Funding will support repairs to facilities in Rockland, Southwest Harbor, and Portland damaged by storms Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that she has secured a total of $42,082,000, funding the U.S. Coast Guard requested for repairs to Coast Guard facilities in Rockland, Southwest Harbor, and Portland damaged by recent storms. This funding was included in disaster relief legislation that has passed Congress and been… Continue Reading
12.21.24
$14 Million to Combat Spruce Budworm in Maine and New Hampshire Forests Secured by Senator Collins in Disaster Relief Bill
Funding will treat nearly 300,000 acres of Maine forests and prevent further spread Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that she has secured $14 million to help combat the spread of spruce budworm in Maine forests in disaster relief legislation. The federal funding will be supplemented by state and private money for spraying. The bill has passed Congress and been signed into law. “Throughout history, spruce budw… Continue Reading
12.21.24
Senate Passes Legislation to Avert Government Shutdown, Provide Disaster Relief
Click HERE to watch and HERE to download. Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, delivered remarks on the Senate floor ahead of the Senate’s 85-11 vote to pass the continuing resolution and disaster relief supplemental package. The legislation now heads to the President’s desk to be signed into law. A transcript of Senator Collins’ remarks are as follows: “Madam President, I rise to urge passage of the American Relief Act… Continue Reading