Harnassing Maine's Wind Energy, Meeting with Sotomayor, and more updates

 

Friday, June 5, 2009 Headlines   - Harnassing Maine's Wind Energy - Senator Collins meets with Judge Sonia Sotomayor - Lawrence Junior High students visit Senator Collins - Reforming Pentagon Purchasing to Save Money      Harnassing Maine's Wind Energy Senator Collins met today with Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, along with Professor Habib Dagher from the University of Maine and the rest of Maine's Congressional delegation. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the creation of a national offshore wind research center at the University of Maine. America's dependence on foreign oil is a serious threat to our economic and national security.  Eighty percent of the homes in our state rely on heating oil, leaving Maine families extremely vulnerable to rising crude oil prices.  By 2018, experts estimate that the cost of energy, including gasoline, heating oil and electricity, could consume as much as 40 percent of the average Maine household's income.  These high costs would also harm the major industries that drive our economy and the small businesses that are the backbone of our communities.  Our nation must embrace a comprehensive strategy to reduce, and ultimately eliminate, our reliance on foreign oil.  We must expand and diversify American energy resources and, in doing so, improve our environment.  This will require dramatic changes in public policy, a commitment to new technology, and, an investment in alternative energy.  That is why I was delighted that U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu recently agreed to my request that he meet with Governor Baldacci and the rest of Maine's Congressional delegation, as well as a University of Maine professor, to discuss renewable energy demonstration projects in the State of Maine.  These projects could serve as a national model for the "green" energy economy.  During our meeting with Secretary Chu, Dr. Habib Dagher, a professor at the University of Maine and Director of the Advanced Engineered Wood Composites Center, outlined an ambitious proposal to establish a National Center for Deepwater Offshore Wind Research at UMaine.  Through his remarkable work in engineered wood composites, I have come to know Dr. Dagher as someone with great vision.  He understands, perhaps better than anyone I have ever met, how to take the theoretical and make it practical.  His plan to create a partnership between the State of Maine and the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish this important research center would eventually help meet the DOE's goal of getting 20 percent of our nation's electricity from wind power by the year 2030.  Read more >> Senator Collins meets with Judge Sonia Sotomayor Senator Collins today met privately with Judge Sonia Sotomayor for 45 minutes.  President Obama nominated Judge Sotomayor to succeed Justice David Souter on the U.S. Supreme Court.    "Confirming a Supreme Court nominee is one of the Senate's most important constitutional responsibilities.  That is why I appreciated this opportunity to explore Judge Sotomayor's judicial philosophy, her respect for precedents, and her ability to apply the law and Constitution fairly.    "During our meeting, I was able to ask Judge Sotomayor a broad range of questions.  Much of our discussion focused on a speech that she delivered in 2001 in which she says she "would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life."  I have been troubled by this remark, which the Judge described as being part of her "aspirational speeches," rather than her approach to deciding cases. Read more >>   Senator Collins meets with students from Lawrence Junior High Senator Collins recently met with approximately 110 students from Lawrence Junior High in Fairfield.  Senator Collins spoke to the students about her role and in the Senate and took questions.  The students met with Senator Collins following a tour of the U.S. Capitol Complex conducted by members of Senator Collins' staff.   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. Read more >>

SENATOR COLLINS ON CNN     CNN's Lou Dobbs reports on Senator Collins' meeting with Judge Sonia Sotomayor   FOX NEWS SEGMENT ON "RIPSAW"   Senator Collins has been working with the Howe brothers of North Berwick to secure funding for the development of the unmanned tank 'Ripsaw'   CARIBOU HIGH SCHOOL CONCERT Senator Collins took part in Caribou High School's 2009 Spring Symphonic Band Concert and Fundraiser.  The program commemorated Caribou's sesquicentennial and the 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln.    Stay up to date with Senator Collins:

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