Shopping Mall PC in Washington DC Newsletters!: Truck weights victory, concern about czars, and more updates Shopping Mall PC in Washington DC Business News letters and Political advice Blog!

Friday, September 18 , 2009

Headlines

- Key victory for Senator Collins' effort to lift federal truck weight limits in Maine

- Senators express concern with number of 'czars' in Administration

- Passamaquoddy folk singers perform for Senator Collins

- Senators Collins, Cardin introduce ethanol fuel blends legislation

- Senator Collins announces $9.2 million for Portland Jetport

- $323,565 in National Emergency Grant Funding for Newpage workers

Key victory for Senator Collins' effort to lift Federal truck weight limits in Maine

Full Senate approves Senator Collins' one-year pilot project

The U.S. Senate has approved the Fiscal Year 2010 Transportation Appropriations bill which includes provisions, authored by Senator Susan Collins, that would create a one-year pilot project to exempt Maine's federal interstates from the 80,000 pound federal truck weight limit. In late July, the Senate Appropriations Committee, of which Senator Collins is a member, gave its approval to the project.

"Allowing heavy trucks to stay on federal interstate highways in Maine has always been one of my top priorities," said Senator Collins. "A uniform truck weight limit would keep trucks on the interstates where they belong, rather than on the secondary roads that pass through our small towns and villages. A one-year pilot project allowing heavier trucks on the interstates would permit an assessment of the impact of the safety, commerce and road wear and tear. I believe the result will be improvements in safety, decreases in energy use and emissions, and economic benefits.

"It took a great deal of work to convince my colleagues to approve this pilot and I am delighted to have won Senate passage," said Senator Collins.

Read more >>

Senators express concern with number of 'czars' in Administration

Senators urge President to refrain from creating additional czars without consulting Congress

In a letter to the President, Senator Susan Collins, Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, questions the number of "czars" within the Executive Office. In the letter, Senator Collins expresses concern that the growing number of czars may be undermining the constitutional oversight responsibilities of Congress. The letter was also signed by Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Kit Bond (R-MO), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Bob Bennett (R-UT).

Click here to read the full text of the letter >>

Passamaquoddy folk singers perform for Senator Collins
Wayne Newell and Blanch Sockabasin in Washington to perform at Library of Congress

U.S. Senator Susan Collins met with Maine Passamaquoddy performers Wayne Newell and Blanch Sockabasin in her Washington, D.C. office. Newell and Sockabasin performed a number of traditional Passamaquoddy songs for Senator Collins.

Both performers are Passamaquoddy elders, Newell is from Pleasant Point and Sockabasin is from Princeton.

Newell and Sockabasin were in Washington, D.C. to perform at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.

Photo (L to R) – Wayne Newell, Senator Collins, Blanch Sockabasin, and Donald Soctomah, representative of the tribe.

Senators Collins, Cardin introduce ethanol fuel blends legislation
Bill would require study before introduction of new gasoline/ethanol blend

Senator Collins and U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD) introduced legislation designed to ensure that new gasoline fuel mixtures introduced into the marketplace are compatible with gasoline-fueled engines already in widespread use.

The legislation comes as a result of the difficulties experienced by users following the initial introduction of blends of gasoline with higher concentrations of ethanol. Blends of gasoline with higher concentrations of ethanol burn hotter than other blends of gasoline, and small devices (grass trimmers, chainsaws, etc.) using these fuels have unexpectedly shifted into gear putting their operators at risk of personal injury. Additionally, fiberglass tanks designed to handle gasoline have suffered from early failure as a result of exposure to the more corrosive ethanol blends. These problems were encountered with "E10," a blend of 10 percent fuel ethanol and 90 percent gasoline. Recently EPA was petitioned to permit E15, a fuel with 15 percent ethanol, into the market and many are concerned that this new fuel blend has not been sufficiently tested.

Read more >>

Senator Collins announces $9.2 million for Portland Jetport
Funding will be used for new explosive detection system

U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, announced that the Department of Homeland Security has awarded a $9.2 million grant to the Portland International Jetport. The funding is intended to be used for a new, checked baggage explosive detection system.

This grant funding is bolstered by funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (AARA) which Senator Collins, along with a bipartisan group of Senators, helped craft and was signed into law earlier this year.

"This funding will help ensure that state-of-the-art technology is employed to boost security for passengers traveling through Maine's largest airport," said Senator Collins. "In addition to improved security, this infusion of stimulus funding will also help provide additional economic opportunities in Maine."

Read more >>

$323,565 in National Emergency Grant Funding for Newpage workers

U.S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe and U.S. Senator Susan Collins announced that the U.S. Department of Labor has awarded a National Emergency Grant (NEG) in the amount of $325,565 for the displaced workers at NewPage Corporation's Rumford Mill. These NEG funds will benefit the workers who lost their jobs at NewPage as a result of increased competition from overseas.

This grant funding is bolstered by funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act which Senators Snowe and Collins, as part of a bipartisan group of Senators, helped craft earlier this year.

"This National Emergency Grant will help the displaced workers acquire the employment services and assistance they need to rejoin the workforce," Senators Snowe and Collins said. "In these challenging economic times, it is vital that citizens facing unemployment receive adequate training assistance in growing industries in order to navigate the difficult job market. Unemployment assistance was one of our top priorities when crafting the economic stimulus package and we will continue to support workers in our state who are adversely affected by the economic downturn."

NEG funds are provided to states, at the discretion of the Secretary of Labor, to provide services such as job training and retraining and job placement services to displaced workers.

Stay up to date with Senator Collins at Collins.Senate.Gov