Bruce Poliquin President Donald Trump’s call to repeal the Affordable Care Act and then work to find a replacement for it failed to sway anyone in Maine’s legislative delegation. U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin, a 2nd District Republican, said Tuesday that “in light of what we have seen over the last several months, once again, I […]
chellie pingree
A skeptical Susan Collins may decide fate of GOP's health care bill
Almost nobody knows what the Senate’s health care plan will look like because it’s been drafted behind closed doors with no public hearings, no copies for anyone to see and no updates on what it might contain. The other thing nobody knows is whether it has a future. One of the people who may decide […]
Maine lawmakers praise Capitol Police for response to shooter
Nobody from Maine’s congressional offices attended the early morning baseball practice disrupted by a gunman in northern Virginia Wednesday. But all of the state’s lawmakers reacted quickly to the shooting of a lawmaker, staffer, lobbyist and police officers by offering support to the wounded and uniformly praising the officers at the scene. U.S. Sen. Susan […]
Trump’s climate change move draws sharp reactions in Maine
Calling it “a devastating blow,” the head of the Natural Resources Council of Maine denounced President Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of an international climate agreement Thursday. Lisa Pohlmann, the environmental group’s executive director, said the move “could jeopardize global efforts to avert the most catastrophic impacts of climate change.” Maine’s congressional delegation had […]
Trump plan to end state and local tax deductions likely to prove difficult
As Republicans try to figure out a way to deliver on tax cuts President Donald Trump promised, they’re taking a hard look at the possibility of eliminating the income tax deduction for state and local taxes. Though Congress is unlikely to go along, it’s a move that would sock many Maine taxpayers who file federal […]
Lawmakers hope to ease the sale of locally produced meat
AUGUSTA — Among animals that Maureen Barnard raises on her Old Moses Farm in Knox County are rabbits whose meat she’s sold to high-end restaurants and grocery stores in the midcoast area for the past five years. Barnard told lawmakers recently that because the law requires her to use a regulated slaughterhouse, she needs to […]
After CBO report, Susan Collins sees new hope for her health care bill
The health care bill pushed through recently by the U.S. House suffered a potentially crippling blow Wednesday when the Congressional Budget Office declared it would cause 23 million Americans to lose insurance coverage during the next decade. It said in particular the plan would become too costly for many people, particularly older, sicker Americans who […]
Trump’s budget gets mixed review from Maine lawmakers
President Donald Trump’s $4.1 trillion spending plan, which would slash everything from student loans to food stamps while sharply increasing money for the military, got mixed reviews from Maine’s congressional delegation Tuesday. The one thing they all agreed on in their prepared statements is that Trump’s 62-page budget proposal, which contained far less detail than […]
Maine lawmakers hail selection of Mueller as special counsel
Maine’s congressional delegation offered solid support for the decision by the U.S. Justice Department to appoint former FBI Director Robert Mueller as special counsel to lead the highly charged investigation into ties between President Donald Trump’s campaign and Russian officials. Calling the pick “an excellent choice,” U.S. Sen. Susan Collins said Mueller “has sterling credentials […]
Angus King says the president’s impeachment is possible
Following a report that President Donald Trump told the FBI director to end its investigation into Russian ties to the Republican presidential campaign, U.S. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, said late Tuesday that impeachment is possible. During a television interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, Maine’s independent junior senator was asked if Trump is getting close to […]