Posted inNation / World, sj-web

Unafraid of Trump, senators feel free to 'go their own way'

Here’s what happened after Senate Republican leaders on June 27 decided to postpone a vote on a health-care bill aiming to overhaul the Affordable Care Act. (Whitney Shefte, Rhonda Colvin, Malcolm Cook, Bastien Inzaurralde / The Washington Post) WASHINGTON — Scrambling to line up support for the Republican health-care bill, President Donald Trump got on […]

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Posted inNation / World, sj-web

Susan Collins and Angus King oppose GOP health care bill

WASHINGTON — After the Congressional Budget Office estimated Monday that the Senate Republican health care bill would leave 22 million more Americans uninsured in 2026 than under President Barack Obama’s health care law,  Maine’s senators said they will oppose the bill. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said she would vote against a GOP procedural motion, expected Wednesday, to begin […]

Posted inMaine, sj-web

Susan Collins says she is waiting on health care bill's CBO score

A key moderate Republican senator said Sunday she’s waiting for a Congressional Budget Office score to finalize her position on the Senate bill to repeal and replace Obamacare and that she has concerns about the measure’s impact on older and rural Americans. “I have very serious concerns about the bill,” Sen. Susan Collins of Maine […]

Posted inMaine

Susan Collins pushes bill to promote saving for retirement

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins proposed legislation Tuesday that would help small businesses offer retirement plans and make it easier for people to put money aside. Collins told colleagues that many seniors in Maine “rely almost entirely on Social Security to cover their monthly expenses, despite the fact that the average annual benefit is only about […]

Posted inNation / World

Who are the senators asking James Comey questions?

WASHINGTON — The Senate Intelligence Committee hosts the most-anticipated congressional hearing of the year Thursday, when former FBI director James B. Comey is scheduled to testify and share details of his firing by President Donald Trump and the conversations they had about ongoing investigations into Russia’s alleged meddling in U.S. elections. Rarely do congressional hearings […]

Posted inMaine

Gun-owners fear hearing aid regulation will affect hunting

PORTLAND (AP) — A proposal designed to make hearing aids more affordable has generated resistance from an unlikely quarter: a gun rights group. Gun Owners of America is organizing opposition against the bill, because it believes the measure would change the way certain hunting products are regulated. Its skepticism underscores some gun rights enthusiasts’ desire […]

Posted inMaine

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 […]

Posted inMaine

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 […]