Sen. Susan Collins

Across the state of Maine, I have seen public safety facilities with outdated equipment, deteriorating facilities, and bays too small to accommodate modern vehicles. Our first responders deserve safe, modern facilities that allow them to do their jobs effectively.

That need was especially clear in Milo, where the town's fire and police departments were housed in the century-old town hall, which had serious structural and safety deficiencies. I helped cut the ribbon on the new Milo Public Safety Building this week, which will provide much-needed upgrades for the town's fire, police, and public works departments.

I was proud to secure nearly $6.4 million in federal funding to help make this important project a reality — the largest single award I have secured for a public safety facility. Over the past five years, I have secured nearly $87 million to build, expand, or modernize 45 facilities like this across Maine.

Today, I helped break ground on the new Youth, Education, and Sports (YES) Building in Greenville. This exciting project will expand access to child care, early education, and after-school opportunities for families throughout the Moosehead Lake region.

I was proud to secure more than $1.5 million through my role on the Senate Appropriations Committee to support the construction of this facility, which will be located on the grounds of Greenville Consolidated School.

Quality child care helps children be ready for school as active and engaged learners, while also enabling parents to work, further their educations, and increase their skills. I commend the Town of Greenville, Greenville Consolidated School, and the Moosehead Caring for Kids Foundation for their collaborative work to make this project a reality.

Maine municipalities cannot afford to use a significant portion of their budget to pay more for road salt.

I was glad to be able to secure crucial tariff exemptions to lower costs and keep our small towns safe this winter.

Maine’s dedicated emergency medical services professionals provide lifesaving care to those in need when every second counts. In a rural state like Maine, where the nearest hospital can be many miles away, their work is especially important.

Today in Readfield, I was honored to receive an award from the Maine Ambulance Association in recognition of my longtime support for Maine’s EMS agencies and professionals. Thank you to Dennis Brockway and the association's members for this special recognition and for the important work you do every day.

I have long worked to ensure that Maine's EMS agencies have the tools they need to serve our communities. In 2024, my bipartisan SIREN Reauthorization Act was signed into law, extending critical grant programs for rural EMS agencies through 2028. Since 2021, I have also secured more than $9.5 million through my role on the Senate Appropriations Committee for 13 EMS projects across Maine, helping communities purchase new ambulances, emergency medical equipment, and other essential resources.

Thank you @SenTedCruz for your commitment to advance the Northeast Lobsterman Protection Act when the Senate returns in November.

@RepGolden's bipartisan legislation – which would extend the current pause on new North Atlantic right whale regulations through 2035 – is vital to protecting the lobster industry, which supports $2 billion in annual economic activity and more than 17,500 jobs.

@SenAngusKing and I wrote to Senator Cruz in September asking for his help moving this bill through committee.