$825,000 for Northern Maine Community College Facility Upgrades Advanced by Senator Collins in Funding Bill
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that she advanced $825,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending for Northern Maine Community College (NMCC) facility upgrades in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food and Drug Administration Appropriations bill. The legislation, which was officially approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee today, now awaits consideration by the full Senate and House.
“From early childhood education programs to hands-on training experiences for Maine's future workforce, Northern Maine Community College plays a key role in Presque Isle and the surrounding communities,” said Senator Collins. “This funding would support important upgrades to facilities on campus that support safe and accessible learning environments. As the Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee, I will continue to advocate for this funding as the appropriations process moves forward.”
“NMCC is pleased to have Senator Collin’s support for the CDS project to renovate the NMCC Library as well as replace our HVAC system in the Christie Complex. The combination of outdated HVAC systems and rising temperatures creates challenges for the ongoing maintenance of library collections,” said Tim Crowley, NMCC President. “Libraries are evolving from focusing solely on book collections to becoming about supporting students’ connections. This project would help NMCC provide a comfortable space for students to gather, access learning resources, and get the support they need. Part of this change involves transitioning a portion of the library’s collection to an easily accessible digital format.”
This funding would support upgrades to the Edmunds Library – which was constructed nearly 25 years ago – as well as the Christie Building on campus.
This funding advanced through the Committee’s markup of the FY Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food and Drug Administration Appropriations bill—an important step that now allows the bill to be considered by the full Senate. Committee consideration of legislation is a key part of regular order, which helps our government function efficiently and deliver results for the people of Maine and America.
In 2021, Congress reinstituted Congressionally Directed Spending. Following this decision, Senator Collins has secured more than $1 billion for hundreds of Maine projects for FY 2022, FY 2023, and FY 2024. As the Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Collins is committed to championing targeted investments that will benefit Maine communities.
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