SENATOR COLLINS HOSTS MAINE STATE SOCIETY CONGRESSIONAL BREAKFAST

U.S. Senator Susan Collins today hosted the Maine State Society's annual Congressional Breakfast on Capitol Hill. She and other Members of Maine's Congressional Delegation addressed the members of the Society, who are Mainers living and working in Washington, D.C.

In her remarks, Senator Collins noted that she has enjoyed attending the breakfast each year during her 13 years of service in the U.S. Senate. "I always enjoy attending the breakfast and learning about the many valuable contributions Mainers are making in our nation's capital," said Senator Collins. "I am truly proud of the important role Mainers are playing in Washington."

Senator Collins also spoke in depth about the economic stimulus compromise she brokered and the positive benefits this important legislation will bring to the State of Maine. "In the last month alone, 600,000 jobs were lost in the U.S. and the unemployment rate in Maine now stands at 7 percent--the highest level in 16 years. This bill represents a bipartisan, effective, and targeted approach to the crisis facing our country. It contains robust infrastructure spending to create jobs, billions of dollars in state aid, and major tax cuts for the middle class."

Senator Collins concluded her remarks by thanking the Society's leadership, including Charles Stanhope (President), and Lew Pearson (Treasurer), for their hard work in organizing the breakfast. Stanhope and Pearson are both originally from Portland. The Maine State Society was founded in 1894 and serves as a "home away from home" for Mainers living and working in the Washington, DC area.