It continues to be my great honor and privilege to serve in the United States Senate representing the people of Maine. This is a responsibility that I both enjoy and take very seriously. Mainers are known for their strong values and work ethic. They hold their elected officials to these same high standards, and rightfully so.
That is one reason why I take so seriously my obligation to be in the Senate Chamber to cast my vote when a roll call vote is underway. Since I was sworn into the U.S. Senate in January, 1997, I have never missed a roll call vote.
When the first legislative session of the 110th Congress recently came to a close, I cast my 3,679th roll call vote. I am proud to have continued this consecutive voting streak and know that is what is Mainers expect of me. I have done this while also returning to Maine weekends to meet with my constituents, visit communities throughout the State, and spend time at my home in Bangor.
The late Senator Margaret Chase Smith continues to be my inspiration for the work I do in the Senate for Maine and for my efforts to ensure that I never miss a vote. Senator Smith never missed a vote in 13 years of service until surgery forced her to miss her first vote.
In following her extraordinary career, I also learned that true leadership is independent thinking and working across party lines to get the job done. Therefore, bills or amendments that I have introduced have had Democratic support. As a result, I have been able to pass into law many bills including health care and education legislation; the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act; legislation to strengthen security at our nation’s ports; chemical security legislation; reform of the Postal Service; and legislation to strengthen FEMA, to name a few. This past year was no exception.
Like so many Mainers and individuals throughout the nation, I reject the partisan bickering that often defines Washington, D.C. As I learned early on, when one puts the partisanship aside, a great deal can be accomplished.
First and foremost, I have continued to lead efforts to secure increased funding for the Low Income Heating and Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The recent omnibus spending bill, which was signed into law, includes a substantial increase in funding for this critical program. No matter where I travel throughout Maine, I hear time and time again about the burden that the current record-high costs of home heating oil are imposing on so many families. I have heard from families who are forced to make the choice between paying bills or heating their homes, families who are living in only a couple of rooms in their houses to save on heating costs, and families who can only afford to partially fill their tanks.
Working with a bipartisan group of my colleagues, including Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) who co chairs the Northeast/Midwest coalition with me, and, of course, my colleague Senator Olympia Snowe, we were able to secure $2.6 billion for the LIHEAP program in the omnibus spending bill, an increase of $400 million over last year. This amount included $586 million in emergency funds for the program. Senator Reed and I have called on the administration to release these funds immediately so more LIHEAP dollars will be made available to Maine families this winter.
I will continue to work in 2008 for additional funding to help meet the needs of Mainers and other families throughout the nation.
I am also proud of a number of accomplishments in 2007 related to education and health care. For example, I was successful in extending the Special Diabetes Program that has funded critical research to improve treatment and eventually find a cure for Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes; increased funding for grants to help make dental care more accessible in rural communities; legislation to improve the care and rehabilitation of wounded service members who suffer from Traumatic Brain Injury; and a bill that provides access to federal health insurance for the Mainers working at Campobello Island. I also cosponsored legislation that increases the amount of Pell Grant funding available to low-income students, from $4,310 to $4,731 in 2008
Also signed into law was my legislation to expand and increase the “teacher tax credit,” which provides a tax deduction for teachers who spend their own money on school supplies. I authored the original law that created the teacher tax credit.
The issues of global climate change and energy independence continue to be priorities. I was a cosponsor of a number of bills to increase CAFÉ fuel efficiency standards for vehicles and authored legislation to provide increased funding for climate change research. The University of Maine has been at the national forefront of climate change research, and I am pleased that the final appropriations bill includes $376,000 that I advocated to support UMaine in this important research.
As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I have also fought hard to secure funding for shipbuilding that is important to the skilled workers at Bath Iron Works, the future of our Navy, and our national security. The fiscal year 2008 Defense Authorization includes $2.9 billion for funding for construction of the DDG-1000 Zumwalt class destroyers. I also worked with the Navy to ensure that BIW will be responsible for construction of the first lead ship, which will help result in a steady workflow for BIW's employees.
All of these accomplishments were the result of bipartisan teamwork.
When the New Year begins and Congress reconvenes for the second half of the 110th Congress, I will look forward to continuing to serve the people of Maine and to cast my 3, 680th vote.