HOULTON, Maine — The Houlton Rotary Club welcomed Sen. Susan Collins, guest of Ellen Halliday, to its regular noon time meeting in a virtual format.
Sen. Collins is an Honorary Rotarian as well as having received the highest honor Rotary can bestow, a Paul Harris Fellow. She has represented Maine in the U.S. Senate since 1997 and is its most senior Republican woman. Sen. Collins holds the distinction of being the only senator who has never missed a roll call vote.
Collins thanked Mainers for voting for her in the last election, where she won the approval of 67 percent of voters in Houlton. Collins said she believes Congress now has a special obligation to restore the faith and confidence of American citizens in its government by fighting poison rhetoric with true collaboration between the parties.
The most important project at this moment is to solidify a COVID-19 emergency relief package that will continue to help those affected by the pandemic, she said. There will be additional funding for schools and state and local government which appears to be the most controversial part of the bill. There will be an extension of unemployment benefits that includes and extra $300 for those most impacted by job loss due to shutdowns. The bill allows for more funds for healthcare providers as well as care facilities that have suffered a major loss of business through the lack of elective surgeries.
The first Payroll Protection Plan (PPP) is one of her most well-known accomplishments and she reported that 130 businesses in Houlton alone received over $10 million in relief funds. As part of this new package she hopes that a second round of PPP will be offered soon to those who have lost 35 percent or more in revenue due to the pandemic. Her goal is to pass the new plan before the Senate adjourns for the Christmas holiday.
She continues to be concerned about children and the quality of education due to remote learning as well as parents who are struggling with childcare. She also recognizes the impact that poor quality broadband connections can affect the remote learning experiences that children struggle with daily.
Collins said she hopes to restore a sense of community within the nation and anticipates working well with President Elect Joe Biden. Senator Collins said she believes that it is in the best interests of the country to work together.
