Olympia Snowe
Olympia Snowe
Reforming Health Care Coverage
A key indicator of the health crisis facing our nation is the rising number of Americans who lack quality health coverage. This year nearly one in four individuals will either be under-insured, or without any health plan whatsoever - and we know the devastating consequences of that. Prevention isn’t addressed, diagnoses are missed, and care is deferred. This contributes to more severe illness, long term disabilities, higher costs, medical bankruptcies, and - too often - lives shortened or lost.
Jun 12, 2009 - 12:55:06 PM
Olympia Snowe
Bankrupt Automakers Must Assist Dealerships Facing Closure
Like many Americans, I am astonished to see two of our three major automakers operating under bankruptcy protection. As a result of its bankruptcy, Chrysler announced it would be closing 789 dealerships nationwide by June 9 and has given its dealers three weeks to eliminate inventory or be left with no assistance from the automaker. General Motors will slash 1,100 dealerships by October of 2010 without proper clarification of the rationale behind the closures. In total, these closures will result in the loss of more than 100,000 jobs nationally, as well as the loss of vital sales tax and other revenues to state and local governments who are in dire need of those dollars. They companies claim this will result in dramatic savings that will ultimately help the automakers reestablish viability. The dealers disagree, and I can see why.
Jun 6, 2009 - 1:13:39 PM
Olympia Snowe
Commemorating National Small Business Week
As the economy continues on an uncertain path, recently we commemorated National Small Business Week and look to our nation's 27 million small businesses as the key to our economic recovery and restored job growth. In April, I held a series of small business roundtables throughout the state and heard about the challenges facing Maine small business owners and investors in today's economy. As Maine is home to almost 150,000 small businesses, it is critical that we ensure these firms have all the tools and resources necessary to lead us out of this downturn.
May 22, 2009 - 12:20:39 PM
Olympia Snowe
The SHOP Act: Achieving Affordable Health Care for Small Businesses
As I travel across our state and listen to the concerns of Mainers, time and again it's the exorbitant cost of health care coverage for small businesses owners and their employees that causes financial strain for Main Street. Throughout America, health insurance premiums have increased by a staggering 89 percent since 2000 – far outpacing inflation and wage gains. In Maine, the annual premium for the most heavily subscribed policy in the small group insurance market is $5,400 for individual coverage, and over $16,000 for a family plan.
May 16, 2009 - 3:37:07 PM
Olympia Snowe
Rural Air Service Keeps Mainers Connected
Reliable air service to rural areas is not simply a luxury or a convenience, it's a necessity. Ask any town manager or mayor of a small community in Maine how critical aviation is to economic development. Anyone from the St. John Valley or Washington County could attest to the vital role aviation plays in the moving of people and goods to and from their area. For many in our home state, rural air service provides an irreplaceable link between local small businesses and people to global economies and cultures.
May 8, 2009 - 9:01:21 AM
Olympia Snowe
President Obama Must Implement Stimulus Provisions Now to Aid Small Businesses
There is no question that President Obama has had an aggressive first 100 days in office and I commend him for his tireless efforts to lead the country through numerous unprecedented challenges. I had the opportunity to work closely with President Obama and his Administration in crafting a $787 billion economic stimulus plan that will help lift the ailing economy, create or retain 3 million jobs, and further assist working families, seniors, and entrepreneurs weather the economic storm. The President, so far, has kept an open line of communication and has listened to my views, which I certainly appreciate.
May 4, 2009 - 1:20:38 PM
Olympia Snowe
What the Black Liquor Tax Credit Means for Maine
Recently, an issue was raised over the legality of the so-called black liquor tax credit. The black liquor tax credit has served as a critical lifeline to thousands of paper mills across the country during these troubled economic times and if it is repealed, Maine's historic paper and pulp mills will reap the dire consequences. To fight and protect this industry, I addressed critics of the credit in a Senate Finance Committee hearing this week and called on them to allow the tax credit to, at minimum, remain in effect through 2009.
Apr 25, 2009 - 9:32:10 AM
Olympia Snowe
A New Path Forward in Afghanistan
On March 27th, the President presented Congress and the American people with an honest assessment of our strategic position in Afghanistan and underscored that America's core mission must be redefined. President Obama also announced that along with the 17,000 additional combat troops authorized in February, he intends to send 4,000 more this fall to serve as trainers and advisers to an Afghan army expected to double in size over the next two years. Saying that this initiative will require significantly higher levels of U.S. funding for both countries, President Obama expects to increase U.S. military spending in Afghanistan by about 60 percent. The U.S. military currently spends about $2 billion a month in Afghanistan alone.
Apr 4, 2009 - 10:33:32 PM
Olympia Snowe
Bipartisan Importation Bill Paves the Way for Lower Prescription Drug Prices
his week I joined a bipartisan coalition of my Senate colleagues to introduce legislation that will reduce the cost of prescription drugs in the United States.
Mar 9, 2009 - 11:10:25 PM
Olympia Snowe
S-CHIP: Ensuring Health Care Coverage for Kids
This week President Barack Obama signed into law the reauthorization and extension of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP), the successful decade-old program which provides health care coverage to children who are not eligible for Medicaid but struggle to obtain private health insurance. As S-CHIP was originally created through bipartisan compromise with an aim to ensure that every American has access to affordable health care coverage, I was proud to vote in favor of its Senate passage last week. The reauthorization of the S-CHIP program takes us one step closer to this goal by maintaining coverage for the 6 million children already covered by S-CHIP and extending coverage to nearly four million additional children in need.
Feb 9, 2009 - 11:13:07 AM
Olympia Snowe
Save Maine's Lobstermen
The economic downturn has permeated virtually every realm of our society. For sale signs blotch front lawns in our hometowns, prices at the corner gas station rise and drop with guaranteed unpredictability, and daily announcements of job losses have become as ordinary as morning weather forecasts. Yet one symbol of the depressing economy that has Mainers worried is the falling price of one of our state's greatest sources of pride and identity: the lobster.
Nov 15, 2008 - 10:58:08 PM
Olympia Snowe
New Market Tax Credits Will Spur Job Creation and Economic Opportunities for Maine
These days, it seems like bad news travels fast; home construction recently hit a 17-year low, applications for unemployment benefits exceeded recession levels and home foreclosures nationwide are 71 percent higher than they were in October 2007. Yet this past week, I was proud to announce some good news for Maine that I expect to work quickly to boost economic development and unlock our stagnant credit markets.
Oct 28, 2008 - 11:31:25 AM
Olympia Snowe
Energy Crisis Demands Swift, Comprehensive Action
Every morning I open my newspaper to the same story: the ramifications of energy markets. The inordinate price of gas has made daily errands like filling up at the pump or grocery shopping expensive and even painful experiences. In a world where fuel at the pump costs $4.10 according to AAA, where the price of oil hovers around $130 per barrel of oil and could easily spike up or down, and where the amount spent annually by American households on energy in the last six years soared from approximately $2,600 to an astonishing $5,000, Congress must act to reverse these ominous and unsustainable trends and help American families cope with this intolerable economic climate.
Jul 25, 2008 - 10:25:07 PM
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