Author: Bruce Poliquin

Our fellow Americans want Washington to fix the serious problems which are hurting our families and their jobs, and they want it done now. ‎I’ve heard this every day throughout Maine and beyond during my two years serving in the U.S. House of Representatives.  I’m just as frustrated as you are when bureaucrats, lobbyists, and career politicians kill common sense solutions to fix the mess in DC.  One burial ground for good ideas is the U.S. Senate on the other side of the Capitol dome. Although I’ve joined forces with both House Republicans and Democrats to push through new laws…

One of my greatest duties as the representative of Maine’s 2nd Congressional District is serving on behalf of our more than 65,000 Veterans—from Oxford to Aroostook Counties. In one of my first actions in this new Congress, I am tremendously proud and excited to join the House Veterans Affairs Committee, or VA Committee.  The VA Committee is the congressional body charged with all legislative matters pertaining to improving care and services for our Veterans, including congressional oversight of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Now, Maine Veterans have a direct seat at the table in Congress on some of the…

The American People spoke loudly in November.  They sent us to Congress to immediately work on issues that are critical to our Nation. This past week, we did just that and passed several very important bills. Unfortunately, a lot of the hard work that we accomplished our first week back was overshadowed by an issue that shouldn’t have even come up: the Office of Congressional Ethics, or OCE. The OCE is a little-known, independent body which serves as a watchdog to keep Members of Congress accountable. We’ve seen several examples over the years of Members being charged and convicted of all sorts…

Every year, hundreds of thousands of wreaths are laid on the graves of fallen soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery in what is now one of the great traditions of our county: Wreaths Across America. I am honored to be participating in its 25th annual event this Saturday. Before it became a national tradition, Wreaths Across America was an idea born from a local Maine family and business from Machias.  Morrill and Karen Worcester started the event in 1992, when their Washington County business, Worcester Wreath Company, had a surplus of wreaths at the end of the holiday season. Morrill, recalling…

This past Friday, our Nation celebrated Veterans Day. Appropriately, we also marked the 241st birthday of the United States Marine Corps the day before. During both occasions, our country reflected upon the sacrifices and commitment of the millions of service members that fought to defend our freedom. The character of our country is defined by how we treat our Veterans after their service. Our Nation owes them a debt of gratitude that starts with making sure they have the proper support and care. The best way to honor all who have proudly worn America’s uniform is to make sure we…

One of the greatest honors of my life is serving on behalf of the citizens, families and small businesses of Maine in Congress. In my role as a member of the House Financial Services Committee, it is a top priority for me to help make sure hardworking Mainers can save for retirement, our small businesses can access credit to grow and our families can achieve the dream of home ownership. That is why, serving on the committee, I have taken Wall Street and our country’s financial leaders to task. Industry leaders need to understand that their actions on Wall Street…

The confirmed reports of the Obama Administration’s covert payment of cash ransoms in exchange for American hostages are an abomination. This kind of action by the Executive Branch is reckless and puts more Americans at risk around the world. This should be alarming to everyone, most especially our federal government’s senior officials. However, I have found out firsthand that this is regrettably not the case. As a member of the House Financial Services Oversight Subcommittee, I had the unique opportunity of questioning members of this Administration about payments to Iran that went unnoticed until a Wall Street Journal story broke…

Over the past seven years, we have seen how this Administration’s foreign policy has made Americans less safe at home and overseas. The Administration has allowed ISIS to amass a territory comparable to three times the size of Maine. ISIS has a well-stocked arsenal, secures approximately $1 million per day of oil revenues from black market sales, and has been able to commit heinous crimes against humanity freely and largely unchallenged. This is no “JV Team.” The entire U.S. House of Representatives, Republicans and Democrats, voted unanimously to condemn the atrocities committed and then celebrated by ISIS. Still, Secretary of…

As I’ve said many times before, Iran cannot be trusted. Iran is the leading state sponsor of terrorism around the globe. They have repeatedly and boldly defied United Nations sanctions against them to continue developing their dangerous weapons program. They have demonstrated, time and again, that they are not afraid to threaten us or our allies in the region. In addition, the regime leaders have consistently violated their people’s basic human rights. As a member of the Bipartisan Task Force to Investigate Terrorism Financing, I have concentrated on stopping terror organizations, like the Iranian regime, by finding ways to expose…

Our Nation’s leaders should be held to the highest standard—it is as simple as that. Like the majority of Americans, I’m very concerned about recent events that have exposed instances of extremely careless mishandling of very sensitive, highly classified information. This type of behavior by any of our Nation’s top officials demonstrates to the American public that those serving in high office are not being held accountable for their actions, especially for such blatant carelessness that puts our national security at risk. It’s critical that our leaders are held responsible. That is why I’m proud to introduce the Hold Top…

Our State is home to more than 107,000 seniors and more than 126,000 veterans. Our seniors and our veterans have been promised benefits and support after their careers in the workforce and service to our country. I believe it is absolutely critical that those promises are fulfilled. Unfortunately, this year, our seniors and our veterans did not receive a cost of living adjustment (COLA) for those benefits, placing additional burdens on the budgets of hundreds of thousands of Mainers. Even though bureaucratic rules decided that there was no need for a COLA adjustment this year, we all know that prices…

Serving our Veterans should be a commonsense goal for each and every one of our public officials. Our Veterans have served and sacrificed for our Nation—their care and our Nation’s highest respect for them should be unquestioned priorities for all those in government at all levels. This is particularly true for those who work for the Veteran’s Administration, most especially its top official, Secretary Robert McDonald. Recently, Secretary McDonald has rightfully come under fire for his comments in which he compares our Veterans’ wait times at the VA to waiting in line for a ride at an amusement park. Plainly stated,…

Over the past several months, I have seen firsthand the scale of the heroin crisis in our State. I have met with the countless individuals in Maine that are fighting on the frontlines against the opioid epidemic, including treatment providers, social service networks, law enforcement agencies, families of victims, and recovering addicts. These individuals, from all different walks of life, backgrounds and disciplines, are working tirelessly to curb and end the alarming crisis in Maine. Despite their dedicated efforts, this epidemic continues to grow and impact more and more families. The fact is these individuals need the tools and resources to…

The 21st Century ushered in striking technological improvements that have enhanced and changed so many parts of our lives. Technological advancements in the past half-century have allowed for greater collaboration, communication and connectivity across all aspects of life. However, as our technology has advanced, and more of our lives and business depend on new tools, like email and smartphones, Congress and our Nation’s laws have lagged behind. Right now, unbelievably, the federal government has the legal authority to invade the privacy of millions of Americans by accessing our emails without any legal warrant. Currently, the law allows for the government…

The IRS should work for Maine taxpayers—not the other way around. This year’s tax season served as a reminder of the dysfunction at the IRS. Last year alone, the agency failed to answer eight million calls from Americans looking for answers. Filing taxes is not an easy process. The tax code is thousands of pages and just under four million words long. The IRS should be working toward simplifying this process. While the IRS was unavailable to answer eight million phone calls just this past year, they managed to hand out nearly $6 million in bonuses over the past five…

Made in America. Those words mean a lot to American workers. Those words mean that a hardworking American family is earning a paycheck. Those words mean that a business, right here in America, is choosing to employ American citizens rather than export jobs overseas. Those words mean quality. New Balance Athletic, Inc. employs 900 Maine craftsmen across our State, in Norridgewock, Skowhegan and Norway, who work hard to make the highest quality athletic shoes in the world. The company, like many throughout our Nation, has chosen to keep its plants in the United States and to send paychecks home to…

This week, Maine’s State Legislature passed LD 1600, a bill that would require State approval before any sitting President can designate a national monument in Maine.  This bill, which is sponsored by Democratic Rep. Stephen Stanley of Medway, has gained tremendous attention recently due to increased speculation of President Obama choosing to unilaterally make a national monument designation in our State. With this last vote, our local lawmakers in Augusta have demonstrated to the President their belief that local residents and stakeholders should have a voice in the debate surrounding this unilateral designation of a federally controlled monument in Maine’s…

In February, I met with Command Sergeant Major Steve Curtis, a retired member of the Maine Army National Guard who lives in Stacyville.  Steve, a born-and-raised Mainer who served for more than 33 years in the military, including two deployments in the Iraq War and service in the 1983 invasion of Grenada, brought to my attention a rather unbelievable inconsistency in the negative way our National Guardsmen and Reservists are treated by the U.S. tax code. Steve pointed out that while federal employees are granted tax deductions for their travel if their commute is 50 miles or more, National Guard…

This month, the House has acted to challenge the President on his unlawful executive order to grant amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants. For the first time in our Nation’s history, the House passed a measure to file an amicus brief in the Supreme Court case the United States v. Texas, on behalf of the entire House of Representatives, that will challenge the legitimacy of President Obama’s unilateral action on immigration. Our Nation’s Constitution exists to provide a clear blueprint for the way our government is intended to operate. Article I of that document lays out the authority and responsibility of…

This March, as our Nation celebrates the lives and accomplishments of women throughout American history during Women’s History Month, I believe it is especially important to recognize the countless women that have served in our Nation’s Armed Services and have sacrificed so much to defend our country. One of the most extraordinary groups of American female military members is the Women Airforce Service Pilots, or WASP’s, of World War II. This unit of female Servicemembers was the first group of women to serve as pilots and to fly military aircraft for the United States. During World War II, there was…

As I travel through our Second Congressional District, some of the most frequent issues that I hear about from Maine residents and small business owners are the burdens they experience because of our Nation’s broken health care system under ObamaCare. For years, Maine communities have suffered because of a harmful, government-run health insurance market that has hurt businesses, killed jobs and driven up costs for Maine families. Since coming to Washington, I have taken action and offered real solutions to these job-killing health care policies. I have worked to repeal the individual mandate, strike down ObamaCare’s Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), eliminate the Medical…

This past week, President Obama demonstrated, yet again, that he puts his party’s politics before protecting the American People. On Tuesday, the President announced his plan to shut down the high-security prison at Guantanamo Bay, which currently houses 91 terrorist detainees. The President laid out his plan in four disastrous steps. The President’s first phase is to move forward with plans to transfer 35 terrorist detainees to an unknown list of foreign nations.  The countries that are to receive these terrorists have not been disclosed to the public.  In fact, the White House may not even know which countries will eventually…

As an avid outdoorsman, a proud gun owner, and a member of the Congressional Sportsmen Caucus, one of my priorities in Congress is to protect our outdoors and public lands and to ensure that they can be enjoyed by all and for generations of Mainers to come. We Mainers have a rich tradition of using our pristine lands for recreational use, whether it is hunting game in the Katahdin region or angling in the Kennebec River. I believe that it is critical to protect these lands in our State and our citizens’ rights to use them, as we have for centuries.…

In the next decade and a half, our country’s senior population is expected to grow as the “baby boomer” generation enters the retirement age. By 2030, it is estimated that 18% of the Nation’s population will be 65 years or older. Because of this expanding group, seniors today make up an enormous portion of the investor community in modern financial markets, and their presence will only increase in the next 10 to 15 years. One of the many challenges that our seniors face today is predatory attacks on their investments by financial scam artists that abuse the system to steal…

Our Great State of Maine is known for many unique industries and trades, such as our famous lobster harvesting, our top-of-the-line forestry and logging, and our maple syrup production.  However, there is one industry in Maine that is largely unknown, but incredibly important all the same. Each year, Maine’s sea urchin and sea cucumber industry directly employs more than 650 workers from across the State, contributing to a significant part of our coastal economy. This is a major industry in our State, and hundreds of families depend on it. Like many other industries, however, these jobs are at risk because…

My number one focus as Maine’s Second District Congressman is job creation. Congress must continue to act to foster a more business-friendly environment for job creators to grow and hire more workers. Small businesses are the backbone of Maine’s economy, and they deserve policies from our federal government that work FOR them, not against them. Small businesses in Maine and throughout the entire Country struggle to raise capital to expand, grow and hire more workers. In fact, 80% of the new jobs created in the United States are created by small businesses. These businesses must have access to the capital that…

One of the most serious problems that Maine and our Nation face today is the alarming and growing heroin epidemic.  Drug use, specifically of opioids like heroin, has skyrocketed in Maine and across the country in the last few years alone.  It is affecting our families, our friends and our communities. A particularly alarming aspect of this growing epidemic that many be overlooked is its effect on infants.  Every year in America, more than 20,000 babies are born addicted to drugs.  Last year alone, nearly 1,000 of those babies were born in Maine. 80 percent of addicted infants are covered…

For more than half a century, America has led the world in medical research and innovation. Health research facilities, such as Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor and Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory (MDIBL), are essential in keeping America the global leader in medical research. It’s critical that these institutions, and those across our nation, are fully supported. That is why I am a proud cosigner of a letter to congressional leadership calling for more support for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and American health research facilities across the country, including Jackson Labs and MDIBL. In the letter, my colleagues…

For the past several months, the world has witnessed the seriousness of the threat that ISIS poses to our free way of life. This past weekend, we tragically saw the culmination of this in the savage and horrific terrorist attacks in Paris, France. Firstly, to the people of France, we stand united with you and all of France is on our hearts and in our prayers. If history has taught us anything, it proves we must remain vigilant against such cowardly, terrorist attacks. America can lead, and we have the strength to do so, but currently lack the leadership. This…

This Veterans Day, we honor the generations of Mainers who have answered the ultimate call of duty to protect our freedoms and liberties. Our Veterans have sacrificed so much to defend our Nation and our American way of life. It’s time that Washington delivers on its promises to provide these selfless men and women the support they were promised, earned and deserve. As Maine’s Second District Congressman, and a member of the Military Veterans Caucus, I am working hard in Congress for our Veterans by supporting legislation to increase funding for Veterans’ health programs and holding the VA accountable to…

As a Member of Congress, there is no greater honor than standing up and supporting the men and women of our nation’s Armed Services. I’m humbled by the service and dedication that these individuals display each day and am incredibly grateful of the tremendous sacrifices they make to protect our freedoms and special way of life. That’s one of the main reasons why I voted in support of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The NDAA is the primary bill in Congress to provide vitally important funding and support for our Nation’s defense.  I believe this bill is absolutely essential…

One of the greatest challenges facing our nation today is the preservation of Social Security for those that have worked hard for it and earned it. I’m especially concerned for those seniors who have worked in public service, as teachers, firefighters, police officers and community workers, who are being shorted their benefits as a result of the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP). I, along with the families and communities of Maine, am grateful for the extraordinary work that these public servants do every day.  My father was a public school teacher and coach for decades in Central Maine.  He is one…

Our Veterans, and their families, answered the ultimate call of duty to protect our freedoms and special way of life. Honoring their service is one of the greatest responsibilities for members of Congress. When service members return to civilian life, it is imperative that they receive excellent and timely health care. They have served our great nation with honor, and we must fulfill our promise to them. Since being sworn in as Maine’s Second Congressional District Representative, I have supported several bills, such as the Hire More Heroes Act. I also voted in support of the FY16 Military Construction and…

Maine is home to some of our Nation’s most breathtaking landscapes, diverse wildlife, and pristine environments.  These irreplaceable features truly make our home unique, and it is important that they are preserved. The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) is a program that provides important funding to Maine, contributing to the preservation and exhibition of some of our Nation’s most unique natural beauties and resources.  However, the LWCF is due to expire at the end of September. As an outdoorsman, a member of the Congressional Sportsmen Caucus, and the representative of thousands of adventurous constituents in our Second District, one…

Maine farmers produce some of the highest quality fruits and vegetables in the country—such as our famous potatoes and blueberries.  There is no reason why these products shouldn’t be enjoyed and provided to communities and students around the United States. According to the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) annual Dietary Guidelines for Americans, there is overwhelming consensus among dietitians that Americans need to greatly increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables.  This is especially of concern for our children. That’s why I authored and introduced the Fruit and Vegetable Access for Children Act. This bipartisan bill will allow Maine’s…

Let me be clear, I will never support any deal that leads to the likelihood of nuclear weapons for Iran – ever. For more than 30 years, the United States of America has recognized Iran as an active state sponsor of terrorism. I vividly remember watching news reports of Iranians storming the American Embassy and taking Americans hostage. For 444 days, our American men and women were held captive. As the leading state sponsor of terrorism, Iran has for decades helped train and finance several terrorist groups in the Middle East for decades, such as Hamas and Lebanese Hizballah, to…

Maine is home to the most skilled, honest and dedicated workers in the Country. From shipbuilding, to fishing, to teaching, to manufacturing and everything in between, our Maine workers’ effort to create the best product possible is inspiring. As we celebrate the upcoming Labor Day holiday, please remember to thank our Maine workers for all they do. As Maine’s Second District Congressman, I have been working to help our Maine workers by reducing Washington’s burdensome regulations, repealing the parts of ObamaCare that are crippling our small businesses and supporting energy policies that will allow our businesses to grow and hire…

As a parent, I believe the three most lasting gifts we can give our kids are unconditional love, a sound moral compass, and a good education. Sadly, the dream of an affordable higher education in the United States is becoming less and less achievable as college tuition has spiraled out of control. I understand, first-hand, how expensive it is to attend college.  Like many Mainers, I only made it through college because of scholarships and working multiple jobs. During the school year, I would clean bathrooms and bus dining hall tables.  While in the summer time, I would dig sewer…

Maine is home to the best loggers and truckers in the Country. Unfortunately, the logging and trucking workforce is declining due to obsolete regulations that are prohibiting our young Mainers from choosing this career path. That’s why I introduced the Securing America’s Next Generation of Safe Loggers and Truckers Act. My bill will remove outdated regulations that are hindering the logging and trucking workforce. Our young Mainers should be given every opportunity to explore a career as a logger or trucker in their formative years and this legislation will ensure it for future generations. Even though 47 states and the…

I’m a proud Franco-American. Like many Mainers, my ancestors came from Canada to farm the land, log the forests, and toil in Maine’s textile mills. I have always believed that legal immigration is a fundamental part of our American heritage.  I’m very proud of the contributions that my ancestors and immigrants of all different backgrounds have made to make this country so successful. These are the sorts of immigrants America needs for the future. Our Nation’s immigration laws exist to protect hard-working Mainers and immigrants who came to our Country legally, through the proper channels. I have always said that…

Today marks the 5th anniversary of the Dodd-Frank Act.  On this occasion, I’d like to take a moment to discuss the impact that this bill has had on Maine’s families, businesses, and local communities. For more than 200 years, our robust financial sector has been the bloodline of our nation’s economy, which has pulled so many out of poverty. As a member of the House Financial Services Committee, my priority is ensuring that Mainers can save for retirement, our small businesses can access credit to grow, and our families can achieve the dream of home ownership. While I strongly believe…

Maine is home to the most skilled paper makers in the world. Our hard-working men and women manufacture paper products that make us proud and that we use every day. Our paper makers are also some of the best stewards of the environment. They understand we require healthy forests to make the high-quality wood products we sell around the globe. When trees are harvested to make paper, the branches and bark can be left behind to decompose or, they can be burned to generate energy to run the paper making machinery. Instead of ending up in a landfill, this green,…

Honoring the service and sacrifice of our Veterans, members of the military, and their families is one my greatest and proudest responsibilities as your Congressman. One of my top priorities is to support our Veterans and Maine’s military service members. When service members return to civilian life, it is imperative that they receive excellent health care, help with the benefits they have earned, and support with other issues that may arise. Instead of playing games and politics with procedural votes in Congress, like many politicians in Washington are known for doing, I voted in support of the Military Construction and…

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” – Declaration of Independence. This Saturday, we celebrate our forefathers who fought for our independence. As we celebrate this terrific day with our family and friends, let’s not forget to thank our veterans and service members who answered the ultimate call of duty to protect our freedoms at home and abroad. It is imperative for Congress to make sure our veterans and service members receive…

For years, hard-working Maine companies, such as Hardwood Products and Puritan Companies of Guilford, have been penalized by ObamaCare’s medical device tax. As you may know, Hardwood Products and Puritan Companies in Guilford has been a family-run business for nearly one hundred years. More than four hundred hard-working Mainers produce 3.5 million popsicle sticks per day. The company also manufactures more tongue depressors and medical swabs than any other business in the Western Hemisphere. It’s only competitor is located in China. Due to ObamaCare’s Medical Device Tax, Hardwood Products and Puritan Companies must pay nearly $250,000 in extra fees. Because…

For decades, Maine’s Second Congressional District was home to dozens of thriving paper, textile, shoe, and leather factories and mills that employed tens of thousands of hard-working Maine families. Today, most of those companies have closed and those jobs are lost because of unfair trade agreements, such as NAFTA, foreign competition, stringent regulations, and high energy costs and taxes. In May, President Obama traveled to Nike, who produces their shoes in Vietnam, in Oregon to promote his fast-track trade authority agenda. If the President had done his research, he would have visited our New Balance facilities in Maine to promote trade and…

Maine’s Second District is home to the hardest-working, most honest people that you could ever find in this country. As the Export-Import Bank’s reputation continues to decline around the world, it will be difficult for the Chairman, Fred Hochberg, to find supporters in the Second District. Over the past five years at the Export-Import Bank, there have been 48 convictions for fraud, an average of 37 on-going investigations for fraud and corruption, 66 years of jail time and $224 million of fines. This type of on-going mismanagement is not acceptable and should not be rewarded. I believe these individuals must…

According to 2012 reports, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), which is made up of high-ranking Federal Reserve officials, held a meeting on monetary policy with Wall Street organizations. The reports claim that at this meeting, confidential FOMC information was leaked to Medly Global Advisors, who then shared this information to clients. Time and time again, the Federal Reserve has refused to comply with the House Financial Services’ Oversight Subcommittee, on which I sit, in regards to how this market-sensitive information was leaked. This past month, the House Financial Services Committee issued a subpoena to the Federal Reserve. This subpoena will…

For several years, families and small businesses have suffered from the negative effects of ObamaCare. In Congress, I have supported several bills that will help repeal some of ObamaCare’s most penalizing mandates that are hurting Mainers the most – individual mandate, IPAB, Medical Device Excise Tax and restored the work-week to 40 hours instead of 30 hours. Furthermore, next month, the United States Supreme Court is expected to decide if the ObamaCare federal health insurance exchange subsidies are legal. If they are ruled unlawful, it will be incumbent upon Congress to help create a thoughtful free market replacement for ObamaCare,…

There is no doubt a large number of Maine people have seen the need for real welfare reform. As Maine’s State Treasurer, I saw, first-hand, just how out-of-sync Maine had become, compared to other states, with welfare. Just a few years ago in 2011, Maine was 3rd in the entire nation for the percentage of households on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), 2nd for households on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP or food stamps), and 3rd for a population enrolled in welfare Medicaid. Additionally, Maine was one of only six states to allow for unlimited, lifetime TANF benefits. Remember the T…

Raising a child alone is one of the hardest things to do. Far too often, I have heard stories of kids growing up without having the necessary means for food, shelter and an education because their family is not receiving the much needed child support payments from their deadbeat parent. According to the Office of Child Support Enforcement, in 2013, the child support program served nearly 17 million children – nearly 1 in 4 kids. As of April, Maine’s total child support case load is 56,731. That is 56,731 kids who deserve our attention. Additionally, CNN has reported that more…

Time and time again, our seniors, businesses and local governments’ private information is stolen from scams artists and hackers on the Internet. Just a few short weeks ago, several of Maine’s Police Departments experienced a cyber-attack and were forced to pay $300 to get their important information from being destroyed. Additionally, the Maine.gov website was disabled by hackers. In February, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, which insures numerous Mainers, was a victim of a cyber-attack. According to their press release: “Cyber attackers executed a very sophisticated attack to gain unauthorized access to one of our parent company’s IT systems and have obtained personal…

Last year, we discovered that veterans in Phoenix, Arizona, had waited for more than 100 days to receive the medical attention they desperately needed. This lack of respect and attention for our military heroes is appalling. As I have been traveling throughout the Second District and touring sites, such as Maine Veteran’s Homes in Bangor, Togus and the Lewiston VA Medical Clinic, I am constantly hearing from our military heroes of the need to improve access to quality healthcare. As I have repeatedly said, I will work to help them receive the health care they were promised, earned and deserve.…

For generations, hard-working Maine families have balanced their checkbooks at the kitchen table. I can remember nights when my parents sat down, brought out their calculators and combed through their finances to make sure our family stayed on a budget. As Maine’s State Treasurer, I worked with all political parties to help balance Maine’s books and pay down our debt. Now, the time has come for Washington to – finally – do the same. Earlier this year, President Obama unveiled his budget. His budget never balances, ever. His budget also raises taxes by two trillion dollars. The President and his…

As you may know, the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) was created as a provision of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. The SGR has created a system where physicians who treat Medicare patients would experience a cut of more than 20 percent in their reimbursement. This would, in effect, negatively impact Mainers who rely on these Medicare services. For more than a decade, Washington has kicked this can down the road and left Maine seniors who rely on Medicare services uncertain of whether or not they will receive care each year. Instead of enacting real reforms, Washington has repeatedly used a temporary “doc fix” to patch…

Last week, the House Financial Services Oversight and Investigations subcommittee held a hearing regarding Operation Choke Point with Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Chairman, Martin Gruenberg. According to a Fox News article, “under Operation Choke Point, banks and other financial institutions were reportedly pressured to cut off accounts for targeted businesses that included gun stores, casinos, tobacco distributors, short-term lenders and other businesses.” Once again, President Obama is overreaching and abusing his executive powers by using his federal agencies to intimidate those who do not agree politically with him. This isn’t fair and it isn’t right. During the Oversight and Investigations subcommittee hearing,…

As I have repeatedly said, too many of our hard-working families and small businesses continue to be hurt by the negative impacts of ObamaCare. Maine taxpayers deserve a government that works for them, not against them. Last week, I became an original cosponsor of a bill that will help repeal ObamaCare’s overreaching Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB). This unaccountable board is made up of fifteen unelected bureaucrats, appointed by the President and is tasked with cutting Medicare spending. Without a three-fifths vote from the Senate, IPAB’s proposals will be “fast-tracked” and Congress will only be able to modify the type…

“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” – The Constitution of the United States, Amendment 2. Growing up in Central Maine, I understand the importance and tradition of fishing, hunting, camping, snowmobiling and exercising our Second Amendment rights. For example, I still use my .22 long lever action Marlin rifle that I bought when I was 14 years old. Mainers have a long history of gun ownership and using firearms responsibly. Maine has one of the highest rates of firearms…

From putting my son through college to overseeing the management of Maine’s 529 plans as the State Treasurer, I understand first-hand how important and difficult it is for our hard-working families to save money in order to send their kids to college. As parents, we want to give our kids everything we possibly can and a higher education degree is on the top of the list. A degree from a four-year college, community college or technical school can lead to a better job, a higher salary and more opportunities. Unfortunately, it’s getting harder to send our kids to college as the…

Over the last 60 days, I have finally settled in to all my offices and am working hard to help create more jobs, reduce the national debt, lower our heating costs and protect our freedoms. My first week on the job, I spoke on the House floor in support of the Balanced Budget Constitutional Amendment. Our hard-working families in the Second District gather around the kitchen table and balance their budget, so why can’t Washington do the same? This Constitutional amendment will require the federal budget to be balanced and put a limit on annual spending. Finally, Washington will be…