Our first responders do so much for our communities, but the job just keeps getting harder. Maine’s population is aging, and that includes our first responders. If we don’t do something, we’re heading for a workforce crisis that could spiral into a healthcare crisis. We can’t afford that outcome. Along with a bipartisan group of colleagues, I’ve proposed a number of solutions, including the PARA-EMT Act, which would establish a grant program to recruit, train and retain paramedics and EMTs in rural areas. It would also help veterans transition into civilian EMT careers. We need solutions to keep Mainers safe in the future. Congress should act.

While Maine’s home heating prices have risen by 80% year to year, LIHEAP’s funding has increased by less than one percent. With winter on the horizon, I’m urging Congress to plug the gap as soon as possible so that Mainers don’t have to face the cold alone. I’ve joined @RepChrisPappas to request a supplemental $3 billion for LIHEAP, on top of the $4 billion already appropriated.

Every tribe in the nation is able to access federal programs and resources specifically intended for them — except Maine’s. While we celebrate Maine’s tribes today, let us also recommit to the fight for sovereignty for our tribal neighbors.

For as long as I've been in Congress, I have opposed efforts to cut LIHEAP and worked across the aisle to ensure adequate home heating assistance is available to keep Mainers warm in our long, cold winters. With heating oil prices at record highs, Mainers are feeling the pinch like never before. I will support any effort to increase LIHEAP funding in a supplemental appropriation this year.