Susan M. Collins
Senator for Maine · Republican · United States
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S3931] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] 125TH ANNIVERSARY OF CRYSTAL, MAINE Ms. COLLINS. Mr.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S3931] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] 125TH ANNIVERSARY OF CRYSTAL, MAINE Ms. COLLINS. Mr.”
“4, Fifth Range West of the Easterly Line of the State, Crystal quickly classified itself as a plantation--and not just in name. Drawn by the fertile land, settlers determined that potato cultivation could be successful, and they started shipping their products southward on railroads that exist to this day.”
“4, Fifth Range West of the Easterly Line of the State, Crystal quickly classified itself as a plantation--and not just in name. Drawn by the fertile land, settlers determined that potato cultivation could be successful, and they started shipping their products southward on railroads that exist to this day.”
“Crystal Bog, also known as the 1000 Acre Bog, encompasses an extensive area of wetlands found south of Fish Stream. This area represents one of Maine's best examples of a Domed Bog Ecosystem and is classified as a National Natural Landmark.”
“Crystal Bog, also known as the 1000 Acre Bog, encompasses an extensive area of wetlands found south of Fish Stream. This area represents one of Maine's best examples of a Domed Bog Ecosystem and is classified as a National Natural Landmark.”
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“Crystal Bog, also known as the 1000 Acre Bog, encompasses an extensive area of wetlands found south of Fish Stream. This area represents one of Maine's best examples of a Domed Bog Ecosystem and is classified as a National Natural Landmark. It also supports some of the State's most diverse fens, plants, and animals, including circumneutral fen, Clayton's copper butterfly, and swamp-fly honeysuckle. Crystal's 125th anniversary is more than just a celebration. It is recognition of a people who have thrived in the face of adversity. While every town has its unique challenges, I am sure that Crystal's best days lie ahead. I congratulate the town of Crystal, ME, on this wonderful achievement, and I look forward to witnessing its bright future. ____________________”
“4, Fifth Range West of the Easterly Line of the State, Crystal quickly classified itself as a plantation--and not just in name. Drawn by the fertile land, settlers determined that potato cultivation could be successful, and they started shipping their products southward on railroads that exist to this day. By the mid-1900s, the town of Crystal began facing the challenges that afflict many rural communities, leading to population decline that rendered Crystal one of the smallest and most rural communities in the entire State. Yet the people of Crystal persevered. Their farming and logging industries remain strong, creating an economic model for formerly industrialized towns. Throughout its history, Crystal has been recognized as having outstanding natural resources.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S3931] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] 125TH ANNIVERSARY OF CRYSTAL, MAINE Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, on March 21, 1901, a town in Aroostook County was incorporated and named after the region's pristine clear waters. Today, it is a great joy to join the people of Crystal, ME, in celebrating the 125th anniversary of a town that epitomizes rural life in the northern parts of our country and people who have shown the power of resiliency. Crystal's founding was just one piece of an already illustrious history. First established by William Young of Searsmont in 1839 as Township No.”
“Crystal Bog, also known as the 1000 Acre Bog, encompasses an extensive area of wetlands found south of Fish Stream. This area represents one of Maine's best examples of a Domed Bog Ecosystem and is classified as a National Natural Landmark. It also supports some of the State's most diverse fens, plants, and animals, including circumneutral fen, Clayton's copper butterfly, and swamp-fly honeysuckle. Crystal's 125th anniversary is more than just a celebration. It is recognition of a people who have thrived in the face of adversity. While every town has its unique challenges, I am sure that Crystal's best days lie ahead. I congratulate the town of Crystal, ME, on this wonderful achievement, and I look forward to witnessing its bright future. ____________________”
“4, Fifth Range West of the Easterly Line of the State, Crystal quickly classified itself as a plantation--and not just in name. Drawn by the fertile land, settlers determined that potato cultivation could be successful, and they started shipping their products southward on railroads that exist to this day. By the mid-1900s, the town of Crystal began facing the challenges that afflict many rural communities, leading to population decline that rendered Crystal one of the smallest and most rural communities in the entire State. Yet the people of Crystal persevered. Their farming and logging industries remain strong, creating an economic model for formerly industrialized towns. Throughout its history, Crystal has been recognized as having outstanding natural resources.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S3931] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] 125TH ANNIVERSARY OF CRYSTAL, MAINE Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, on March 21, 1901, a town in Aroostook County was incorporated and named after the region's pristine clear waters. Today, it is a great joy to join the people of Crystal, ME, in celebrating the 125th anniversary of a town that epitomizes rural life in the northern parts of our country and people who have shown the power of resiliency. Crystal's founding was just one piece of an already illustrious history. First established by William Young of Searsmont in 1839 as Township No.”
“(b) Waiver.--The requirements of subsection (a) may be waived if a member of the Armed Forces provides a medical justification authorized by the commanding officer of such member to wear optional combat boots as part of a required uniform. (c) Exception.--The requirements of subsection (a) shall not apply to a member of the Armed Forces within a combat arms military occupational specialty who is in a deployed status. (d) Definitions.--In this section: (1) The term ``optional combat boots'', with respect to a member of the Armed Forces, means combat boots not furnished to such member of the Armed Forces by the Secretary of Defense. (2) The term ``required uniform'' means a uniform a member of the Armed Forces is required to wear as a member of the Armed Forces. ______”
“(a) In General.--Not later than three years after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary of Defense shall issue regulations, to take effect not more than one year after issuance, to prohibit any member of the Armed Forces who joins the Armed Forces after the date the regulations are issued from wearing optional combat boots as part of a required uniform unless the optional combat boots are entirely manufactured in the United States and entirely made of-- (1) materials grown, reprocessed, reused, or produced in the United States; and (2) components that are manufactured entirely in the United States and entirely made of materials described in paragraph (1).”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 113 (Monday, July 13, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 113 (Monday, July 13, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S3827] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SA 6624. Ms. COLLINS submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by her to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows: At the end of subtitle C of title VIII, add the following: SEC. 850. REGULATIONS APPLICABLE TO WEARING OPTIONAL COMBAT BOOTS.”
“I urge my colleagues to support our efforts so that we can allow much needed religious workers to continue their ministry and their service in communities all across America. ____________________”
“They are of many different faiths, and they have developed important ties to their communities. As we have highlighted in a letter that we sent to the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security, these employees provide basic necessities to those in need. They care for and minister to the sick and dying in hospitals. They work with adolescents and young adults to help them. They counsel those who have suffered severe trauma and hardship. They serve as educators and mentors, and they are critical as faith leaders. Surely, this is one area where we should be able to come together as Republicans and Democrats and do something worthwhile, something that will have a real-world impact in communities across this country. The broad support for this effort is shown by the many organizations of different faiths that have endorsed our legislation.”
“It does not change any requirement or bars to obtaining an employment-based visa. It does not allow entry for any person who is not already permitted under the law to enter the United States. Religious workers would continue to face the same vetting and other requirements that are applicable to other noncitizens who are seeking to work in our country. Let me also emphasize that there is no doubt that our country has faced an illegal immigration crisis, but that is not what we are talking about here. We are talking about people who have lawfully entered the United States under a religious worker visa, and we simply provide a tailored, carefully crafted solution for those who are lawfully present in our country and serving our churches, our parishes, our synagogues--our religious organizations.”
“This just makes sense. Senator Kaine and I have pressed the Departments of State and Homeland Security to do everything they can to administratively address this problem. When I first learned of the issue in 2021, Senator Kaine and I wrote to the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security to express our concern about the long backlogs in processing religious worker visa petitions. In 2023 and 2024, we again wrote to the two Secretaries about the change [[Page S2466]] in interpretation that had the effect of worsening the problem by further lengthening the time it takes for applicants from most countries to receive their employment-based visas. Although some progress has been made as a result of our efforts, a true and lasting fix requires an act of Congress. I want to be clear that our bill is carefully tailored. It is extremely narrow.”
“Of the 50 Catholic parishes in Maine, 35--more than half--benefit from the ministry of international priests. Recently, three rural Maine communities--St. Agatha, Bucksport, and Greenville--were left without any priests at all for months. These priests were unable to work because their R-1 visas expired before their EB-4 applications could be fully processed. If this issue is not addressed, religious organizations in Maine and across the Nation will continue to lose pastors, priests, rabbis, and other religious workers who lead and support their congregations and communities. As I explained, this bill solves this problem by granting the Secretary of Homeland Security the authority simply to extend the temporary R-1 status past the 5 years until the religious worker receives a decision on the permanent EB-4 visa application.”
“Although the backlog did decrease as Embassies and consulates reopened post-COVID, other issues have arisen. Due to a change in the statutory interpretation made by the State Department in 2023, many religious workers who are in the United States on temporary R-1 visas are unable to receive decisions on permanent EB- 4 visa applications within the maximum 5-year duration of an R-1 visa. In other words, their R-1 visa expires before they get a decision on their EB-4 permanent visa. The result is that they have to leave our country and the communities, parishes, mosques, synagogues, and churches they are serving for at least 1 year before they can return. In Maine, local communities have experienced this problem firsthand and would be greatly helped by our legislation.”
“The issue religious employees have faced with our visa system have evolved over time, but the result is the same: Religious organizations are harmed, communities are hurt, and religious workers are unable to pursue their missions. In 2021, the severe backlog in the processing of religious workers' visa petitions was worsened by the COVID pandemic. It forced many religious employees who were already in the United States to leave the communities that they were serving so well and for which they were so essential or cease working altogether, such as a Catholic priest being unable to perform mass for fear of violating immigration law. There were also additional workers outside of the United States awaiting entry, unable to serve in our religious communities.”
“Unfortunately, when he went back home, there was a change in his visa status, and he was unable to return. Our legislation would grant the Secretary of Homeland Security the authority to extend the temporary R-1 status for a religious worker past 5 years until he or she receives a decision on the permanent EB-4 visa application. In doing so, the bill would provide a solution to the significant problems that religious organizations and workers are experiencing with our current system. Our bill would help religious workers of all faith traditions continue their work providing services, such as acting as a chaplain at a hospital, conducting worship services, and serving as religious educators.”
“Mr. President, I am pleased to join today with my friend and colleague from Virginia Senator Kaine to introduce the Religious Workforce Protection Act. Our bill would allow foreign-born religious workers in the United States to continue to perform essential work in their communities all across the Nation, including the State of Maine. I would also like to thank our friend and colleague Senator Jim Risch, who joins us in introducing this important bill. Like my colleague from Virginia, I, too, learned about this problem from my local parish in Maine. In the summertime, I tend to attend Catholic mass in either Lincoln or Howland, ME. Both parishes are served by the same priest. The priest, until last year, came from India--Father Tony. We all loved him.”
“Therefore, I will support this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to do so likewise. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Virginia.”
“Let me conclude my remarks by reaffirming my support for ensuring that the Department of Homeland Security has every tool at its disposal to stem the flow of fentanyl into our Nation, but, unlike Mexico and China, Canada is not complicit in this crisis. And we should continue working with our Canadian allies to secure the northern border, not unfairly penalize them. Our consumers, our manufacturers, our lobstermen, our blueberry growers, our potato farmers will pay the price. Mr. President, the price hikes that will happen for Maine families every time they go to the grocery store, they fill their gas tank, they fill their heating oil tank, if these tariffs go into effect, will be so harmful. And as price hikes always do, they will hurt those the most who can afford them the least.”
“We don't want to discourage these Canadian tourists, who are so vital to Maine's economy, from vacationing in Maine because they are so angry at what has happened. Maine families benefit from more than $900 billion in goods and services that are exchanged between our two countries every year. It is crucial that we remain a dependent and vibrant global trading partner, particularly with Canada. Now, I want to distinguish that I think there is a strong case to be made for tariffs on Mexico, on our adversary China, but I don't see the case for Canada. There are areas where Canada does need to do better, and the dairy industry is one, and I hope we will see that resolved.”
“At a time when the Maine aquaculture industry is growing, these tariffs on Canada would jeopardize current jobs and also block future ones. Close relationships between and among families on both sides of the border are very common in the State of Maine. It is typical of communities, ranging from Calais in the east, Fort Kent in the north, and Jackman in the west. You see it all across the northern, eastern, and western parts of our State because our communities are so integrated. It is not surprising to me that I had a conversation with members of the tourism industry in Maine just this morning who told me that they are seeing cancelations by Canadian tourists who had come for years to vacation in Maine. Old Orchard Beach, for example, is known for the number of Canadian tourists.”
“I share the President's goal of getting more of that manufacturing done in the State of Maine, done in the United States, but the fact is that if we impose these tariffs on Canadian processing, it is going to be our Maine lobstermen who will bear the cost; it is going to be consumers who bear the cost. I would like to make mention of another industry that would be affected as well, and that is the aquaculture industry. In Washington County in far eastern Maine, Cooke Aquaculture is one of the largest employers, with more than 200 direct jobs throughout the State. While they have a processing plant in Machias, ME, the first step of their salmon processing occurs in Canada before reentering the United States for finishing.”
“This farmer supplies potatoes to a Canadian company with facilities on both sides of the border. The different facilities have specialized equipment to process potatoes for different uses--hash browns in one plant, curly fries in another. A tariff on potatoes as they cross back and forth between Maine and Canada would cause terrible harm to this and other growers. Other products are processed back and forth across the border as well. For example, many Maine blueberries are processed in Prince Edward Island. Maine also sends between $200 million and $400 million worth of lobster to Canada each year for processing. There are 240 lobster processing plants in Canada but only 15 in the United States.”
“Maine consumers, Maine businesses, and the U.S. Department of Defense--our own Department of Defense--would bear the cost of that Canadian energy tariff. Canadian tariffs would also harm many Maine farmers, lobstermen, and fishermen. According to the Maine Potato Board, 90 percent of the potash, which is the fertilizer used for growing potatoes, is imported from Canada. Fertilizer accounts for 11 percent of total input cost to grow our great Maine potatoes. Tariffs on imports like fertilizer will only hurt Maine potato growers. I grew up in Aroostook County. I know these potato growers. I picked [[Page S2110]] potatoes as a schoolchild when I was growing up. Just recently, a farmer from Mars Hill, ME, told me that just the threat of tariffs is causing a price increase on seed and equipment.”
“There is not another big employer in that area that could possibly compensate for the loss of those 510 direct jobs, and that doesn't include the indirect jobs--the truckdrivers, the loggers, the restaurant owners who would be harmed by the closure or reduction in the operation of this vitally important mill. The tariff would not only devastate Twin Rivers but also harm hundreds of Maine families. Another example of our integration with Canada is in energy. Ninety- five percent of the heating oil that is used by most Mainers to heat their homes comes from refineries in Canada. Irving Oil, a Canadian-based company, has 150 gas stations in Maine and supplies two-thirds of the State's gas, diesel, and heating oil. This includes 100 percent of the jet fuel that is used by the Air National Guard base in Bangor.”
“Twin Rivers produces lightweight specialty paper for packaging materials, for our Nation's newspapers and our retailers' catalogs, for food and environmentally safe papers used in restaurants, and for a wide variety of other paper goods that are used all over the country. The raw pulp for this paper mill in Maine is piped across the St. John River from Edmundston, New Brunswick, to Madawaska, ME. There literally is a pipeline through which the pulp travels between these two sister mills. A tariff placed on this pulp would jeopardize the financial well-being of this vital paper mill, which employs more than 500 people in rural northern Maine.”
“I do not, however, agree with his invoking the powers of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffs on Canadian goods and products. The fact is, the vast majority of fentanyl in America comes from the southern border. In fiscal year 2024, less than 1 percent of fentanyl seizures occurred at our northern border. And our Canadian neighbors are working collaboratively and cooperatively with our government to stop that trafficking. One of the best examples of the intertwined relationship between Maine's economy and Canada can be seen at the Twin Rivers Paper mill in Madawaska, ME, way in the north on the Canadian border.”
“Mr. President, I rise today in support of the resolution introduced by my colleague from Virginia, Senator Kaine, to overturn the emergency declaration for the northern border that is being used to impose tariffs on goods imported from Canada. The Maine economy is integrated with Canada, our most important trading partner. From home heating oil, gasoline, jet fuel, and other refined petroleum products, to Maine's paper mills, forest products businesses, agricultural producers, and lobstermen, the tariffs on Canada would be detrimental to many Maine families and our local economies. Of course I share the President's goal of stemming the tide of dangerous fentanyl that flows into the United States. I commend him for taking far stronger actions to halt this dangerous and deadly flow than did the previous administration.”