Republican leaders in Congress have decided to use a continuing resolution to fund government through March 31 of next year, which will affect Maine in a variety of ways.
Count Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine among those who are extremely unhappy with the continuing resolution. She calls it the “worst of all options” because it locks in last year’s spending priorities and ignores the policy changes already passed by Congress.
In Congress, policy is set in authorizing bills and funded through appropriations bills.
“There are programs that we’re consolidating in the job training area, for example. And none of those changes can be funded, and we would be continuing to fund programs that people think have outlived their usefulness. That doesn’t make any sense,” Collins says.
She says most work on the appropriations bills has been completed. She believes the process could be completed by Dec. 9, when the current continuing resolution runs out.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine’s 1st District, who serves on the House Appropriations Committee, is also frustrated with the development. She is particularly upset that the continuing resolution process will not allow additional funds to combat the nationwide drug crisis.
“We authorized a lot of programs — we authorized support, but we didn’t put any money behind it. And if there is one thing that states like Maine need it’s funding. Funding to assist people in need, to fund treatment, law enforcement,” she says.
Pingree says there are other examples of new priorities that may not be implemented, such as legislation to benefit small farmers in the House version of the appropriations bill. Those agreements will now have to be renegotiated in the new year by the new Congress.
Independent U.S. Sen. Angus King of Maine, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, says there are also provisions that would benefit Bath Iron Works, such as funding for an additional destroyer.
“That won’t be there in a continuing resolution,” he says. “Timing matters. It matters to BIW in terms of the work flow and the steadiness of employment to be able to plan ahead and have these ships come in a logical sequence — that is perhaps the most glaring example.”
Another consequence of the delay in passing budget bills is a provision to enforce the decades-old Buy America law affecting Department of Defense purchases. That provision, authored by U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin of Maine’s 2nd District and supported by the entire state delegation, would have required the military to buy footwear from U.S. manufacturers like New Balance, with three factories in Maine.
Poliquin declined several requests for an interview on the decision to use a continuing resolution instead of passing appropriations bills.
The state of Maine itself will also be affected. Several state agencies that receive federal funding will not see expected increases in funds because spending is locked in at last year’s levels.
