By U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud
(D-Maine)
Despite the frustrating partisan tone in Washington, I’m pleased to report some progress on key Maine priorities.
Congress recently cleared a funding bill that addresses two local concerns: our truck weight problem and the USDA’s insistence on limiting vegetables like potatoes in its School Meals Program. These issues impact our state’s economy and some real progress has recently been made to address them both.
First, truck weights. By now, we know all the arguments. Letting heavier trucks use the Interstate reduces fuel consumption, cuts emissions, reduces travel times, reduces wear and tear on our local roads, and reduces the competitive economic disadvantage between Maine and our neighbors. Getting heavy trucks away from town centers and onto the Interstate is also safer. Unfortunately, for years, there has been significant resistance to allowing Maine to make this change.
Recently, we had a tremendous victory when Congress passed a funding bill that will allow heavier trucks on the Interstate for the next 20 years. After Senator Collins included a provision on this in a transportation funding bill, I worked hard with Democrats and Republicans in the House to make sure it was included in the final bill. Every member of our congressional delegation, as well as countless organizations throughout Maine, has pushed for this change for years. Moving forward, I will continue my advocacy on this issue by continuing to push the Safe and Efficient Transportation Act, a bipartisan bill that I authored to give each state the authority to make changes like these permanent.
Now on to potatoes. The same bill that included the truck weight fix also contained a provision that I fought for that corrects a flawed USDA regulation, which would have restricted starchy vegetables like potatoes in new dietary guidelines for the School Meals Program. This misguided effort would have decimated school budgets, deprived our children of a whole class of nutritious vegetables, and hurt Maine’s potato industry. Thankfully a lot of my colleagues agreed with me and supported the effort to overrule this regulation.
It was refreshing to see that our government still has the ability to self-correct. But it doesn’t stop there.
Another example of positive change that impacts Maine involved our state’s paper companies and their workers. Proposed EPA regulations set new standards for more than 200,000 boilers, process heaters, and incinerators. And while I strongly support the overarching goal of cutting down on pollutants, the way the regulation was written would have been harmful. In fact, it would have required companies such as Maine’s paper mills to burn oil, gas, or coal instead of natural materials such as biomass (a byproduct of the papermaking process) in their boilers.
This would not only have been a negative for the environment, but it would have dramatically increased costs to these businesses at a time they can least afford it. Thankfully, on October 14th, the Obama Administration responded to my request to address these concerns administratively by clarifying that biomass is categorized as a fuel and not solid waste. This revision will ensure that this renewable resource continues to be a viable fuel for the paper industry. It will also help preserve Maine jobs.
And while addressing truck weights, USDA regulations, and biomass issues are critical, there is still more that needs to be done.
For example, I think most Americans would appreciate the federal government buying American products whenever possible. Doing so ensures that they not only get a quality product, but also that American companies and workers benefit from the positive economic impacts of such purchases.
For decades, the Department of Defense bought American-made athletic footwear for our military’s training uniforms. Unfortunately, they recently stopped providing American-made shoes for our service members to train in, which is in violation of federal procurement rules. Reversing this policy would not only be the right thing to do, but it would also boost jobs in Maine because New Balance – the last remaining athletic footwear maker still producing shoes in the United States – has manufacturing facilities in our state. I’ve introduced a bill to fix this problem, but it’s just one example of a number of things that we must still do to help Maine get ahead.
While there is work that remains, it’s good to see that despite the partisan gridlock in Washington that we can still work together to get things done for Maine. I hope it’s a sign of what’s to come.
