Category Politics

Mar 4 2016

ITC Votes Unanimously in Favor of Maine Manufacturer after Letter from Collins, King, Pingree, and Poliquin Supports Investigation

ITC Votes Unanimously in Favor of Maine Manufacturer after Letter from Collins, King, Pingree, and Poliquin Supports Investigation

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The International Trade Commission (ITC) voted unanimously today to continue its investigations on certain amorphous silica fabric (ASF) from China that are allegedly being subsidized and sold in the United States at unfair prices, which is harming the hard-working men and women at Auburn Manufacturing, Inc. (AMI). Last month, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin sent a letter to the ITC in support of the investigation.

 

“This unanimous decision by the ITC is extremely encouraging for AMI and hard-working men and women employed there,” said Senators Collins and King and Representatives Pingree and Poliquin. “U.S. trade laws are designed to protect American workers against the type of unfair competition alleged in this case.  We will continue to monitor the investigations at the ITC and the Department of Commerce and stand with Maine workers against all unfair trade.”

 

As noted in the Senators’ and Representatives’ letter to the ITC, according to AMI, its profitability and growth potential have been negatively affected by Chinese trading practices, which allow producers to sell ASF at artificially low prices.  AMI asserts that the illegally subsidized ASF from China caused the volume of imports of Chinese ASF to increase by more than 150 percent between 2012 and 2014.

 

Today’s decision from the ITC will permit the U.S. Department of Commerce to continue its investigations on imports of ASF from China.  The preliminary countervailing duty ruling is due on or about April 14, 2016, and the preliminary antidumping duty rulings are due on or about June 28, 2016.
A copy of the letter is available HERE.

Mar 3 2016

Poliquin Sends Letter to Entire Republican Conference, Suggests 14 Reforms to Improve Health Care System

Poliquin Sends Letter to Entire Republican Conference, Suggests 14 Reforms to Improve Health Care System

Congressman Poliquin highlights needed health care improvements as GOP Task Force begins its work

 

WASHINGTON – This week, Maine’s Second District Congressman, Bruce Poliquin, delivered a letter to the entire Republican Conference highlighting important reforms to the Affordable Care Act, known as ObamaCare.

 

Poliquin attached his letter from May 2015 to the Chairmen of the House Committees on Ways and Means, Education and the Workforce, and Energy and Commerce, which outlines 14 suggested reforms to the health care law.

 

Poliquin delivered his reforms to the Republican Conference in light of the newly created Task Force on Health Care Reform’s launch last week.

 

In his letter to his colleagues, Congressman Poliquin writes:

 

“I strongly advocate for these changes based on many conversations with Maine residents and small business owners, who have described their experiences with the job-killing mandates and smothering costs of a government-run health insurance market.

 

“As our Conference engages in thoughtful debate on a replacement for ObamaCare, I ask that we seize this opportunity to institute common sense and free market health care policy for American Families.”

 

 

In May 2015, Congressman Poliquin sent a letter to then-Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Chairmen Fred Upton (R-MI) and John Kline (R-MN) expressing his concerns with ObamaCare and offering 14 free-market solutions to the President’s health care law.  Congressman Poliquin’s  reforms include:

  • Require hospitals and doctors to provide patients with the estimated costs of health care services and procedures so they can shop for the best care at the lowest price. This will reduce monthly health insurance premiums by driving down the underlying cost of health care.
  • Allow insurance companies to share savings with patients when services and procedures of comparable quality are purchased outside of the health care plan’s network at below average costs.
  • Allow individuals, families, and businesses to shop across state lines for the health insurance plans that fit their needs and pocketbooks.
  • Remove the mandates for unnecessary and expensive health care services and procedures to be covered by all health insurance plans.
  • Allow affordable high-deductible and low- premium health care policies to be offered by insurance companies.
  • Allow small businesses and other organizations to band together while negotiating the purchase of the health insurance plans that best meets their needs at costs they can afford.
  • Allow insurance companies to charge much less for health care plans sold to younger individuals and those who make healthy lifestyle choices.
  • Require insurance companies to provide coverage to individuals with pre-existing health conditions.
  • Require health insurance plans to be portable when workers change jobs.
  • Allow states to establish reinsurance pools that provide affordable health insurance to those who need high levels of health care services.
  • Allow health insurance policies to be purchased with pre-tax dollars.
  • Expand the use of tax-free health saving accounts by allowing the funds to pay for monthly premiums as well as out-of-pocket expenses.
  • Allow families to buy primary health care services directly from their doctors of choice, and then purchase inexpensive high-deductible policies to insure against catastrophic illness.
  • Do not allow the IRS to fine or penalize individuals who choose not to purchase health insurance.

 

This year, Speaker Ryan announced the creation of six committee-led task forces within the Republican Conference to focus on and develop an agenda for major priorities for Congress.

 

+++

 

Click HERE to see a PDF version of Congressman Poliquin’s letter to the Republican Conference.

Click HERE to see a PDF version of Congressman Poliquin’s May 2015 letter to Chairmen Ryan, Kline and Upton.

Feb 25 2016

BREAKING: Poliquin Requests Meeting with White House on Potential National Monument Designation

BREAKING: Poliquin Requests Meeting with White House on Potential National Monument Designation

Congressman Poliquin sends letter to White House emphasizing the importance of hearing from local residents, local employers and local stake holders

 

WASHINGTON – Today, Maine’s Second District Congressman, Bruce Poliquin, sent a letter to the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Managing Director Christy Goldfuss requesting a meeting to discuss the White House’s potential unilateral designation of nearly 100,000 acres in the Katahdin region as a national monument. CEQ is the office within the White House that makes recommendations to the President about national monument designations.

 

In his letter to the White House, Congressman Poliquin writes:

 

“I am requesting this meeting because I fear that the voices of the local residents— my constituents— are not being heard at the White House, leaving only the current land owners and their Washington lobbyists the opportunity to make their case for a national monument designation in Maine’s Katahdin region.

 

“You may be aware that Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and I sent a letter to President Obama on November 20, 2015 urging him against designating a national monument in Maine. Recognizing that the President has the legal authority to unilaterally bypass the legislative process, our letter urged the President to incorporate nine conditions to any monument designation on the land in question if he should choose to sidestep the Congressional process and act alone.

 

“Of the nine conditions we outlined in our letter, we asked the President to consider selecting the U.S. Forest Service as the agency to oversee any monument designation of this land. It came as a surprise that the Director of the National Park Service responded on behalf of the President more than two months after we sent our original letter.

 

“It is important for the White House to hear from the local residents, employers, and stake holders on this issue.  Just this past summer, two of the local towns overwhelming voted to oppose a national park in the region– the Town of Medway voted 71% opposed, and the Town of East Millinocket voted 76% opposed.   These landslide votes in opposition are especially noteworthy when considering that special interest groups in support of a national park—and now a national monument—engineered a massive and expensive campaign to drive up support.”

 

Earlier this month, Congressman Poliquin, along with Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, received a response to their letter to President Obama on the prospect of a national monument designation in the Northern Maine region.  The President’s response came from National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis.

 

+++

 

The following is the full text of Congressman Poliquin’s letter to the White House:

 

February 25, 2016

 

Ms. Christy Goldfuss

Managing Director

White House Council on Environmental Quality

722 Jackson Place NW,

Washington, D.C. 20506

 

Dear Ms. Goldfuss,

 

I respectfully request a meeting with you to discuss the White House’s potential designation of nearly 100,000 acres in the district I proudly represent in the United States House of Representatives, Maine’s Second Congressional District.

 

I am requesting this meeting because I fear that the voices of the local residents— my constituents— are not being heard at the White House, leaving only the current land owners and their Washington lobbyists the opportunity to make their case for a national monument designation in Maine’s Katahdin region.

 

You may be aware that Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and I sent a letter to President Obama on November 20, 2015 urging him against designating a national monument in Maine.

Recognizing that the President has the legal authority to unilaterally bypass the legislative process, our letter urged the President to incorporate nine conditions to any monument designation on the land in question if he should choose to sidestep the Congressional process and act alone.

 

The President did not respond to our letter, but instead I received a letter on his behalf from National Park Director John Jarvis earlier this month.

 

Of the nine conditions we outlined in our letter, we asked the President to consider selecting the U.S. Forest Service as the agency to oversee any monument designation of this land. It came as a surprise that the Director of the National Park Service responded on behalf of the President more than two months after we sent our original letter.

 

It is important for the White House to hear from the local residents, employers, and stake holders on this issue.  Just this past summer, two of the local towns overwhelming voted to oppose a national park in the region– the Town of Medway voted 71% opposed, and the Town of East Millinocket voted 76% opposed.   These landslide votes in opposition are especially noteworthy when considering that special interest groups in support of a national park—and now a national monument— engineered a massive and expensive campaign to drive up support.

 

Immediately following the vote, the park proponents and their lobbyists emphasized that voter turnout was low and thus not an accurate reflection of the local residents, but that is incorrect.  36% of eligible voters participated in these two nonbinding referendums. This is a significantly high turnout when compared to a 2013 referendum on other issues when less than 22% of eligible voters in East Millinocket and Medway participated.

 

Additionally, the park proponents and their Washington lobbyists have focused largely on a statewide telephone poll that shows 60% of Mainers support their national park proposal.  What the park proponents fail to disclose is that they paid for that poll without any consultation from our Office or the Senate Offices and that the questions asked did not include very important facts, including that much of the proposed land is owned by other private land owners who do not wish to sell.  Further, this poll asked about a proposed national park, not a unilateral national monument designation.

 

I know the President’s Administration has been accused of governing only by polls, rather than in the best interest of the American people. I hope you dissuade me, and others, of the notion that the White House is not simply governing by polls and you will eliminate any weight placed on any unverified private poll which was not conducted by or on behalf of the U.S. Government.  The two official votes in Medway and East Millinocket reflect the voices of those who actually live in the Katahdin region and should be given great weight.

 

Thank you for your time and consideration of my meeting request.  My scheduler, Carmen Fuentes, can be reached at (202)225-6306 or carmen.fuentes@mail.house.gov.  I will make myself available at your convenience so that we can discuss this important matter that would have long lasting effects on my constituents in Maine’s Second Congressional District.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Bruce Poliquin

Member of Congress

 

+++

 

Click HERE to see a PDF version of Congressman Poliquin’s letter to the White House.