Senator Collins Talks Affordability, Energy Costs, and ProPublica on “All Things with Kim Strassel”

Full video: Click HERE to watch and HERE to download. On Affordability: Click HERE to watch and HERE to download. On Lowering Energy Costs: Click HERE to watch and HERE to download. On ProPublica Article: Click HERE to watch and HERE to download. WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins joined The Wall Street Journal ’s “All Things with Kim Strassel” podcast to discuss a variety of topics, including how the Senate should address affordability issues before the October recess, her bipartisan INSULIN Act, lowering energy costs in Maine, and a recent article from ProPublica. On Affordability: Kim Strassel: The Senate was supposed to be in session until October and now looks as if it may close shop early, cut loose members, send them home. There's lots of possibilities being floated in the news: possibility of permitting reform, of a college athletes bill, of a vote on data center costs, a war powers resolution on Iran, maybe some confirmations. What, if anything, do you see actually happening before the Senate leaves? Or is the answer none of the above? Sen. Collins: That's a really hard question to answer. Right now, we're on the college sports bill, the Name, Image, and Likeness bill. Whether we'll be able to complete that, I really don't know. But from my perspective, we should be taking up a permitting bill. We've been talking about that for a long time . That would make such a difference in providing more affordable housing more quickly, more energy more quickly. It would make a difference ultimately in projects that would help lower costs . And I think that's what our focus should be. I've also suggested that we bring up the Military Construction-Veterans Administration bill. That's a funding bill that the Appropriations Committee has some pretty good bipartisan consensus for. The House has passed its version. And I think it would be important to send a signal to those who are serving us in the military, and also to those who have served us, our veterans, that we've taken care of a billion-dollar gap in veterans’ health care. So, that would be a second priority for me. And third, I'd love to see a bill that Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and I have been working on for a long time that would place a cap on the price of insulin, a drug that's been around for more than a hundred years. And it would make a real difference if we cap the cost of insulin for those who receive insurance through the workplace. It's already been capped under the Medicare program at $35 a month. The average price is often $150 a month. So, that's an area where I think we could make a real difference—in health care costs. On Lowering Energy Costs: Kim Strassel: As you go out and you're in Maine, how are you trying to phrase that to voters—about what is the reason why they should return you in particular to the Senate, but want Republicans to stay in control? Sen. Collins: Well, I would go back to the cost of energy, because that is a huge issue in my state . I just today have asked the president to release oil from the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve. That's sort of like a strategic petroleum reserve for the Northeast. That would help put downward pressure on prices and it would increase supply in the Northeast. I also have joined with Jack Reed, the Democratic Senator from Rhode Island, in asking the Administration to release the low-income home heating program money right off. Winter is here; it's coming. It's right around the corner. We're filling our oil tanks right now . Low-income families and seniors on limited incomes need that assistance . We need to expand the weatherization program so that you don't have to spend as much to heat your home and stay warm in the winter. So, energy costs are the number one issue that people are expressing real worry about to me. I think those are three immediate steps that we could do, permitting in the long term. I would note that when President Biden canceled the XL pipeline, which would've brought in oil from Canada to the United States, that was an enormous mistake, enormous. How I wish that that pipeline, which would be completed about now, I believe, were bringing more oil to us. We've got to become energy independent. On ProPublica Article: Kim Strassel: So, let's talk about your race in Maine. You are no stranger to some very tough races there, being a Republican in Maine. And here we go again, including, and I'm just going to start with this, some nasty politics. And to that point, I'm going to go right at it. A remarkable story that just came out in which ProPublica regurgitates these seven-year-old claims made by a convicted felon who somehow argued your office was engaged in corruption. I should note that no less than the Biden FBI came out five years ago and said it had looked at all angles of this particular situation that this individual is involved in—said it was “totally false” that there had been wrongdoing by you or those who worked for you. Why is this story coming out now and what is going on here? Sen. Collins: Well, it's clearly a partisan hit job. And I've got to say, I do not understand how anyone would take the word of a felon who's been convicted twice, twice, two separate cases, of five counts of money laundering, counts of bank fraud, false submissions to the FEC. He is a convicted liar. When you contrast that to my decades of honest public service with the utmost integrity, it is so offensive. As you pointed out, the Biden-led Justice Department and FBI totally cleared my office, my campaign, and me five years ago of these seven-year-old allegations. And the FBI said again today that these are completely false . And it is so offensive. But clearly the timing is not coincidental. This is a smear job. And as someone who has always prided herself on serving with integrity, it really offends me. And I'm offended for my staff too, both on the campaign and in the personal office. So, shame on ProPublica for taking the words of a twice convicted felon over my office campaign staff and me—it's disgraceful. Kim Strassel: Well, there you have it. That is from Susan Collins right there—the definitive comment on that story. ###