HOULTON, Maine — Federal money has made it possible for Northern Maine Community College to produce 400 skilled machinists since 2002, generating more than $20 million in value for the Maine economy.
U.S. Sen. Angus King visited the college Tuesday as part of his tour to see first-hand how federal dollars are being used. He spent the past three days exploring the crown of Maine while camping at Aroostook State Park.
Congress approved $200,345,598 for 105 Maine projects located across the state as part of the omnibus appropriations bill in the 2022 federal spending plan. Aroostook County received $21 million of that total.
King, an Independent who caucuses with Democrats, met with Northern Maine Community College in the CNC machining lab, and saw the computerized manufacturing program the college established in 2002 using $850,000 in congressional earmarked funds.
“A big part of this visit was to see sites that received CDS (congressionally directed spending) funding,” King said. “It’s one thing to push paper in Washington, but it is something else to come up and see what will happen with that money.”
On Wednesday, King stopped by downtown Houlton to enjoy lunch with several of the town’s business leaders. He also spent some time with Houlton Public Works Director Chris Stewart to see the town’s sidewalks.
Houlton received $732,000 from the federal funding package for its sidewalk project, which is at least a year away as rising costs have made it difficult for the town to begin construction.
King also stopped by the Aroostook County Action Program and met with officials in the city of Presque Isle, where funds will be used for a sewer upgrade project at Echo Lake Park.
“In 2022, $21 million came to Aroostook County, which works out to about one-sixth of the total budget,” King said. “If we did it by population, [the funding for Aroostook] would not be that large. We don’t have arbitrary percentages for certain counties. We take it on the quality of the projects. Many of these projects would otherwise not happen.”
King said he was not aware of the Biden administration’s proposal to eliminate money for a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant that funds the University of Maine’s potato breeding program.
The university’s potato research, which operates out of the Aroostook Farm research facility in Presque Isle, has led to the creation of a new variety of potato, the Caribou Russet, that has boosted russet yields across the state.
“Next year is the year for the farm bill, a five-year bill, and we will be working on it,” King said.
The topic of improved broadband connectivity for communities in Maine, and nationwide, remains one of King’s priorities, he said.
“Broadband is so critical for [rural] areas,” he said. “First is seniors and telehealth visits. We are going to see an explosion of telehealth visits in the future.”
King said he was keenly interested in developing more ways for people to work at home, through broadband communications, particularly in rural areas.
“I see this as an opportunity to revitalize rural America,” he said. “For the first time in human history, you will be able to work where you live, instead of having to live where you work.”