Maine is getting an outsized share of earmarks, bringing in $460 million for infrastructure, safety, education and other projects in recently enacted federal appropriations bills.
This kind of congressionally directed spending, which is more widely known as “earmarks,” were banned for a decade before leaders brought them back in 2021. But they were set aside last year when the Republican-led Congress and President Donald Trump funded the federal government through a continuing resolution.
That move watered down the influence of U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, who became the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee last year. But the Republican and other top appropriators worked to return the process to “regular order” this year and largely did so, getting eight bills that contained earmarks to Trump’s desk by this month.
Maine is now punching above its weight in the process, getting $328 per resident from the earmarks, which is the second highest per-capita amount in the nation. It’s second only to Alaska, a massive but sparsely populated state with unique infrastructure needs. Maine is ninth in total earmarks and is the least populated state in the top 10.
Collins and the state’s three other members of Congress secured funds for roughly 200 projects across the state. Among Maine’s biggest winners were the University of Maine, which will receive more than $61 million for a variety of projects. The lion’s share will go toward a $45 million health sciences complex, the state’s largest individual allocation.
State agencies under Gov. Janet Mills, who is running for the Democratic nomination to take on Collins in 2026, will receive tens of millions from the latest earmarks. The largest amounts are headed to the Department of Transportation for road projects, including a $15 million causeway on Route 15 in Deer Isle and rehabilitations on rural state roads.
Many towns and cities will receive payments for utility infrastructure, public safety equipment and housing. Auburn is set to receive the largest single payment, an $8 million allocation for a housing project.
Daniel O’Connor is a Report for America corps member who covers rural government as part of the partnership between the Bangor Daily News and The Maine Monitor, with additional support from BDN and Monitor readers.