Senator Collins Delivers Floor Remarks Ahead of Successful Cloture Vote on Bipartisan Three-Bill Funding Package

Click HERE to watch and HERE to download video of her floor remarks.

Click HERE for a full-resolution photo.

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, delivered remarks on the Senate floor this evening ahead of the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to the final Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; Energy and Water Development; and Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies funding bills. Following her remarks, the Senate invoked cloture on the motion to the proceed to the bill by a vote of 80-13.

More information on the three-bill package is available HERE.

A transcript of Senator Collins' remarks is as follows:

"Mr. President, I anticipate that this evening, the Senate will take advantage of the opportunity to begin consideration of a carefully negotiated, fiscally responsible, bipartisan and bicameral package of Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations bills that are vital to the safety, security, and economic well-being of all Americans. This fiscally responsible package includes funding for the following three bills: the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies legislation; the Energy and Water Development bill; and the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations. Among other things, it provides full year appropriations for the Department of Justice, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Energy, and the Department of the Interior. It also funds the National Science Foundation-a priority of mine-and the EPA.

"Mr. President, let me explain to our colleagues, who I think are well aware of this fact, that this package did not come together overnight. It is the result of months of work of bipartisan and bicameral negotiations, and last week, passed the House by an overwhelming vote of 397 to 28.

"I want to thank the House Chairman Tom Cole and Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro of the Appropriations Committee, as well as the Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Patty Murray, from whom we've just heard, for their hard work, including over the holidays, to get these bills done. We also could not have done it without the extraordinary staff that we are blessed to have, some of whom stayed up literally all night working on these bills. We also, Mr. President, worked closely with the Administration, which has issued a statement in support of passage of this package.

"Mr. President, the appropriations mini package that is before us would actually reduce discretionary spending while better focusing funding on key priorities of the American people. Let me highlight just a few of those priorities. The Commerce, Justice, and Science bill invests in America's economic development and trade relationships. It supports our state and local law enforcement, including through the Byrne formula program that supports a range of law enforcement activities, from prosecution to crime prevention. It funds space exploration and research in critical scientific and technological fields. The bill invests in the National Science Foundation, which supports research in all 50 states and helps to spur new discoveries that will advance health, prosperity, and welfare. The National Science Foundation is basic to much of the foundational research that leads to exciting technological and scientific breakthroughs. I am a strong supporter of the NSF. I'm pleased that we restored funding that was proposed to be cut. And I am also delighted that we dealt with an issue that has been a very high priority for me-and that is how we handle indirect research costs. I think we've come up with a good solution to hold steady how indirect costs are dealt with now at universities and colleges, independent nonprofit laboratories, medical institutions and hospitals, and other entities that contribute so much to our way of life.

"The Commerce bill also supports our oceans and fisheries and weather programs that are enormously important to our working waterfronts. As you can imagine, Mr. President, this is a particular concern to me, representing the State of Maine, where we are so proud of our fishing and lobster sectors that are synonymous with the State of Maine. Recently in Portland, there was a bad fire on the working waterfront, and it was extraordinary to see how everyone came together to work to put out the fire and also to help those who were affected, including our fishermen and lobstermen who had boats tied up to the wharf, the wharf owner, the restaurants on the wharf, businesses like Sea Bags, who are located on the wharf. Everyone came together in a sense of community that really defines my state. I want to express my thanks to Subcommittee Chairman Jerry Moran and Ranking Member Chris Van Hollen for their hard work on the CJS bill.

"Next, the Interior bill provides resources for the management and conservation of public lands while fostering economic development through critical energy programs. It supports tribal programs across the country. Helps ensure that Americans have clean air, water, and soil, and provides federal firefighters with the tools they need to prepare for and suppress wildfires. It also includes funding to fight the devastating impact of the Spruce Budworm, which is being experienced right now in the State of Maine and other states. I want to commend the subcommittee Chair, Lisa Murkowski, and the Ranking Member, Jeff Merkley, for their efforts in crafting this legislation.

"Finally, the Energy and Water Development bill will improve water infrastructure and promote American energy independence. It will also strengthen our nuclear deterrence posture, ensure our nuclear stockpile's readiness and safety, and prepare for existing and future nuclear threats. Subcommittee Chair John Kennedy and Ranking Member Patty Murray worked tirelessly on this bill, and they have my appreciation.

"Mr. President, members ought to have a voice in the funding decisions that affect all of our states and constituents back home. The bills in this package were drafted with input from nearly every senator. Together, senators submitted literally thousands of requests to the committee for consideration. In some cases, these were programmatic requests, supporting programs that they know well from their own state's experience. In other cases, they were community development project requests, CDSs, and the legislation before us incorporates many of these requests and takes into account viewpoints from across the chamber, on both sides of the aisle. It truly is a member-driven product.

"Enacting this package, Mr. President, would bring the total number of full-year, Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations signed into law to six, as the first three bills, the Agriculture, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Legislative Branch bills were enacted in November. Mr. President, we're continuing our hard work.

"Yesterday, the final versions of the National Security, State Department and Related Programs, and Financial Services and General Government appropriations bills were released and publicly posted. The House of Representatives is slated to take up those two additional appropriations bills this week. It is our intention to complete work on all 12 of the annual appropriations bills this month. That is an ambitious goal, but it is one that we can achieve with cooperation and collaboration that has brought us to this second round of three bills today.

"I want to thank all of the members of the Appropriations Committee, and again, our extraordinary staff for their hard work. And I want to express my appreciation to Majority Leader Thune. He promised that he would bring appropriations bills to the Senate floor. That did not happen in the past, and I am delighted, but not surprised, that he has kept that promise. He has supported our Committee's process and worked to bring these bills to the Senate floor. Again, I urge my colleagues to support cloture on the motion to proceed to the package that is before us. And again, my thanks to all the members in both the House and the Senate who worked so hard to bring us to this point."

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