{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://web.archive.org/web/20140718021306/http://www.collins.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=f042d0f5-778f-48d1-a94b-9b10d9ecf149", "E-News: Tourning Maine's Small Business & Job Creators", "2014-07-10", "2014", "2014-07", "Republican", "House", "ME", "Susan Collins", "C001035", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "Maine Senator Susan Collins is touring small businesses throughout Aroostook County. The first stop? Houlton--home of Bison Pumps, the 2013 Aroostook County Entrepreneurs of The Year. Collins says if federal lawmakers want to see more businesses grow on American soil, it\u2019s important those same lawmakers show they support small businesses.\nSen. Susan Collins says \u201cit is so important that we support small businesses such as this one, and it is great to see that they\u2019re expanding internationally\u2014that they have clients and dealers all over the world.\u201d\n\u201cIt\u2019s incredibly important to have lawmaker support. There are a lot of things that we do for our business that require support from our federal government and state government, and it\u2019s nice that she takes the time to come and see what we\u2019re doing and talk to us about what some of our issues and concerns are,\u201d adds David Harbison, the owner of Bison Pumps.\nCollins met Bison Pumps\u2019 workers, many of whom graduated from Northern Maine Community College. Harbison says he\u2019s pleased to grow a business and workforce that\u2019s County based. Collins says that makes her especially proud, since she helped launch an innovation program that helped educate many of his staff.\nCollins adds \u201cit is particularly interesting to meet so many of the graduates of the machinist program at Northern Maine Community College, because, years ago, I helped get the seed money to get that program going, and today we see these very talented skilled machinists working at good jobs.\u201d\nThe first three years of a new business are critical. It\u2019s during that time a business will either sink or swim. Collins says it\u2019s the government\u2019s responsibility to help businesses succeed, and the main way to do that is adequate funding.\nCollins adds, \u201cPart of it is making sure that they have the financing, the technical support and the advice that they need, and that\u2019s where government can play a limited role.\u201d\nHarbison says \u201cOne thing that lawmakers can do is listen. We have lot\u2019s to talk about, and we have lot\u2019s to offer that can help them make decisions that help us.\u201d\nCollins says that\u2019s what she\u2019s working in Washington to do: Lend an ear to small businesses and be their voice on Capitol Hill, so that they can succeed and grow.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://web.archive.org/web/20140718021306/http://www.collins.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=f042d0f5-778f-48d1-a94b-9b10d9ecf149"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.7626890912652016, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}