{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/senator-collins-receives-award-helping-vulnerable-mainers-speaks-about-her-bill-fight", "Senator Collins Receives Award for Helping Vulnerable Mainers, Speaks About Her Bill to Fight Poverty", "2016-11-02", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "ME", "Susan Collins", "C001035", "www.collins.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Senator Susan Collins received Maine Community Action\u2019s 2016 Star of Community Action award yesterday at the Aroostook County Action Program (ACAP) Center in Houlton.\u00a0\nKara Hay, the President of the Maine Community Action Association Board of Directors, presented Senator Collins with the award, which recognizes individuals who have advocated for or defended low-income people in the face of serious challenges and have made a significant difference in the lives of Maine\u2019s most vulnerable citizens.\n\u201cIt is such an honor to receive Maine Community Action\u2019s 2016 Star of Community Action award and meet with ACAP\u2019s dedicated staff,\u201d said Senator Collins. \u201cACAP makes such a difference in the lives of the most vulnerable individuals in our society and helps to strengthen our communities.\u201d\nSenator Collins also discussed her bipartisan Two-Generation Economic Empowerment Act, legislation she coauthored with Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM) that proposes a new, multigenerational approach to fighting poverty. Senator Collins noted that many organizations like ACAP and others in Maine are leading this initiative because they know how important it is to help entire families, not just individuals.\n\u201cThe Two-Generation Economic Empowerment Act I coauthored is designed to encourage and support the comprehensive models used by programs like ACAP. This approach brings together a range of services under one roof to equip parents and children with the tools they need to succeed and become self-sufficient,\u201d Senator Collins continued. \u201cWe share a commitment to ensuring that a child\u2019s ZIP code does not determine his or her future success. I applaud ACAP\u2019s efforts and look forward to our continued partnership.\u201d\nFollowing the award presentation, Senator Collins was led by ACAP Executive Director and CEO Jason Parent on a tour of ACAP\u2019s Houlton facility and met with staff. ACAP provides community health services, workforce development, energy and housing assistance, and early child education to serve low-income residents of Aroostook County.", 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://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/senator-collins-receives-award-helping-vulnerable-mainers-speaks-about-her-bill-fight"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.6480829324573278, "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"}