Maine senators press for lobster bill vote in November

The Senate is set to take up a measure that would pause federal regulations on the lobster industry through 2035. The bill aims to give Maine’s coastal economy more time before new rules to protect right whales take effect.

Senator Ted Cruz, the Texas Republican who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, said this week that he intends to advance the legislation when Congress reconvenes in November. The Northeast Lobsterman Protection Act passed the House in September after being introduced by Representative Jared Golden of Maine and Representative Mike Lawler of New York. The law extends a regulatory pause originally secured in 2022.

Senator Susan Collins of Maine has been vocal about the bill’s progress. She told Fox News Digital that she is pleased to see her Washington colleague, Senator Maria Cantwell, finally coming to Maine to listen to local fishermen. Collins noted that Cantwell opposed the Maine delegation’s effort to stop Biden-era regulations in 2022. The Maine senator added that Cantwell has blocked the bill extending the current regulatory pause.

In a September letter, Collins and Senator Angus King of Maine urged the Senate Commerce Committee to move the bill forward. They cited the Maine Lobstermen’s Association, which estimates the industry supports $2 billion in annual economic activity and more than 17,500 jobs. The letter emphasized that the pause is necessary to protect the fishery, which is vital to the state’s coastal communities.

Cruz acknowledged Collins’ role in the process, describing her leadership as instrumental in protecting Maine’s lobstermen from burdensome rules. He stated his hope to send the bill to President Trump without further changes or delays. This comes as Cantwell prepares to attend a listening session with Maine lobstermen. She will join Democratic Senate candidate Troy Jackson at an event hosted by the Maine Lobster Union.

The visit follows months of accusations from Collins and Cruz that Cantwell worked against longer-term relief for the industry. Neither Cantwell nor Jackson responded to multiple requests for comment from Fox News Digital.