Collins accuses top Senate Dem of blocking protections for Maine lobstermen as Cruz vows action

Senator Susan Collins has accused fellow Senator Maria Cantwell of obstructing legislation that would extend a pause on new federal rules affecting Maine’s lobster industry. The dispute comes as Cantwell plans to meet lobstermen in Maine and Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz says he will advance the bill when Congress returns in November.

The Northeast Lobsterman Protection Act would extend the existing pause through 2035, giving the industry more time before potentially costly restrictions intended to protect the endangered North Atlantic right whale take effect. Cantwell says she supports the bill and the extension; Cruz has urged the Senate to pass it without changes. Maine’s senators say the industry supports about $2 billion in annual economic activity and more than 17,500 jobs.