Janet T. Mills

Mills was born in Farmington, Maine, on December 30, 1947.[20] She received a B.A. from the University of Massachusetts at Boston and a J.D. from the University of Maine School of Law. Mills worked as an assistant U.S. attorney and was elected district attorney for Androscoggin, Franklin, and Oxford counties. She served in the Maine House of Representatives from 2002 to 2009. Mills also served as Maine’s attorney general from 2009-2011 and from 2013-2019. From 2011-2013, she served in the leadership of the Maine Democratic Party. Mills is a founder of the Maine Women's Lobby, which defined its mission as fighting domestic violence.[21][22][23]

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Campaign websiteMills' campaign website stated the following:Cap Prescription Drug CostsAfter a lifetime of work, Maine seniors deserve a retirement that is secure, comfortable, and affordable, not one filled with unthinkable choices like putting food on the table or paying for their medication. That’s why as Governor I signed into law a prescription drug reform package that would allow the wholesale importation of prescription medicine, create a prescription drug affordability board, increase drug price transparency and better regulate pharmacy benefit managers, the middlemen who drive up costs. After the LePage Administration cut the Low Cost Drugs for the Elderly and Disabled Program, I restored the program and expanded it so low-income older Maine people could better afford their prescription copays.In the wealthiest nation in the world, no one should be forced into debt to afford medication that keeps them alive. But today, Americans pay significantly more for prescription drugs than patients in other developed countries. In fact, it is estimated that Americans spend more than $1,400 on prescription drugs every year – the highest per capita drug spending in the world. By some estimates, brand-name drug prices are more than three times higher than in other developed nations. Washington can—and must—do more.That’s why, in the U.S. Senate, I will:Support legislation that would ensure Americans pay no more than people in other major countries for the exact same prescription drugs;Fight to cap all out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs;Expand the ability of Medicare to negotiate the price of medications to drive down costs and save people money.Embrace Clean Energy to Lower Energy Costs, Fight Climate Change & Protect the EnvironmentMaine people are feeling the pinch of high energy prices – energy prices that have increased because of Maine’s overreliance on fossil fuels to generate electricity. Diversifying Maine’s energy supply, adopting more efficient technologies like heat pumps, and weatherizing our homes to use less energy are all crucial strategies to reduce energy costs in the long-run, fight climate change, and protect our environment. As Governor, I have made available unprecedented state and federal investments in energy efficiency to Maine residents and businesses, which have led to more than 180,000 heat pumps statewide, exceeding our original goal of 100,000, and we’ve set a new, more ambitious target of installing 275,000 of them by the end of next year. I’m proud that this nation-leading effort has cut our reliance on heating oil by nearly 20 percent since I’ve taken office.We have also set a requirement of 100 percent clean energy by 2040 and added more than two gigawatts of clean energy to Maine’s grid via thousands of local, homegrown energy projects that are reducing our reliance on out of state fuels and global markets. And I established the Maine Department of Energy Resources to lead a more integrated energy policy for Maine, including the ability to procure new resources that will spur clean energy development and increase production of homegrown, renewable energy.And these investments not only help our energy future but are good for our economy. We have created more than 16,000 clean energy jobs in Maine, nearly twice the rate of the overall workforce since 2019 and in nearly every Maine county and this sector is contributing nearly $3 billion to the state’s economy.  We are also investing in the next generation of technologies through work in our Universities including the state’s first clean tech business incubator that is a regional hub working on technology solutions to solve our biggest challenges.Under my administration, we’ve shown it’s possible to enact energy policy that creates good-paying jobs, curbs our reliance on harmful fossil fuels, and cuts costs for Maine families – but the Federal government needs to do the same. That’s why, in the U.S. Senate, I will:Reverse the EPA’s disastrous decision revoking its finding that greenhouse gas emissions drive climate change;Treat climate change with the urgency it demands by supporting robust investments in clean energy infrastructure; Reverse the Trump Administration’s cancellation of clean energy projects, grants, and permits that are only increasing costs for consumers;Fight to reinstate clean energy and energy efficiency tax credits that will save Maine people and businesses money on their energy bills;Support increased funding for weatherization and funding for low income Maine people that are counted on every year to keep them warm and secure in the winter.Expand Access to Affordable Health CareWhen my husband, Stan, suffered a stroke that eventually took his life, I had to fight tooth and nail, month after month, to keep him on health care.It became abundantly clear to me that the job of health insurance companies is not to provide what you need but, instead, to deny care at every turn.There are countless families like mine all across this state and across this country who have endured what my family and I went through, and so often at the very worst moments in your life.It is why I have always said, “Health care is a human right, not a luxury” and it is why I made health care a top priority as Governor.As Governor, I expanded health care to more than 100,000 Maine people, codified Affordable Care Act protections into state law, drove down Maine’s uninsured rate faster than any other state in the nation, and reduced the burden of uncompensated care straining our hospitals.But let’s be clear: Donald Trump’s agenda is driving health care costs through the roof, and Maine people are paying the price – literally. Trump is ripping away health care from tens of thousands of Maine people, while tens of thousands more will forego health insurance altogether because it’s too expensive – and everybody else’s costs are going up as a result. More must be done, and while I am proud of the progress I’ve delivered as Governor, I will take that fight to the U.S. Senate.That’s why, in the U.S. Senate, I will:Pass universal health care – for a system where everyone, not just those who can afford it, can have access to high-quality health care so that Maine families no longer need to worry that getting sick will bankrupt them. Break up the giant health care conglomerates that are dominating the health care system and driving up costs for Maine people.Support investments to bolster health care across rural Maine.Expand Child CareWhen I met my husband, Stan, he was a widower with five daughters, ages 4 to 16, so when we got married, I became the stepmother to five girls overnight, while at the same time serving as the elected District Attorney for Androscoggin, Oxford and Franklin Counties — a full-time job.I know the importance of child care.That’s why my administration has invested more than $145 million in State and Federal funding to strengthen and expand child care, creating more than 6,100 new slots for child care while providing subsidies to children and families and salary supplements to child care workers. But child care is still too hard to find in Maine, and it’s still far too expensive for too many. Without adequate, affordable child care, parents across Maine – particularly mothers – aren’t able to go to work, and at a time when we need more people in the workforce, Maine can’t have anyone forced to sit out. We need more child care to ensure parents are able to participate in the workforce, and parents deserve to go to work knowing their children are being taken care of in a safe place where they can learn and grow. Our children are our most precious assets and our highest priority. That’s why, in the U.S. Senate, I will:Introduce legislation to provide federal subsidies to families that effectively caps child care costs at no more than 7 percent of a family’s income;Expand the Child Tax Credit to $3,000 for children under 6, with $500 per month advance payments; Provide grants and forgivable loans to child care businesses in child care deserts to help build out infrastructure and attract and retain workers.Fight to Restore and Protect Reproductive Health CareA woman’s right to make decisions about her own body is non-negotiable. Reproductive health care is health care, and I’ve spent my career making sure Maine women have both the right and the access to the care they deserve.After Susan Collins cast a pivotal vote for Brett Kavanaugh who then overturned Roe v. Wade and stripped away rights women had for nearly 50 years, I acted immediately to protect Maine women. I safeguarded access to reproductive care, protected health care providers, and strengthened those protections so patients and doctors in Maine would not be threatened by extreme laws passed in other states.I enacted laws requiring public and private insurance to cover reproductive care, expanded access in both rural and urban communities, and ensured that decisions about later-in-pregnancy abortions belong to a patient and their doctor, because no woman dealing with a life threatening situation during pregnancy should have politicians standing between her and her care.Because of that work, women in Maine can get the care they need and doctors can provide it without fear of prosecution. But Maine’s level of freedom and access should be the standard, not the exception. No woman should lose her fundamental rights when she crosses a state line.That’s why, in the Senate, I will:Restore the fundamental right to abortion nationwide, oppose any and all efforts to pass a national abortion ban, enact a nationwide shield law protecting abortion providers, and make clear that a person has the fundamental right to travel to obtain reproductive health services;Support legislation that reverses the Hyde Amendment and all similar Federal abortion coverage bans which disproportionately prevent low-income women from accessing reproductive care;Support legislation that protects and expands access to contraceptives;Support legislation that increases funding for family planning services which are vital in rural states like Maine, including authorizing federal grants to organizations that help people access reproductive health care;Strongly oppose anti-abortion judicial nominees.Immigration ReformMaine people believe in a humane, functional immigration system, one that allows people who want to live here and contribute to this country to earn the right to citizenship. Despite promising to deport those who pose a clear threat to public safety, President Trump has targeted all immigrants, and even American citizens, with a reckless, cruel approach that ignores due process, spreads fear, and is antithetical to the core values of our nation.That’s why I took action by repealing an executive order by Paul LePage that directs enhanced cooperation with Federal immigration authorities and prohibited Maine law enforcement officers from working with ICE on immigration matters.And when Donald Trump deployed masked, untrained federal agents into our communities, my Administration fought back against Trump’s abuses of power and made it clear: Maine would not be intimidated.While this weaponized agency is allowed to operate without accountability, every state remains a potential target of Trump’s abuses of power. That’s why, in the U.S. Senate, I will fight to:Reject funding for ICE until there are concrete measures of reform and accountability in place to rein in their lawless tactics, including requiring agents to remove masks, wear body cameras, and undergo a full re-vetting and training program that meets transparent and clearly identified standards and procedures; Require all federal use of force and deaths-in-custody investigations to coordinate and share investigative materials with appropriate state and local law enforcement;Reassert the lawful methods in which immigration enforcement is carried out, like requiring federal agents agents to have valid court warrants for arrests, detainments and search and seizures – all in line with the 4th amendment; Overhaul America’s failed immigration system to provide a humane and legal pathway that allows people the opportunity to become American citizens and that recognizes and protects the inherent dignity and humanity of all people.Protect and Strengthen Social Security and MedicareAs the oldest and most rural state in the nation, Social Security and Medicare are the vital lifelines that are keeping thousands of Maine’s seniors safe. But because of Donald Trump’s reckless and unpredictable actions, families across our state are living in constant fear that these lifelines could be ripped away. I’ve already faced this fight. When the acting head of the Social Security Administration tried to make it harder for children to get their Social Security numbers because he wanted to punish me for standing up to Trump, we fought back—and won. That’s the type of fight I’ll take to the Senate. Social Security and Medicare exist today because Congress recognized that, after a lifetime of work, older Americans deserved to age in dignity and comfort without worrying about where their next paycheck always came from – but that critical safety net is decaying. That’s why, when in the U.S. Senate, I will fight to protect and strengthen Social Security and Medicare by:Opposing increases to the retirement age, which is nothing more than a cut in benefits for Maine people; Supporting annual universal benefit increase to help Maine people address higher cost of living; Closing tax loopholes that allow high earners to avoid Social Security contributions, eliminate the earnings cap to require wealthier individuals to contribute to Social Security at the same rate as someone making minimum wage;Extending Social Security taxes to investment income for wealthier families.Reassert the Authority of CongressCongress has ceded its constitutional authority to the President, which has culminated in Donald Trump taking unprecedented and unilateral actions – from enacting tariffs that are driving up prices, to provoking our longstanding allies, to unilaterally launching military actions around the globe.Our Founding Fathers created three separate and equal branches of government. It’s the time for Congress to take back its power.That’s why, in the U.S. Senate, I will:Reject Trump’s unqualified Cabinet nominees;Use Congressional oversight authority to hold hearings, subpoena Executive Branch officials, and investigate misconduct; Enforce Congress’s Constitutional war powers by modernizing and strengthening the war powers resolution, requiring Congressional authorization for military engagement, and repealing outdated Authorizations of Use of Military Force that allow Presidents to engage in military action unilaterally;Fully fund and strengthen protections for Inspectors General in the Executive Branch to guarantee independence.Reform CongressToo often, politicians cast votes and or take positions based not on what’s best for the people they serve, but out of fear of making donors mad, out of fear of losing power, or out of fear of losing their seat. Politicians stay in Washington for far too long these days, and they spend too much time raising money and not enough time working for you.That’s where I’m different. I am not taking any corporate PAC money.I’ve won statewide twice because Maine people know I answer to them – not to special interests, lobbyists, or anyone who tries to threaten, intimidate, or bully their way into influence. Washington’s not working for Maine people – and that’s why I’m going down there to change it. That’s why, in the U.S. Senate, I will:Institute term limits (two, six-year terms for the Senate and six, two-year terms for the House) for every Member of Congress;Reform the filibuster by requiring Senators to remain on the Senate floor and actually speak, rather than simply threatening a filibuster to delay action;Ban Congressional stock trading because Members of Congress should be focused on you, not on their investments;Overturn Citizens United to get money out of politics.Reignite the Dream of Home OwnershipOwning a home is at the heart of the American dream, but for too many Maine families, particularly younger folks, that dream is simply out-of-reach. That’s why my Administration made the largest investment in housing in Maine’s history – to increase the amount of housing available to Maine people and to drive down the costs for renters and homebuyers. We have invested in housing that’s affordable and accessible — weatherizing homes, building hundreds of apartments for older adults and for working families addressing the need for rural rental housing, and strengthening Maine’s Affordable Housing Tax Credit and historic rehabilitation housing tax credit. I created a fund to help residents of mobile home parks purchase their homes and enacted a right of first refusal law to protect them from predatory out-of-state corporations pushing them out of their homes and jacking up rents. I  signed nearly two dozen housing laws to cut red tape and remove barriers to construction, resulting in thousands of new homes built so far and thousands more underway. And just this year, I introduced my new “American Dream” housing proposal that would put another $70 million in state funding towards building upwards of 1,000 new homes in Maine. I believe a roof over your head shouldn’t be a luxury. Under my Administration, Maine has made good progress but the Federal government needs to step up to do its part.That’s why, in the U.S. Senate, I will:Fight for tax credits and direct downpayment assistance for first time, middle class homebuyers; Expand the Federal renter tax credit for families spending more than 30 percent of their income on rent; Create new Federal tax credits to incentivize the construction of new homes for working families and invest in greater housing production.Restore Public EducationEvery child deserves a quality public education, regardless of their zip code or income. That’s why I am the first—and only—Governor in Maine history to fully fund the state’s share of education, why I raised teacher pay and expanded the teacher workforce, and why I enacted universal free school meals for all kids in public schools. And when Donald Trump tried to cut funding to school lunch programs in Maine, we took him to court – and we won. I’ve invested in early childhood education and universal full-day pre-k and guaranteed free community college, provided more than $140 million in student loan debt relief, and made the first significant investment in Maine’s career and technical education in almost 30 years. But Donald Trump has sent a clear message that education and working families are not his priority.  His administration gutted the U.S. Department of Education, threatening the futures of kids across the nation, and here in Maine as well. When the Department of Education attempted to withhold over $27 million from Maine classrooms, I made clear I would take every legal step necessary to protect Maine students.  There just aren’t enough leaders in Washington willing to meet Trump’s tough talk with strength and action. It’s time the Federal government ended its war on public education and, instead, worked with states to make it clear that guaranteeing every child access to education is our nation’s highest priority. That’s why, in the U.S. Senate, I will:Stand up to Donald Trump’s incompetent Education Secretary Linda McMahon and fight to rebuild the U.S. Department of Education so that it supports Maine schools and can become a partner to educators across our state;Invest in teacher recruitment and training to better support the next generation of educators;Enhance Federal funding to Maine schools, including technology upgrades and after school programs;Fight for national free community college, replicating on a national basis Maine’s highly successful model;Significantly enhance student loan debt relief because after you graduate from school you shouldn’t be saddled with mortgage-sized debt before you even start your career.Stand Up to Donald TrumpI have always said that if a President, regardless of political party, does something good for Maine, I will support them, and if they do something bad for Maine, I will fight them with everything I have. Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress are hurting Maine and our country.Donald Trump is taking a wrecking ball to our democracy. He is destroying our most cherished Constitutional rights. He is weaponizing the government to punish anyone who disagrees with him. He is gerrymandering states across America to rig the system to his benefit. And now he is threatening our very right to vote.And Susan Collins isn’t standing up to him. I just can’t sit idly by while they hurt Maine people. The first order of business in Washington is standing up to Donald Trump – and I know a little something about that. I am one of the few people in America who have stood up to the President to his face. When he threatened to cut off Federal funding to Maine if we didn’t bend to his will, I told him I would see him in court. We did, and we won. I have stood up to bullies my entire life – from big corporations, to Paul LePage, to Donald Trump – and in Washington, I will do the same.Support Working PeopleMaine’s pride in the working people of our state and our belief in the dignity and value of labor reaches deep into our history. The very first labor strike in the country was led by six fishermen on Richmond Island who stood up to demand fair treatment after risking their lives on stormy seas, day and night, without fair wages. Throughout our history, Maine people have stood up and stood together to improve the lives of working men and women.It wasn’t so very long ago that Eddie Gorham, the former president of the AFL-CIO and champion of working people in our state, and I stood side by side in a picket line at the Boise Mill in Rumford. It was five a.m. and I had spent the last few hours negotiating with both the union and management to keep the peace in a very volatile situation. When a van with union busters, or Pinkertons, made the turn and headed toward the lower gate, I stood in the middle of the road and blocked them. They turned back.I believed then, as I believe now, in the right of people to advocate for a better future for themselves and their families – and I am proud to have carried on that fight as governor. My Administration has done more to preserve safety and fairness in the workplace than at any other time in recent history.I signed legislation to make Maine the first state in the nation with earned paid leave, and I signed legislation creating Maine’s first Paid Family and Medical Leave Program – making Maine just one of 13 states to have such a law.I also signed legislation:  to establish a minimum wage for farmworkers, require  fair pay for construction workers, require prevailing wage on taxpayer funded projects,  encourage project labor agreements in public contracts, train women for jobs in the trades, stop employers from requiring “captive audience” meetings, and strengthen the Equal Pay Act to close the wage gap between women and men. I have raised State employee salaries by more than $1.15 billion, more than any governor over the past 16 years combined.To protect the rights of workers, I’ve cracked down on employers who try to steal wages and strengthened penalties for any employer who tries to prevent a worker from organizing. I’ve protected state jobs being outsourced and secured collective bargaining rights in the forest products sector. These protections are also backed by my historic investments in our workforce— over $200 million in Federal funding that I dedicated to education and training, housing and health care, child care, and broadband— to help 26,000 Maine people access apprenticeships, career advancement, and job training.And I am not done fighting for working Maine people. Let’s be clear: the Trump Administration is dismantling the rights of workers across America, including collective bargaining rights of Federal employees. I strongly oppose that and would fight to restore them in the Senate.That’s why, in the U.S. Senate, I will:Reverse Trump’s attacks on Federal employees and their collective bargaining rights;Support raising the Federal minimum wage to at least $15 per hour;Strengthen union rights and protections, including strengthening collective bargaining rights, preempting state-level right-to-work laws that ban unions, increasing penalties for employers who retaliate against organizing, and banning anti-union tactics;Expand worker protections and benefits, including creating a nationwide paid family leave law;Strengthen workers’ right to fair pay and improving employer accountability, increasing penalties for age theft and deterring violations, and bolstering recovery of workers’ stolen wages;Support prevailing wages on Federal projects;Support and co-sponsor the PRO Act.Supporting the Wabanaki NationsI care deeply for the health, welfare, opportunity, prosperity, and future of the Wabanaki people. Before I took office, years of division between the State and Tribes had nearly eliminated any hope for a productive relationship – but after years of hard work, I am proud of how we have rebuilt trust, strengthened our State-to-Nation relationship, and crafted a new and better future for the Wabanaki people. For example, we amended Maine law to allow Tribal prosecutions of certain domestic violence offenses, put in place the strictest water quality standards in the country to protect sustenance fishing, enacted a first-in-the-nation statute requiring Tribal collaboration in State agency decision-making, delivered tax benefits for Tribal members and their businesses, provided the exclusive opportunity to engage in mobile sports wagering, implemented a state Indian Child Welfare Act,  expand the rights and benefits afforded to the Mi’kmaq Nation and Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, returned culturally-significant land to the Tribes, removed limits on the ability of the Tribes to acquire land, and so much more..   Just recently, I allowed LD 1164, An Act to Create Economic Opportunity for the Wabanaki Nations, to become law which will promote economic growth and provide new economic opportunities for the Wabanaki Nations. It means so much to me when Tribal leaders like Chief William Nicholas Sr. of the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Indian Township said, “Through her leadership over two terms, she has demonstrated an unmatched commitment to tribal self-determination and prosperity, earning her place as the greatest ever Maine Governor champion for Wabanaki economic progress.”I am proud of the progress the State and the Tribes have made by working together these past seven years, and I am committed to making more progress – because I do not believe the Settlement Act is sacrosanct and I believe that we can, and we should, work together to amend it, as we have done time and again during my time as Governor. In the U.S. Senate, I will continue that spirit of collaboration with the Wabanaki Nations and work to make sure the Wabanaki nations appropriately benefit from federal legislation that is enacted to benefit all other federally recognized tribes around the country. Unrig the Tax Code and Grow the EconomyA strong economy works for everyone – not just those at the top. That is why, as Governor, I have invested in Maine’s most important asset: our people. From health care, to housing, to child care, and much more, we have focused on building out the resources that Maine people need to succeed and thrive. And through my Maine Jobs and Recovery plan, I have significantly boosted workforce and job training programs for 26,000 people, delivered over $200 million in economic relief to thousands of Maine small businesses, and developed more than 700 infrastructure projects.As a result, we have added 28,000 more jobs during my Administration, kept our unemployment rate below the national average, and experienced more economic growth in the last six years than we did in the entire fourteen years before I took office.Working with the Legislature, my Administration has helped make Maine’s tax code one of the most progressive and fairest in the nation by significantly expanding tax relief for working people, including increasing the Earned Income Tax Credit fivefold since 2019, removing minimum income qualifications for our child tax credit and sales tax credit, creating and then doubling a new dependent care tax credit, and creating a property tax fairness credit.The same can’t be said at the Federal level: there are significant structural barriers in our economy that favor the wealthiest Americans over working class folks – and it’s time to change that. Driven by failed Republican policies, our national economy has been rigged to favor the wealthy, who then turn around and take advantage of lower tax rates and exploit loopholes to grow their wealth, while working families often pay a higher share of their income in taxes and fall further behind.The concentration of wealth at the top needs to end. The best way to ensure a fair and equitable tax code is for the Federal government to make sure the wealthy pay their fair share. That’s why, in the U.S. Se