Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, questioned Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Apr. 22 regarding the closure of Taxpayer Assistance Centers in Maine and ongoing efforts to combat illegal marijuana grow houses linked to transnational crime.
The discussion took place during a hearing reviewing the Fiscal Year 2027 budget request for the Department of Treasury. The topic is significant as many seniors in rural Maine rely on these centers for in-person tax assistance, especially given limited internet access and an aging population.
Collins said, "These closures mean that someone from my hometown of Caribou, Maine, who needs in-person service faces a 10-hour-plus round trip to the nearest Taxpayer Assistance Center in Portland. That's just not reasonable, particularly when you consider that Maine has the oldest population by median age in the country." She also mentioned concerns raised by local advocates about how such closures could affect customer service for older adults living outside southern Maine.
Bessent responded, "I have instructed the IRS to look into this, and we will be getting back to you. System wide, only 10 centers were closed... But we will get back to you and we will remedy this 10-hour problem. So thank you for bringing it to our attention. We look forward to working with you."
Collins further addressed law enforcement challenges related to over 200 illegal marijuana grow houses tied to criminal organizations based abroad: "We really need a whole of government approach... And our sheriffs in Maine have been terrific in trying to close down these grow houses, but we need more federal help." Bessent replied that IRS criminal investigations and FinCEN are supporting local authorities: "Staff from these teams... have specialized financial, forensic, and intelligence expertise... I will personally look into what is going on... who are able to move on operations like this very quickly."
The Senate Appropriations Committee oversees federal expenditures as mandated by law and manages legislation related to federal funding while conducting hearings on spending proposals according to its official website. The committee has influenced federal spending through oversight of budgets and programs including trade issues according to its official website, draws authority from constitutional mandates according to its official website, has produced major appropriations bills such as those for Homeland Security according to its official website, and included Lot Morrill of Maine among its early chairmen according to its official website.
As Congress reviews upcoming budget decisions affecting public services across states like Maine, further developments may arise regarding both taxpayer support resources and efforts against organized criminal activity.
