WASHINGTON – U.S. Department of Treasury Undersecretary Peter Fisher presented U.S. Sen. Susan Collins a check Thursday representing $25 million in state aid that was wired from Washington, D.C., to the state of Maine at noon.

The money is the first installment of an estimated $116 million allotment that Maine will receive as part of the $20 billion state aid package that Collins was instrumental in securing in the recent jobs and growth package passed by Congress and signed by President Bush.

“These federal resources will benefit many families in Maine,” said Gov. John Baldacci. “I appreciate the hard work Senator Collins did to direct funding to the states in order to meet important needs, and I’m grateful for the ongoing efforts of Maine’s entire congressional delegation to encourage appropriate federal investments in vital programs and services.”

The $20 billion state aid package was co-authored by Republican Collins and Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb. Initial installments of these funds are now being released to states throughout the nation. The remainder of the funds will be released over the next 18 months.