WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) today voted to advance debate on a Senate spending bill that could eventually reopen the government in a 60-40 vote. The vote comes as the shutdown became the longest federal government shutdown in American history at 40 days. From federal furloughs to cuts to the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding, the shutdown caused incredible harm to Maine families and people... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) spoke with Jared Lyon, National President and Chief Executive Officer of Student Veterans of America, and retired Colonel Barbara Carson, the Managing Director of Programs and Services at Syracuse University’s D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families, in a hearing of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC) about the importance of ensuring a smooth transition from active duty to veteran status. During the exchange, Senator King... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — After benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for roughly 42 million Americans were stopped over the weekend due to the ongoing government shutdown, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), alongside, 45 of his colleagues, introduced a resolution calling on the Trump Administration to immediately use all congressionally approved funding to keep families from going hungry. Though the Trump Administration relented to court rulings yesterday and announced plans... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. —U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) today cosponsored new legislation that would prevent the Trump administration from illegally withholding available funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) during the government shutdown. The Keep SNAP and WIC Funded Act directs the USDA to immediately release billions of dollars in available funds to ensure SNAP and WIC benefits continue... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), in a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), today questioned Vice Admiral Richard Correll, nominee for the rank of Navy Admiral and to serve as Commander of United States Strategic Command, on whether foreign adversaries Russia and China are in the process of testing nuclear weapons. The hearing comes the morning after President Donald Trump ordered the U.S. military to immediately resume nuclear weapons testing through a late... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Angus King (I-ME) today joined 45 of his colleagues in writing a letter to Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins calling on the USDA to release billions of dollars at its disposal to ensure Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits continue in November. Nearly 170,000 Maine people — over 12 percent of the state — receive SNAP benefits. Several counties across the state are approaching or surpassing 20 percent of their population relying on... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) released the following statement in response to the Trump Administration carrying out unauthorized demolition of the historic East Wing of the White House in order to build a $200 million, 90,000 square-foot ballroom: “President Trump’s desecration of the White House is an insult to the American people and a betrayal of his obligation to safeguard our history and heritage. While each President has left some mark on the building, none has... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the U.S. Senate voted to pass the bipartisan Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) by a 77-20 vote. U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), had previously worked with his colleagues to secure strong investments in Maine’s economy and America’s national defense. This legislation will support servicemembers and their families and boost the Maine economy through support for the hundreds of businesses that... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), a member of the U.S. Senate Veterans Affairs Committee (SVAC), joined members of the Committee to criticize the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for unnecessarily ending critical services for veterans during the government shutdown. In a letter to VA Secretary Doug Collins, King and his colleagues also called out the VA for politicizing the lapse in appropriations to end communication with Congress and halt operations, even though the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), in a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), questioned General Kenneth Wilsbach, nominee to serve as Chief of Staff of the Air Force, on the importance of prioritizing America’s drone warfare capabilities, as well as supporting technologies such as 3-D printing to drive down production costs. During the exchange, Senator King highlighted Ukraine’s extensive use of drones for aerial reconnaissance and attacks and noted that... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) released the following statement providing an update to the ongoing federal government shutdown: “The imminent expiration of the tax credits which make health insurance affordable for millions (including tens of thousands in Maine) is a totally avoidable crisis. They could and should have been extended earlier this year when the Republican-only tax bill was passed—which extended (and made permanent) tax breaks for billionaires. “But it... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) voted to keep the government open because a shutdown will give President Trump the ability to do far greater damage – plans he shared in public comments earlier today. A full statement can be found below: “I just came from the Senate floor where I took one of the most difficult votes I've taken since I've been in the Senate. I voted to keep the government open for a continuing resolution. The irony of this vote is, many feel that this was... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden wrote to Education Secretary Linda McMahon urging her to reverse the Department of Education’s decision to terminate funding for two federally funded TRIO Upward Bound programs in Maine: the Veterans Upward Bound Program at the University of Southern Maine (USM) and the River Valley Upward Bound Program at the University of Maine at Farmington (UMF). The TRIO Upward Bound... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Angus King and Susan Collins are celebrating Maine’s iconic lobster industry after the Senate unanimously passed their bipartisan resolution recognizing September 25, 2025 as “National Lobster Day.” The resolution recognizes the crustacean as a foundational part of Maine’s economy and culture, as well as highlights the environmental and economic impact of this important industry.“Lobsters are synonymous with Maine’s identity, history, and culture,” said Senator... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), alongside Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Raphael Warnock (D-GA), is introducing legislation to combat partisan efforts to gerrymander congressional districts ahead of the next census in 2030. The Redistricting Reform Act would prohibit states from mid-decade redistricting and would require every state to adopt a nonpartisan, independent redistricting commission (IRC), similar to the advisory commission that Maine currently... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) is leading several of his Congressional colleagues in urging the leaders of the Treasury Department and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to delay the implementation of a federal executive order requiring the federal government to eliminate paper checks. President Trump issued an Executive Order requiring the Treasury Department to stop issuing paper checks by September 30 for all payments across the federal government – including Social... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), in a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), pressed Derrick Anderson, nominee to serve as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict in the Department of Defense (DoD), about his views on the legality of the recent unprecedented lethal strikes on vessels in the Caribbean ordered by the Trump Administration. Earlier this month, a first strike on an alleged drug boat killed 11 people. A second... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) has introduced bipartisan legislation to bolster civics education resources for school children across the United States. Introduced to mark Constitution Day, the Constitution education Is Valuable In Community Schools (CIVICS) Act would require elementary and secondary education federal grant recipients to include U.S. Constitution education—through hands-on programming for teachers and students—to be eligible for continued funding. The bill... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), is calling on SASC Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) to hold a hearing on President Trump’s deployment of American troops into American cities. More specifically, the letter he sent with several SASC colleagues encourages Wicker to work with Department of Defense (DoD) leadership to evaluate these ongoing military deployments to American cities and their impact to military readiness,... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), alongside a bipartisan group of his colleagues, is cosponsoring a resolution recognizing the importance of literacy, as well as encouraging more Maine people and Americans of all ages to pick up a good book. The resolution establishes September 2025 as “National Literacy Month.” “Reading will open your eyes to new worlds and ideas,” said Senator King. “For people of all ages, literacy not only expands economic opportunities and growth, but also... Continue Reading »
