WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) joined 30 of his Senate colleagues in sending a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar requesting updates on the Administration’s response to the novel coronavirus outbreak and information on the steps being taken to keep families safe. In the letter, the Senators ask HHS to keep them updated with the latest information regarding the severity of the disease, the country’s capacity to diagnose cases, what... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) and U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today led a bicameral, bipartisan group of their colleagues, including Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Representative Jared Golden (D-Maine), in a letter to Acting Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Chad Wolf urging the administration to immediately increase the statutory cap of H-2B visas for fiscal year 2020. The Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020, authorizes the... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) joined a bipartisan group of Senators in sending a letter to Dr. Stephen Hahn, the new Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Working on behalf of dairy farmers in Maine and across the country, the Senators implored Commissioner Hahn to work with Congress to combat the misuse of dairy terms on non-dairy products.“Dairy farmers across our nation work hard to ensure their products are healthy,... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) and U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and Jared Golden (D-Maine) are sending a letter today pressing U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer for specific information regarding China’s commitment to purchase lobster in the recently announced U.S./China trade deal. In the letter, the Maine Delegation urges the USTR to release China’s financial commitment to American lobster, citing China’s... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the Maine Federation of Farmers’ Markets (MFFM) has been awarded $160,111 for its Workplace to Market Project. This funding was awarded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farmers’ Market Promotion Program.“The Maine Federation of Farmers’ Markets plays an important role in our state’s agricultural industry, helping farmers connect with customers and increasing low-income families’ access to fresh,... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement opposing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s proposed rules for the upcoming impeachment trial of President Donald Trump:“For weeks, Senator McConnell has been telling everyone who would listen that the Senate’s impeachment process would use the rules that governed the Clinton impeachment – but it is clear today that his assertions were at best misleading, and at worst, a willful bait and switch,”... Continue Reading »
BANGOR, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) met with Maine organizations focused on proactive approaches to health and wellness as he highlighted the role they play in cutting costs and improving public health. Senator King first met with team members at the Bangor Region YMCA and toured their Teen Center, which opened last year and works to address isolation, drug, and alcohol issues with young people. Following this visit, Senator King toured the new pediatrics facility at Penobscot... Continue Reading »
ORONO, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) spoke at the 2020 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast Celebration at the University of Maine. The event is co-hosted by the Greater Bangor Area Branch of NAACP and the UMaine Division of Student Life, and brings together hundreds of Maine people to honor Dr. King’s legacy. During his remarks, Senator King highlighted Dr. King’s commitment to justice and equality, and shared his personal experience attending the March on Washington in 1963,... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, in a Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) emphasized Congress’s failure to assert its constitutional duties as delegated by the Framers of the Constitution. Terming the recent period of Congressional history as “the Great Abdication”, King condemned Congress’s decisions to cede its responsibilities in declaring war, managing trade, and allocating federal funds. His comments come as the Administration reportedly will seek to... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today voted in support of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). King, long skeptical of trade deals with nations that do not share America’s labor and environmental standards, weighed the agreement’s benefits and risks for Maine through extensive consideration before concluding that, while imperfect, the trade deal improves America’s current trade position. “This was a close call,” said King. “On one-hand, I have long held... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King applauded the Senate’s unanimous passage of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act. This bipartisan bill, introduced in June, seeks to tackle the problem of plastic waste on a global scale by spurring innovation and finding uses for the plastic waste that already exists to keep it from entering the oceans. The legislation builds on the initial progress made by the Save Our Seas Act, which was signed into law in 2018. The... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) joined a bipartisan group of his colleagues requesting a meeting with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson to address the agency’s failure to protect tenants living in federally subsidized housing from the cancer-causing dangers of radon and to chart a path forward to resolve this serious health hazard. Despite a federal mandate to “develop an effective departmental policy for dealing with radon... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) joined 29 of his Senate colleagues in sending a letter to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn criticizing the agency’s failure to take all non-tobacco flavored e-cigarette products out of circulation given the public health risks they present – despite the administration’s September announcement to ban these products. In the letter, King and his colleagues cite the role that flavored e-cigarettes play in the... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the City of Portland has been awarded $750,000 for its Portland Landing Park Development Project, which aims to promote and enhance public access to Portland’s waterfront and quality outdoor recreation for residents and visitors.“Portland’s parks, trails, and outdoor spaces play a critical role in providing access to the bodies of water that make it an attractive destination,” said Senators Collins and King in a joint... Continue Reading »
BRUNSWICK, ME –U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) cosponsored the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act, bipartisan legislation to designate a three-digit phone number for a national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline and ensure states have the flexibility to strengthen local crisis call centers. The current National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and Veterans Crisis line are each 10-digits, which creates an additional barrier to Americans in crisis seeking support. Maine lost... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Office of U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement from Senator King, mourning the passing of Galen Cole. A lifetime Mainer, Cole was a decorated World War II Veteran, public servant, business leader, and philanthropist who worked to lift up the voices of America’s veterans.“Galen Cole lived the kind of life that defies description,” said Senator King. “Over the course of his 94 years, Galen was a public servant, a business leader, a... Continue Reading »
PORTLAND, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) introduced the Responsibility in Drug Advertising Act, which prohibits direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of newly-approved prescription drugs for three years – in order to increase their affordability for Americans, and slow the rising costs associated with ad campaigns. The legislation includes a waiver to allow DTC advertising for a drug whose widespread advertising is determined to have public health value. The U.S. is one of only two... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Angus King (I-Maine) announced that the Town of Kittery has received $500,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). The federal funding will support the renovation and expansion of Rice Public Library.“The Rice Library is a pillar of the Kittery community, offering more than 400 programs for children and adults each year,” said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement. “This funding will help the town... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) and Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-ME) and Jared Golden (D-ME) wrote to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to raise concerns about proposed tariff increases that would harm Maine’s small businesses and consumers.USTR is currently considering proposals to increase certain tariffs on goods from the European Union to 100 percent, which will have a severe impact on small businesses in the specialty foods and... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) announced his support and cosponsorship of a war powers resolution that would force a debate and vote in Congress before the United States initiates a war with Iran. The resolution was introduced by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.).“For decades, Congress has ceded its war powers to presidents of both parties, and in doing so, we’ve abdicated Congress’s constitutionally-designated responsibility to make these decisions on behalf of the... Continue Reading »
