WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I - Maine) is urging the Administration to increase funding for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the President’s FY 2021 budget to assure that high-income taxpayers and households receive the same scrutiny as others in lower tax brackets. In a letter to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Acting Director Russell Vought, Senator King advocated for the necessary funds to ensure that the agency has the resources it needs to enforce tax laws, reduce... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), a member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, and U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), a member of the Armed Services Committee, wrote to Secretary of Defense Mark Esper to express their strong support for a larger Navy. Recent reports indicated that the Department is considering requesting reduced funding for shipbuilding over the next several years, which would be a sharp departure from the national policy to increase the size of the... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that Goodwill Industries of Northern New England in Gorham and LearningWorks in Portland have been awarded a total of $2,307,101 to support and expand the organizations’ YouthBuild programs. YouthBuild provides at-risk youth, ages 16 to 24, with education and occupational skill development to obtain employment in construction and other in-demand industries.“Maine YouthBuild programs provide students with the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Office of U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement from Senator King on last night’s strike that killed Major General Qassem Soleimani, leader of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, as well as top leaders of Iranian-backed Iraqi militias.“Soleimani was a terrorist, and a chief architect of Iran’s efforts to undermine regional security and the safety of American servicemembers and diplomats serving abroad. Indeed, he... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Office of U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the December edition of Senator King’s monthly Inside Maine podcast. This month’s show highlights the impact of climate change on Maine, as well as emerging bipartisan solutions to address this existential crisis. In the first segment, Senator King is joined by Senators Mitt Romney (R-Utah), and Chris Coons (D-Del.), to discuss bipartisan steps Congress can take to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), co-chair of the Senate Arctic Caucus and member of both the Senate Armed Services Committee and Energy & Natural Resources Committee, joined Senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) to introduce Arctic Naval Focus Act of 2019. The bill would direct the federal government to recognize the importance of the Arctic region to the United States’ national and economic security interests, and to put forward a strategy for the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho), both members of the Senate Intelligence Committee and the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, celebrated the enactment of their bipartisan Securing Energy Infrastructure Act into law. The legislation passed as part of the FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), and will develop defenses for the U.S. energy grid through partnerships between the National Laboratories and... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Office of U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today released the following statement from Sen. King on today’s announcement that five unnamed defendants have been sentenced to death for their role in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, while a top aide to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was cleared of wrongdoing. “When Sen. Young and I visited the Kingdom earlier this year, we made clear that for many in Congress any serious improvement in our bilateral... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Angus King (I-Maine) announced that legislation they cosponsored to combat anticompetitive practices used by some brand-name drug companies to block entry of lower-cost generic drugs has been signed into law. The Creating and Restoring Equal Access To Equivalent Samples (CREATES) Act will deter pharmaceutical companies from blocking cheaper generic alternatives from entering the marketplace. The CREATES Act was included as... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, co-chair of the Senate Rural Broadband Caucus, lauded the passage of the Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability (DATA) Act, a bipartisan bill they co-sponsored. The legislation would increase the accuracy of the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) broadband availability maps by improving the process by which broadband data is collected.“As a native of Aroostook County, I know how important access to... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the Senate unanimously passed legislation they co-authored to authorize the U.S. Department of the Treasury to mint $1 coins honoring former president George H.W. Bush and first lady Barbara Bush. President and Mrs. Bush, who had strong ties to the State of Maine, both passed away in 2018. The legislation, which they introduced in February along with Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Rob... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of Bipartisan Policy Center’s Rural Health Task Force, announced his cosponsorship of the Rural Maternal and Obstetric Modernization of Services (Rural MOMS) Act. The bipartisan bill would improve data collection, expand services, and award funding to help ensure that new and expecting moms living in rural communities get the care they need.“New and expecting mothers deserve access to high-quality care, no matter where they... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C.—In a continuation of their strong, bipartisan advocacy for fair treatment of Maine’s lobster industry, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, urging him to take action to protect Maine’s lobster industry from unfairly burdensome regulations as the U.S. seeks to protect the right whale population.“The Maine lobster fishery has repeatedly made significant improvements to their... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today cast his vote for appropriations bills that will fund the government through September 30, 2020. The appropriations package funds a number of King-backed policy priorities for Maine, and includes language from numerous King-backed bills.“This appropriations package supports much needed national priorities: it works to cut prescription drug costs, support Gold Star families, boost rural health, and much, much more. It makes one wonder:... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. — Amidst ever-increasing numbers of robocall scams, the U.S. Senate voted unanimously today to pass legislation co-sponsored by Senators Susan Collins and Angus King to increase federal law enforcement’s authority to put a stop to these illegal calls. The Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (TRACED) Act makes it easier for regulators to find scammers, increases civil forfeiture penalties for those who are caught, promotes call authentication and... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives voted to impeach President Donald Trump: “The House’s vote to impeach the President means that I will soon join the rest of the Senate in swearing a special oath that states: ‘I solemnly swear that in all things appertaining to the trial of Donald Trump, now pending, I will do impartial justice according to the Constitution and laws, so help me God.’ The word solemn... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), co-chair of the Senate Broadband Caucus, joined dozens of his Senate colleagues in urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to prioritize sustainable rural broadband networks as the FCC considers new rules to govern the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) program. In the bipartisan letter, the senators push the FCC to exercise proper oversight over RDOF funding, and ensure that projects are maximizing the long-term impact of their... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today cast his vote in favor of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2020, by a vote of 86-8. The legislation includes key policy wins to ensure national security, support Maine jobs, strengthen energy security and provide paid parental leave for federal employees.“Each year, the National Defense Authorization Act is an example of how legislating should work:... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Angus King (I-Maine) and Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-ME-01) and Jared Golden (D-ME-02) wrote to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), urging the agency to heed the formal comments and concerns of the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry (DACF) on the interim final rule on domestic hemp production. A signed copy of the letter can be found here. “As you know, the Agriculture Improvement... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Angus King (I-Maine) joined their colleagues on a bipartisan resolution to emphasize the importance of a fair and accurate 2020 Census. The resolution encourages individuals, families, and households across the United States to take part in the Census so that all communities can be counted.“The Census is a central part of America’s democracy that dates back to our nation’s founding,” said Senators Collins and King in a joint... Continue Reading »
