WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) today introduced the Delivering Elderly Lunches and Increasing Volunteer Engagement and Reimbursements (DELIVER) Act of 2017, legislation that would promote volunteerism within meal delivery programs and help provide meals to more seniors across America. Specifically, the legislation would increase the existing charitable mileage tax deduction rate of 14 cents per mile – which has remained unchanged for more than two... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Gold Star Family Tax Relief Act, a bipartisan bill backed by U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) that would provide financial relief for the families of U.S. servicemembers who have died while on active duty. The bill reverses a provision in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act to ensure that Gold Star children who receive Survivor Benefit Plan income are taxed at their individual income rate, and not at far higher trust... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) joined Senators John Cornyn (R-Tex.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) to introduce the Military Voter Protection (MVP) Act, which would ensure that servicemembers are provided with ballots and registration cards necessary to vote while deployed overseas. The legislation would also provide servicemembers with instruction from trained personnel on how to cast their vote in their registered state.“In the midst of our... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) joined a group of 44 Senators to introduce a resolution asserting support for women’s reproductive rights, including the right to safe, legal abortion. The resolution, which affirms Senator King’s support of women’s access to reproductive health care and women’s right to make their own health care decisions, comes on the heels of legislative efforts in Georgia, Alabama, and other states intended to undermine women’s reproductive rights... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) announced that the Ecology School in Saco has been awarded an $8,660,000 loan from the U.S. Department of Rural Development. This investment will be used to construct an environmentally friendly 7,000 square-foot dining commons and a 9,000 square-foot dormitory as well as to convert the existing farmhouse into office space. The Ecology School currently has 14 employees, and this project will allow for the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Angus King (I-Maine) announced today that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services has awarded $1,000,000 to the Clark Island Wetlands Conservation Project in Saint George. As part of the project, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) will purchase an additional 168 acres of Clark Island neighboring the existing 250-acre Clark Island conservation area. The overall site will protect breeding and migratory habitats for... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) joined a bipartisan group of his colleagues in requesting guidance from the Department of Treasury for the implementation of the carbon capture utilization and storage tax credit program. The program was established through the FUTURE Act, a bipartisan bill supported by Senator King and passed as part of the December 2017 tax bill. Despite the fact that the FUTURE Act became law well over a year ago, taxpayers remain unable to claim the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a co-chair of the bipartisan Senate RV Caucus, announced his support for the Travel Trailer and Camper Parity Act. The legislation would amend the tax code to extend the same tax treatment for towable recreational vehicles (RV) as motorized RVs currently enjoy – correcting an imbalance created by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.“The day I left office as Governor in 2003, my wife and I departed with our two children in a 40-foot RV for... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Rules Committee, announced that he is an original cosponsor of the Election Security Act. The legislation would require voter-verifiable backup paper ballots and provide election security grants to states for cyber improvements and audits. Earlier this week, Senator King highlighted the importance of backup paper ballots and no ability to connect to the internet to members of the U.S. Election Assistance... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) announced that Maine Department of Health and Human Services has been awarded $2,036,480 for the Maine Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) Cancer Prevention and Control Programs.“The earlier cancer is caught, the better the prognosis. That’s why funding for cancer prevention programs and increased access to cancer screenings are so important,” said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement. “We welcome... Continue Reading »
PORTLAND, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) visited several businesses in the Portland area to highlight their contributions to Maine’s workforce and overall economy.“Today’s visits reflect the vitality and diversity of Maine’s economic opportunities,” said Senator King. “From e-commerce to aquaculture to engineering, it’s inspiring to see entrepreneurs of all backgrounds making Maine people a major part of their plans. I’m thrilled to see so much energy from these fast-growing... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, in a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Hearing, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) highlighted the grave dangers posed by rapidly rising carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the atmosphere. Citing charts to illustrate the historic trends of CO2 levels in the atmosphere, Senator King asserted that the current CO2 levels – in excess of 415 parts per million – have risen far above what has previously been seen throughout human history. Later in the hearing, Senator King... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) announced that the Maine Primary Care Association (MPCA) has been awarded $1,021,441 from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).“The Maine Primary Care Association supports community health centers’ efforts to provide essential health services to individuals throughout the state, making a tremendous difference in the lives of... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) emphasized the importance of funding the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC), which has seen its budget cut in half since 2010. During a Senate Rules Committee hearing, Senator King questioned the four members of the EAC about the agency’s role in ensuring the security of America’s elections, and expressed his surprise about the lack of resources devoted to the agency during a time when our elections have been targeted by... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) joined a bipartisan group of Senators in introducing the Agricultural Export Expansion Act of 2019, legislation to remove a major hurdle for American farmers and ranchers aiming to sell American agricultural products in the Cuban market. The bipartisan bill would support jobs throughout the country by lifting restrictions on private financing for U.S. agricultural exports to Cuba.“Our agriculture industry... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) – Ranking Member of the Senate National Parks Subcommittee – joined a bipartisan, bicameral group of colleagues at a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol to emphasize the importance of reducing the nearly $12 billion maintenance backlog in long-delayed maintenance projects at the National Park Service (NPS). During the event, King and his colleagues urged Congress to pass the Restore Our Parks Act, a bipartisan bill led by Senators... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Angus King (I-Maine), both members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, applauded the Committee’s passage of the Damon Paul Nelson and Matthew Young Pollard Intelligence Authorization Act (IAA) for Fiscal Years 2018, 2019, and 2020 on a unanimous and bipartisan 15-0 vote. The bill, which includes key provisions authored by both Senators Collins and King, authorizes funding and enables comprehensive, congressional oversight... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) announced his support for the Central America Reform and Enforcement (CARE) Act, legislation that would address the root causes of the Central American migrant crisis. The legislation outlines the coordinated regional response needed to effectively manage the endemic violence and humanitarian crises in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras that are forcing many women, children, and families to flee to seek refuge in the U.S.“I’m for... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a co-chair of the Senate Broadband Caucus, co-hosted an event focused on improving the quality of information used in broadband mapping. These maps are used by policymakers to allocate resources for broadband projects; if a region is inaccurately shown to already meet a certain level of broadband service on these maps, they will not receive the investment needed to improve their service. In addition to Senator King, the event included... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) joined a bipartisan group of Senators in introducing the Funding Instruction for Safety, Health, and Security Avoids Fishing Emergencies (FISH SAFE) Act – legislation that would restore the federal share of fishing safety training and research grants back to 75 percent, fixing the decrease to 50 percent created by the Frank LoBiondo Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2018. The FISH SAFE Act would also extend the two... Continue Reading »
