BRUNSWICK, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the April edition of his podcast focusing on positive trends in Maine’s craft brew industry and how federal policies can help to continue that momentum. In the podcast, he interviews Maine Beer Company founder Dan Kleban and Blue Ox Malthouse founder Joel Alex who highlighted the growth of Maine’s small brewers, outlined how the industry is helping to strengthen Maine’s economy, and provided insights... Continue Reading »
FREEPORT, ME – In keynote remarks delivered at the Maine Association of Psychiatric Physicians (MAPP) Annual Meeting in Freeport today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) emphasized the importance of working together to fight Maine’s opioid and heroin epidemic and how Maine’s medical community is a central part of a comprehensive response to curbing the ongoing crisis. “We all recognize the urgency of... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) introduced a bipartisan bill today to examine the rising rate and treatment costs of neonatal abstinence syndrome or NAS, a withdrawal condition in newborns often caused by the prenatal use of opioids in pregnant women. “The statistics are heartbreaking. Nearly one thousand babies were born in Maine last year with neonatal abstinence syndrome,” Senator King said.... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) pressed Secretary of Defense Ash Carter on the status of repairs to the Mosul Dam in northern Iraq. The dam, which is at a high risk of catastrophic breach, is currently scheduled to be repaired this year by an Italian contractor. According to a recent U.S. Embassy Fact Sheet, its collapse could occur with little to no warning and unleash a tidal wave that could result in the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins, the Chairman of the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, and Angus King today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded a total of $639,841 in grant funding to support maintenance efforts at Knox County Regional Airport and Lincoln Regional Airport. “Maine’s airports are critical pieces of our state’s transportation system that bolster our economy and... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a letter sent to the Senate Appropriations Committee today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) called for increased mosquito abatement funding to support local, state, and national efforts to contain the spread of the Zika virus. In his letter, Senator King emphasized that unless Congress deals with the Zika crisis head on by allocating additional funding, public health responders in Maine will continue to lose Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) funding, which... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator Susan Collins, the Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD), and Senator Angus King, a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded $58,995 to the State of Maine that will help keep our pipelines safe. The investment will provide funding to continue to support one of the state’s two Damage Prevention... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ahead of the 11th U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced the locations of the Maine collection sites. Click HERE for locations. The National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications. At the previous... Continue Reading »
PORTLAND, ME – During an Earth Day panel discussion at the University of Southern Maine (USM) today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) heralded the signing of Paris Climate Agreement as a significant step forward in the ongoing effort to curb global climate change. The agreement, which was reached in December 2015 and signed today by the United States and approximately 170 nations, is an historic global climate pact that establishes an action plan to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will invest a total of $7,148,000 to help East Millinocket upgrade and improve its waste water treatment facility. The federal assistance, which comes in the form of $3,500,000 grant and a $3,648,000 loan, is provided through USDA’s Rural Development Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program. Representatives for Senator Collins and Senator King... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King welcomed the announcement that five community organizations in rural Maine will benefit from a total of $206,400 in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, Downeast Salmon Federation, Eastport Arts Center, Aroostook Dental Clinic, and Unity Barn Raisers will all receive grants to further their work in Maine communities. “Community organizations across Maine... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) announced today that the Senate has unanimously approved a bipartisan resolution he cosponsored that supports 4-H and its recently-launched “Grow True Leaders” campaign. The resolution, which was led by Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) and cosponsored by a total of 35 senators, recognizes the immeasurable benefits of the national 4-H program for young people and its potential growth under the new... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Angus King (I-Maine) introduced bipartisan legislation today that would require the Department of Defense to provide initial entry service members with American-made athletic shoes upon arrival at basic training. This bill is part of a years-long effort focused on ensuring that our troops are equipped and outfitted with the high-quality uniform items made in the United States. It also supports domestic manufacturing... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a pre-recorded video message played yesterday at the Maine Emergency Management Agency’s (MEMA) Eighth Annual Maine Partners in Emergency Preparedness Conference at the Augusta Civic Center, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) highlighted the importance of a coordinated and comprehensive strategy to protect Maine people and businesses from the threat of cyber-attacks. In his remarks, Senator King also commended the first-responders and industry professionals in... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will award the Portland Fire Department $31,910 through the Assistance to Firefighter Grant (AFG) program. “Our firefighters and first responders risk their lives every day to help protect our communities and keep us safe,” Senators Collins and King said in a joint statement. “This grant will help ensure that firefighters at the Portland Fire... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – With the support of U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), the Senate today passed The Energy Policy Modernization Act, a bipartisan energy bill with several provisions authored by Senator King that would support Maine’s renewable energy resources, such as biomass and hydropower, and that would empower greater personal energy independence. As a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Senator King helped craft the legislation earlier this year,... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – With the support of U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), the Senate today passed legislation that reauthorizes the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The legislation, which passed with strong bipartisan support, authorizes funding for all FAA programs, including FAA operations, research and development, aviation programs, extension of expiring authorities, airport planning and improvement and noise compatibility and programs. Importantly, the legislation also includes... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today called on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to make it easier for Maine’s elderly and rural citizens to file their taxes. In a letter to IRS Commissioner John Koskinen today, Senator King expressed his concern that the IRS’s effort to reduce printing costs by decreasing the availability of paper tax forms and instructions at local IRS offices and libraries, along with its closure of Taxpayer Assistance Centers like the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that $922,876 will be distributed from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) directly to Maine to support conservation and recreation projects in our local communities. The funds, which are generated out of a portion of the lease revenue from offshore oil and gas development, support state-identified and community-supported projects that create jobs, contribute to local economies, and grow outdoor... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin sent a letter today to the Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Robert Califf, M.D., urging the FDA to outline a plan ensuring that all states wishing to export shellfish to the 28-member European Union (EU) are able to do so as the shellfish trade between the U.S. and the EU resumes. Currently, only two states are being audited by the EU to... Continue Reading »
