WASHINGTON, D.C. – In the wake of mass shootings across the country, including at home in Lewiston, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) will be introducing legislation today with his colleague, Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM), to curb mass killings, without hindering Americans who own a firearm for self-defense or the marksmen who head to the shooting range or the woods during hunting season. The Gas-Operated Semi-Automatic Firearms Exclusion (GOSAFE) Act, will protect communities from gun violence... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden announced they will convene an advisory committee to review and provide recommendations to President Biden on candidates to fill a vacancy on the United States District Court for the District of Maine and a vacancy on the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit: Senator Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden announce applications are open for the upcoming... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) is calling for congressional leaders to prevent global adversaries, like the People’s Republic of China (PRC), from acquiring sensitive U.S. technologies. In a letter to the chairmen and ranking members of both the Senate and House Armed Services Committees, King and his colleagues strongly encourage the leaders to include clear, bold language in the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to address the national security threat posed... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King, co-chair of the Senate Working Forest Caucus, is calling for the utilization of mass timber in federal building projects. In a letter to the Government Services Agency (GSA), King and a number of his colleagues questioned the agency about its process on integrating mass timber into the federal procurement process and using low-carbon building materials in the construction and renovation of federal buildings. The Senators also highlighted the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Angus King (I-ME), Representatives Jared Golden (ME-02), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), and Governor Janet Mills sent a letter today to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) urging them to completely exclude Lobster Management Area 1 (LMA 1) from the Wind Energy Area (WEA) for potential wind power development in the Gulf of Maine. The letter was sent following last month’s release of the draft WEA which excluded much of LMA 1, but identified two... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the Maine Department of Health and Human Services received $8,000,000 through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Early Childhood Development’s Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) program. This funding will allow the State of Maine to expand access to high-quality preschool for children from low-income families. “Early childhood education is an investment in the future... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Following the recent Election Day, U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) have introduced the Voter Choice Act to support the adoption of a ranked choice voting (RCV) model for federal elections, also known as an “instant runoff.” The Voter Choice Act provides $40 million in federal grants to cover up to 50 percent of the cost for state and local governments that choose to adopt RCV. In most U.S. elections, a candidate can win without receiving a... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King is joining his colleagues in sending a bipartisan letter to President Joe Biden urging him to tackle the fentanyl crisis during his meeting with President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). In their letter, the senators focus on the devastating impact of fentanyl in the United States and the PRC’s ineffective policies to control the fentanyl supply chain. The letter calls on President Biden to urge President Xi to do more to stop the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King have cosponsored legislation to help Maine’s wild blueberry and potato farmers boost exports of their crops. The Specialty Crops Reporting on Opportunities and Promotion Act (Specialty CROP Act), aims to address high tariffs, burdensome labeling requirements, and other trade barriers that restrict U.S. products from accessing foreign markets, threatening rural communities and agricultural producers who depend on customers... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) have introduced a bill to protect the educational benefits of military dependents if the servicemember who transferred them those education benefits is dishonorably discharged from the military due to domestic or sexual assault against a family. The Safeguarding VA Dependent Education Benefits Act of 2023 would ensure that sons, daughters and other dependents would still have full access to benefits even if their... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) released the following statement after the Supreme Court announced the adoption of a binding code of conduct: “It’s welcome news that the Supreme Court has taken the steps to draft and adopt its own code of conduct. The Court’s authority rests entirely upon its credibility and integrity and the American people want to know that there is a guidebook for occupying a seat on our nation’s highest court. This... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King, a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs and Armed Services Committees, released the following statement in observance of Veterans Day: “In 1918, members of the Allied Forces and Central Powers laid down their arms to mark the end of the Great War (World War I). While victory came at a tremendous cost, it was a historic triumph of freedom over the forces of tyranny. Originally known as Armistice Day, November 11 became the date each year for us... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In honor of Veterans Day, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs (SVAC) and Armed Services Committees (SASC), released his latest episode of “Answering the Call: Maine’s Veteran Voices.” In the 12th interview of the series, produced in partnership with the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project, Senator King sat down with Beth Parks of Corea, Maine. Parks is a U.S. Army veteran who served as a nurse during the Vietnam War and later... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) are introducing legislation to protect the customer service process and experience with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The Improving Veteran Experience Act of 2023 would establish into law the Veterans Experience Office (VEO), making it a permanent fixture to help meet the increased demand for services. Established in 2015, the VEO collects veterans’ feedback through surveys and uses that data to enhance... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Labor (DOL) are expected to make an additional 64,716 H-2B temporary nonagricultural worker visas available for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY 24), on top of the congressionally mandated 66,000 H-2B visas that are available each fiscal year. “These additional H-2B visas are a welcome relief for small businesses throughout Maine that continue to face a shortage of... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) joined Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), and 21 of their colleagues in a letter to President Biden condemning the brutal terror attacks by Hamas, expressing support for immediate funding to replenish Israel’s defensive systems, and seeking information on two clear U.S. priorities: supporting an Israeli strategy that will effectively degrade and defeat the threat from Hamas... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King have introduced legislation to help monitor mountain snowpack across Maine. The Snow Survey and Water Supply Forecasting Act would establish a network of snow and water monitoring stations across Maine and the Northeast to better track mountain snow accumulation and precipitation rates – to help Maine’s communities and businesses adapt to changing dynamics. As climate change continues to disrupt weather patterns, expanded resources are... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King have joined together on a bipartisan letter seeking expanded comment periods for temporary access visa programs used by Maine’s farmers and ranchers. In letters to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and acting Labor Secretary Julie Su, the Senators request a 60-day public comment extension for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposed rulemaking, “Modernizing H-2 Program Requirements, Oversight, and Worker... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King sent a letter to the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of the Army, Lieutenant General Donna W. Martin, calling for a comprehensive review of the events surrounding the Lewiston shooting on October 25, 2023. “As we continue to grieve the needless loss of life that day, we must work to fully understand what happened—and what could have been done differently that might have prevented this tragedy—on the local, state, and federal... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a hearing of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee (SVAC), U.S. Senator Angus King expressed the urgent need for the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) to find pragmatic, workable solutions in order to keep VA facilities properly staffed, fully open, and industry-competitive. He questioned Tracey Therit, the Chief Human Capital Officer within the VA, about the direct effect that bureaucratic hiring processes and lack of staff can have on veterans seeking care. “We're... Continue Reading »
