WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement today in response to an announcement by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.), the co-chairmen of the Senate and House Veterans’ Affairs Conference Committee, that they have reached a compromise on legislation that would reform the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and give it the necessary tools to provide quality, timely health care to veterans: “To put it simply:... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today issued the following statement in response to the release of the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) 2014 Social Security and Medicare Trustees Report, which concluded that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has helped strengthen Medicare but that the Social Security Disability Insurance Trust Fund (DI) will become insolvent in 2016: “Social Security's programs are a vital lifeline for millions of Americans, including... Continue Reading »
PORTLAND, ME – As part of his ongoing effort to keep the people of Maine informed of his work in Washington, U.S. Senator Angus King recapped this week’s events in the nation’s capital. In his weekly address, Senator King discussed: The tragic downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 in Ukraine. The challenging international situation unfolding in Gaza. Senator King was in the Middle East this past winter meeting with the Israeli Government and Palestinian Authority, and he is... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Tomorrow, U.S. Senator Angus King will speak at the formal investiture ceremony for U.S. District Judge Jon Levy. The Senate confirmed Levy to the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine in April with the strong support of both Senator King and Senator Susan Collins. The ceremony will be held at the Edward T. Gignoux U.S. Courthouse in Portland. One hundred and sixty five guests are expected to attend, including current and past members of the Supreme Judicial,... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today welcomed a series of proposed rules issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation aimed at improving rail safety and also announced his support for legislation that would create a new federal panel to better coordinate railroad hazardous materials disaster response planning among local, state, and federal governments. “This new set of proposed rules holds the potential to significantly improve the safety of communities in... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) announced that the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks today advanced legislation he authored that would authorize a study of the York River, an important first step toward possibly attaining a special federal designation that could lead to federal investments to protect the economic and environmental value of the river. The bill now awaits consideration by the full committee. Senator King’s... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, a coalition of 17 organizations committed to greater transparency in U.S. elections came together to announce their support for the Real Time Transparency Act introduced by U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine). In a joint letter submitted to the Senate Rules Committee today, the organizations expressed their concern for the recent Supreme Court McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission decision, which abolished caps on an individual’s total donations to federal... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – As more and more dark money continues to flow into the American political system following the Supreme Court’s Citizens United and McCutcheon decisions, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today took another step forward in the fight to increase disclosure requirements and help the American people find out who exactly is trying to influence their votes. King this morning led a Senate Rules Committee Hearing to consider the DISCLOSE Act, a bill introduced by Senator... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Susan Collins, the Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, and U.S. Senator Angus King today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded the City of Rockland a grant in the amount of $198,000 for improvements at the Knox County Regional Airport. “Maine's large geographic area makes air travel an important transportation option that connects towns and cities across the state,” said... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement today in response to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals decision to bar subsidies provided by the Affordable Care Act to consumers in states, like Maine, that have not created their own insurance marketplace: “I’m surprised by this decision because it is so inconsistent with the underlying purposes of the law, and I look forward to a review by the full panel,” Senator King said.... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) announced that he will chair a Senate Rules Committee hearing tomorrow to consider the DISCLOSE Act – legislation that would shine a light on so-called “dark money” by requiring organizations that spend money to influence elections to disclose their spending as well as their major sources of funding in a timely manner. The hearing, entitled “The DISCLOSE Act (S.2516) and the Need for Expanded Public... Continue Reading »
GEORGETOWN, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, released the following statement in response to the Administration’s announcement that it will extend diplomatic discussions with Iran: “While I have not had the opportunity to review the full details, I support the fundamental decision to continue negotiations to eliminate the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran,” Senator King said. “Based upon my... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Highlighting the important congressional responsibility for helping to reform the VA system, Senators Collins and King led a letter to Senate leadership urging them to bring the Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill to the floor. The bill was approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee, of which Senator Collins is a member, on May 22. The bill includes funding for, and a direction to continue, the services... Continue Reading »
BRUNSWICK, ME – As part of his ongoing effort to keep the people of Maine informed of his work in Washington, U.S. Senator Angus King recapped this week’s events in the nation’s capital. The Senate’s passage of a bill that would reauthorize of the Terrorism Risk Insurance program, which provides a federal “backstop” to private U.S. insurers in the event of a certified terrorist attack. The Senate bill would reauthorize the program for seven years. The... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced that two community projects in Maine will receive grant funding totaling $53,000 from the United States Department of Agriculture. The Shaw Public Library Association in Greenville will receive $50,000 to build a connector building between the Shaw Library and Annex. Tri-Town Ambulance and Emergency Rescue Services, Inc. based in West Paris will receive $3,000 to purchase a more reliable ambulance. “We are... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Senate today unanimously passed a resolution authored by Senators Angus King (I-Maine), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) that designates August 7th, 2014 as “National Lighthouse and Lighthouse Preservation Day”. Senators King, Collins, and Schumer introduced the legislation in advance of August 7th, which marks the 225th anniversary of President George Washington’s signing of the Lighthouse Act of 1789. That legislation... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the Obama Administration considers shifting existing financial resources to help address the ongoing humanitarian crisis at the southern border, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today urged the Secretaries of Health and Human Services and Homeland Security as well as the Attorney General not to redirect critical funding away from vulnerable refugee and asylum-seeking populations in states like Maine that are already struggling under limited resources and large court... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Senate passed the Veterinary Medicine Mobility Act (H.R. 1528) – originally introduced by U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Angus King (I-Maine) – which would allow veterinarians to carry and dispense controlled substances to protect the health and welfare of the nation’s animals, ensure public safety, and safeguard the nation’s food supply. The legislation – introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Reps. Kurt... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Armed Services Committee, today applauded an announcement by Secretary of State John Kerry that former Coast Guard Commandant, retired Admiral Robert Papp, has been appointed to serve as Special Representative for the Arctic. “Admiral Papp is an outstanding choice to serve as Special Representative for the Arctic, and I commend the President and Secretary Kerry on his selection,” Senator King said.... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement today after voting to advance the Protect Women’s Health from Corporate Interference Act. The legislation, which was drafted in response to the Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby decision, would ensure that employers cannot deny certain required health benefits to their workers or other medical procedures, like vaccines and blood transfusions, when an employer has a religious objection. “I have... Continue Reading »
