WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) joined a group of 38 Senate colleagues in urging House and Senate leaders to ensure that any upcoming coronavirus relief bill include strong provisions to expand access to quality and affordable health care coverage in the wake of this public health crisis. In their letter, the Senators called for a bipartisan effort to increase the federal government’s share of Medicaid dollars as well as reduce premiums for individuals who are eligible for... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following last week’s historic Supreme Court ruling rejecting the Trump Administration’s repeal of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) joined 46 of his Senate colleagues in a letter urging Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to immediately take up the bipartisan House-passed American Dream and Promise Act, which would establish a path to citizenship for Dreamers and immigrants with Temporary Protected... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Amid nationwide protests against police violence against African-Americans and widespread calls for systemic changes, U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) are urging Senate leaders to find a bipartisan path forward and enact meaningful police reform. Specifically, the Senators are calling for hearings in the Judiciary Committee on both the Justice in Policing Act, introduced by Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), and the JUSTICE Act,... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden announced today that Native Maine Produce & Specialty Foods, a Westbrook distribution company, was awarded $1.35 million to participate in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farmers to Families Food Box Program. The Farmers to Families Food Box Program, a component of USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program that was established through the Families First... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) participated in a teleconference with Maine United Way leadership representatives, as part of his continuous effort to stay connected to Maine people throughout the coronavirus pandemic. During the call Senator King received updates from the United Way on the impacts of the coronavirus on Maine communities, and highlighted the importance of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), the Child Tax Credit (CTC), and Medicaid expansion to help... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) introduced legislation to protect patients receiving care through telehealth services by shielding certain rural health clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) in underserved communities from impending Medicare payments that could hinder their ability to care and treat patients in the middle of a pandemic. The Improving Telehealth for Underserved Communities Act would provide payment parity... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) shared the following insights to commemorate Juneteenth. In the video, Senator King reflects upon the date’s significance in our national history, emphasizes the continued failings in America’s approach to ensuring racial justice, and challenges Americans to “live our creed,” fight for equality and to listen to one another. Senator King's video can be downloaded HERE.“On June 19th, 1865, a Union General arrived in Galveston Texas... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S Senate passed the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), bipartisan legislation championed by U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) that will support national parks and public lands across our nation. The GAOA includes the Restore Our Parks Act, legislation introduced by Senators King to address the existing $12 billion maintenance backlog in our national parks – including an estimated $65 million in needed repairs at Acadia National Park. In addition, the GAOA... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King joined a bipartisan group of 30 Senators in calling for the expansion of access to telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic to be made permanent. Cosponsored by Senators Collins and King, provisions of the Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act were included in COVID-19 relief legislation. These provisions, which expand coverage of telehealth services for Medicare... Continue Reading »
Washington D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the Maine State Department of Health and Human Services has been awarded a total of $1,477,750 to support mental health and substance abuse programs throughout the state. This funding was awarded through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS). “No community is immune from these heartbreaking disorders that have taken a toll on... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) joined a bipartisan group of 44 senators in urging Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Jovita Carranza to ease paperwork requirements for small businesses seeking loan forgiveness under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). In the letter, Senator King and his colleagues specifically request that the loan forgiveness application for loans under $250,000 be limited to one page in length.... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, DC – As the U.S. Senate considers bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) to support America’s national parks, a new National Park Service (NPS) study shows that in 2019, visitor spending in communities near national parks contributed $41.7 billion benefit to the nation’s economy and supported 340,500 jobs. This study comes on the heels of an another NPS study, which shows Senator King’s bipartisan Restore Our Parks would support an average of 40,300... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) joined five of his Senate colleagues in a letter urging the President to reestablish the National Security Council’s (NSC) Global Health Security Directorate (GHSD) as a separate entity from the Counterproliferation and Biodefense Directorate (CBD). The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the need for a central office to develop policies and coordinate responses to global health crises – a need first vocalized by Senator King in November... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) participated in a video conference with the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association (MCFA) to gain insight on the overall outlook on the seafood industry and listen to the challenges that Maine fishermen are facing as result of the coronavirus pandemic. During the call, the participants shared personal experiences, industry trends, and market observations to illustrate the variety of obstacles they are working to overcome.“For... Continue Reading »
Washington D.C. – Following a bipartisan push from U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a new nationwide waiver that will allow schools and other meal sites to continue serving nutritious meals to all children for the remainder of the summer. Without an extension, this program would no longer have been available to more than 60 percent of Maine children currently receiving these... Continue Reading »
Washington D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that Maine Head Start programs have been awarded a total of $2,650,659 to support low-income families during the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding was awarded through the CARES Act.“During this public health crisis, Head Start programs throughout our state have continued to provide children with key educational tools and resources, as well as access to healthy meals and health screenings,” said Senators Collins and King... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), contacted U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) Secretary David Bernhardt in a letter, seeking answers regarding the actions that the U.S. Park Police (over which the DOI has oversight) took on Monday, June 1st to aggressively suppress peaceful protesters demonstrating in and around Lafayette Square. Senator King, Ranking Member of the National Parks Subcommittee, writes that the President’s Park – which includes Lafayette... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Angus King (I-Maine) announced that the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) COVID-19 Telehealth Program has awarded $516,160 to two health centers to improve and expand telehealth services. Specifically, the FCC has awarded $270,172 to Central Maine Medical Center and $245,988 to Portland Community Health Center to upgrade technology at each facility and improve remote health care access for Maine people.“As Maine people... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), Ranking Member of the Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, spoke on the floor of the U.S. Senate to highlight the importance of passing the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) to support national parks and public lands across our nation. The bipartisan legislation includes Senator King’s Restore Our Parks Act, which would address the nearly $12 billion maintenance backlog in our national parks. A recent study by... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that the U.S. Navy has awarded Bath Iron Works (BIW) a $42,772,449 contract modification to a previously awarded contract for lead yard services for the DDG-51-class destroyer program. Senator Collins is a senior member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, and Senator King is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.“From maritime security patrols in the North Atlantic to freedom of... Continue Reading »
