WASHINGTON, D.C. —U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today introduced a bipartisan bill to extend the tax filing deadline from April 15, 2020, to July 15, 2020, which would build upon the Treasury Department’s previous announcement that it would extend the tax payment deadline for filers who owe the IRS for the 2019 tax year. The bipartisan Tax Filing Relief for America Act, also supported by Senators John Thune (R-S.D.) and Steve Daines (R-Mont.), would provide greater clarity to taxpayers and... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) voted to advance the House’s bipartisan coronavirus funding package in the Senate. Following the vote, King issued the following statement:“The coronavirus outbreak is challenging our society in unprecedented ways – but we will get through it together,” said Senator King. “Today’s bipartisan legislation is a step in the right direction, providing much-needed support to both our public health infrastructure working to combat this disease... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the economic fallout of the coronavirus outbreak escalates, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) has joined a group of his Senate colleagues in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer urging the Senate to provide Americans with direct cash payments. In the letter, King and his colleagues outline a proposal to provide a $2,000 immediate cash payment to every adult, child (or non-child dependent), and recipient... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) and twenty-seven of his Senate colleagues are urging President Trump to use his existing authority to help address widespread shortages of medical equipment, as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. In a letter sent to President Trump, the senators pushed the president to invoke the Defense Production Act of 1950 (DPA), which authorizes the president to strengthen domestic manufacturing capacity and supply in extraordinary circumstances, and to... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) applauded the moves made by several major internet service providers (ISPs) that he requested last week to better support remote technologies for Americans in light of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. On Friday, King and 17 of his Senate colleagues urged CEOs of eight major ISPs to take steps to accommodate the unprecedented reliance we will likely see on telepresence services, including telework, online education, telehealth,... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Office of U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today released a letter from Senator King outlining a wide range of funding initiatives in need of resources and staffing to deliver relief and aid to the American people as the nation faces likely long-term threats associated with the coronavirus pandemic. Given his consistent focus on preventive measures, Senator King identified a number of specific needs and federal shortcomings that face Maine given its unique... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C.– Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), sent a letter to President Trump with 26 of his Senate colleagues urging him to immediately issue an executive order directing federal agencies to utilize telework capabilities to the maximum possible extent. While the Administration has issued guidance recommending agencies expand their telework capabilities, many federal employees are still required to come to work in-person when they can do their job from home. As the Centers for... Continue Reading »
BRUNSWICK, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), co-chair of the Senate Broadband Caucus, joined a group of his colleagues in calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to temporarily allow schools to utilize E-Rate program funding to provide Wi-Fi hotspots or devices with Wi-Fi capability to students who lack internet access at home. This action would help ensure that all students can remotely continue their education during the coronavirus pandemic, which is forcing... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C.—Following a letter written by the Maine Delegation, the Small Business Administration (SBA) approved a disaster declaration making the state eligible for the Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) program. U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden expressed their strong support for the request made by Governor Janet Mills that the SBA provide relief to Maine small businesses that have experienced economic hardship due to the... Continue Reading »
BRUNSWICK, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement in response to the President’s announcement that he will be declaring a national emergency in response to the continuing spread of the coronavirus. The announcement comes one day after Senator King and a group of his colleagues urged the President to take this step.“It is clear that we need aggressive, forward-thinking action to prevent this pandemic from continuing to spread,” said Senator King. “Today’s... Continue Reading »
BRUNSWICK, ME — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today joined a group of his Senate colleagues to introduce the Free COVID-19 Testing Act, legislation that would ensure free tests to confirm coronavirus (COVID-19) infections.“We can’t make evidence-based decisions about how to fight this pandemic without evidence,” said Senator King. “This is a public health emergency, and no one should be questioning whether they can afford to get tested. We need to do the right thing for the health of... Continue Reading »
BRUNSWICK, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), co-chair of the Senate Broadband Caucus, and 17 of his colleagues sent a letter to the CEOs of eight major internet service providers (ISPs), calling on the companies to take steps to accommodate the unprecedented reliance we will likely see on telepresence services, including telework, online education, telehealth, and remote support services. In the letter, sent to the CEOS of AT&T, CenturyLink, Charter Communications, Comcast, Cox... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) announced that he will be temporarily shifting his Washington, D.C. office operations to telework in response to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Senator King’s decision comes after the Senate Sergeant at Arms instituted new restrictions to the Capitol complex, including closing the Capitol to all tours and preventing visitors from accessing Senate Office Buildings without staff escorts. Yesterday, a Congressional staffer who... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement in response to the Governor’s announcement that Maine has its first presumptive positive test for novel coronavirus disease, or COVID-19:“Today’s news of Maine’s first presumptive positive COVID-19 diagnosis is both concerning and expected. Given the spread of the disease and its presence in other New England states, it was always likely that the disease would impact Maine people. With this in mind,... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) and Congressman Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), co-chairs of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission (CSC), today announced the release of the CSC’s report on how to best protect the nation’s critical infrastructure from a cyberattack of significant consequence. In today’s report, the CSC lays out a comprehensive strategy to restore deterrence in cyberspace and provides extensive policy and legislative actions to enable this strategy. The report... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, and Senator Angus King announced today that Maine will receive $4,568,000 to help fight the coronavirus. The funding was made available through the $7.8 billion coronavirus appropriations package that passed Congress last week with Senators Collins and King’s support and was signed into law on March 6, 2020.“The coronavirus poses a significant public health threat, particularly to seniors, and a... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), ranking member of the Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, today advocated for his legislation that would address the nearly $12 billion backlog at U.S. National Parks and permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) during a hearing featuring U.S. Secretary of Interior David Bernhardt. This week, Senator King led a bipartisan group of senators, in introducing the Great American Outdoors... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) pressed nominees for top Department of Defense (DOD) positions on the need for the DOD to increase collaboration with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs as servicemembers transition out of the military and into civilian life. Senator King, a cosponsor of a bill that would designate a three-digit phone number for a national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline, emphasized the importance of increasing support for... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), ranking member of the Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, led a bipartisan group of senators to introduce S. 3422, the Great American Outdoors Act, a landmark piece of legislation that will preserve and protect America’s public lands, with Senator Susan M. Collins (R-Maine) as an original cosponsor. The bipartisan legislation includes Senator King’s Restore Our Parks Act, which would address the nearly $12 billion... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin asking for details on Secretary Mnuchin’s directive to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to increase tax enforcement efforts on high-income taxpayers. Senator King has strongly pushed to make sure the IRS has the resources it needs to enforce tax laws fairly for all Americans, and in a January letter to OMB highlighted data illustrating that that Americans who earn lower salaries or... Continue Reading »
