WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today joined a bipartisan group of his colleagues in introducing legislation aimed at enhancing support for rural communities, family farms and small businesses facing increased fiscal pressures due to the COVID-19 outbreak. King, along with U.S. Senators Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah) are leading the Rural Equal Aid Act to provide relief to rural small businesses by expanding assistance Congress previously provided for certain... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) pressed nominees for top Defense Department intelligence and inspector general positions on the importance of independent assessments, serving the facts rather than the objectives of a political figure or party, during a nominations hearing of the Senate Armed Service Committee. Senator King also sought the nominees’ thinking on how best to appropriately declassify material to inform the public on issues such as election security –... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bipartisan resolution cosponsored by U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Angus King (I-ME) designating the month of July as “National Blueberry Month.” The resolution recognizes the importance of blueberries to the United States’ agricultural economy and highlights the crop’s history. Senators Collins and King ensured that the resolution included language lauding wild blueberries and their superior qualities, as well as paying tribute to... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Congressional TRIO Caucus, celebrated more than $5 million in grants to aid Maine’s colleges and universities efforts to support low-income and first generation college students. A total of $5,082,580 has been awarded through the Department of Education’s Student Support Services Program, a federally-funded TRIO program that works to provide opportunities for academic development, assist students with basic college... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King joined four of his Senate colleagues to introduce legislation that would create thousands of living wage jobs in rural America as these communities continue to grapple with unique and devastating economic challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 21st Century Civilian Conservation Corps Act would support rural economies by investing in job training and development, rangeland and working lands conservation programs, and the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), co-chair of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, pushed top officials in charge of cybersecurity and energy systems in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), and private sector companies on the importance of regularly red teaming and penetration testing (pentesting) their own infrastructure to identify cybervulnerabilities and bolster their defenses. Senator King’s questioning came during a... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that Maine has received a total of $5,306,000 to support clean, safe drinking water and water infrastructure projects for Maine communities. This funding will help to ensure Maine’s public water systems are in compliance with federal safe drinking water standards and support upgrades to water infrastructure in Bridgton and Milo.“Safe, reliable water is vital to ensuring the economic and environmental health of... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) – joined by Cyberspace Solarium Commission (CSC) Co-Chair Representative Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) and CSC Commissioner and former Deputy Director of the National Security Agency Chris Inglis, testified before the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Cyber to present the CSC’s recommendations to establish a comprehensive, forward-looking cybersecurity strategy for the United States. The final report, issued on March 11, lays out... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) met with nearly 50 Maine school psychologists via teleconference to discuss the importance of meeting the mental health needs of students – especially given the increased coronavirus-related challenges posed by the upcoming school year. The virtual organization was formed at the outset of the coronavirus pandemic as a way for school psychologists to connect and discuss how best to support remote students and teachers coping with new routines... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King celebrated the enactment of the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) into law. The legislation includes the Restore Our Parks Act, a proposal originally introduced by Senators King, Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) 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,... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $662,518 to the University of Southern Maine to support its Casco Bay Estuary Partnership's (CBEP) Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan. The CBEP agreement is aimed at reducing nutrient pollution and its impacts, including coastal acidification, in Casco Bay.“Casco Bay is a beautiful area off the coast of Maine, attracting visitors from all across... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) is cosponsoring the TRICARE Prescription Relief Act, legislation that would authorize the Secretary of Defense to waive prescription cost-sharing requirements for military servicemembers, veterans, and their families during a declared national or public health emergency. The proposal – also supported by U.S. Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Krysten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), and Doug Jones (D-Ala.) – would help to reduce the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) connected with Maine student veterans from the University of Maine System (UMS) to share their unique perspective as non-traditional students – including some still serving in the Reserves – and additional challenges they have faced during the coronavirus pandemic. The students who participated in today’s call represent veterans from six campuses in the UMS: University of Maine, University of Maine at Augusta, University of Southern... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) and six of his colleagues on the Senate Intelligence Committee sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) demanding they provide information to the Committee about the role that its Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) has played in responding to the protests in Portland, OR. In the letter, the Senators pose a series of 25 questions to the department regarding its activities surrounding the protests, and request... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King flatly rejected President Donald Trump’s claim that mail-in voting will drastically increase voter fraud, and his suggestion that the 2020 election should be delayed. In his full statement, which can be read below, Senator King urges increased investments in national election infrastructure and the United States Postal Service, and condemns the President’s tweet, stating he can think of “no greater gift to our adversaries” seeking to undermine... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) – joined by Cyberspace Solarium Commission (CSC) Co-chair Representative Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) and Commissioners Patrick Murphy and Frank Cilluffo – testified before the House of Representatives Committee on Armed Services and presented the CSC’s recommendations to establish a comprehensive, forward-looking cybersecurity strategy for the United States. The final report, issued on March 11, lays out more than 80 recommendations,... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wa.) sent a letter to Gene Dodaro, Comptroller General of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), seeking a comprehensive GAO review of current methane emissions from oil and gas development. In the letter, the Senators emphasize the importance of reducing methane leaks in the fight against climate change, and call for the federal government to review and improve its... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) joined a group of colleagues in urging Senate leaders to include the Public Health Emergency Privacy Act in the next coronavirus relief package as negotiations between Senate Republicans and Democrats are underway. Inclusion of the legislation will help strengthen the public’s trust to participate in critical screening and contact tracing efforts to aid in the fight against coronavirus.“As you begin negotiations on another coronavirus stimulus... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has awarded a total of $10,251,895 in state and local preparedness grants to the State of Maine. This funding was awarded through the fiscal year (FY) 2020 State and Local Preparedness Grant Program to help address the nation’s immediate security needs and ensure public safety in communities across the country.“The men and women who serve as Maine’s law enforcement and... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement in response to the Senate Majority Leader’s proposal for a new coronavirus relief package:“On May 15th, the House of Representatives passed the HEROES Act to help lay out the next stage of support for the American people during the coronavirus pandemic. This should have been seen as a starting point from which to begin a dialogue – but instead, the proposal languished on the Senate Majority Leader’s... Continue Reading »
