WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) led a bipartisan group of 30 colleagues in sending a letter to the Senate Majority Leader, Minority Leader, and the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Appropriations Committee urging them to provide H-2B visa cap relief for seasonal employers in any funding agreement. In the letter, the senators stress that there are not enough U.S. workers qualified and available to meet the seasonal demand for employment – and that... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has been awarded $225,000 for their Drinking Water Program (DWP) to continue testing the water at schools and child care facilities throughout the state. This Safe Drinking Water Act funding was provided to Maine DHHS by the Environmental Protection Agency. “Lead poisoning poses a severe threat to human health, especially to children. Families... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) joined 46 of his Senate colleagues to introduce a companion version of the House-passed Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act (VAWA) aiming to strengthen protections for women against domestic violence and sexual assault. The legislation, which passed the House of Representatives on a bipartisan basis six months ago, would reauthorize VAWA through 2024, provide critical funding to anti-crime priorities, preserve advancements made in... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King applauded the passage of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. This bipartisan bill, introduced in June, seeks to tackle the problem of plastic waste on a global scale by spurring innovation and finding uses for the plastic waste that already exists to keep it from entering the oceans. The legislation builds on the initial progress made by the Save Our Seas Act, which... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Angus King (I-Maine) and Representative Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) urged U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer to continue to prioritize a trade deal with the European Union (E.U.) that would reduce or eliminate E.U. tariffs on Maine lobster. Collins, King, and Pingree have repeatedly pressed the USTR to prioritize lobster in trade negotiations, as the U.S. industry has been adversely impacted by several... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) advocated for the United States to reassert its global leadership on climate issues and rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement. Senator King’s comments came during a hearing in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee featuring testimony from current Acting Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette, nominee to be the Secretary of Energy.“Senator Barrasso said quote ‘we can’t tackle climate change alone’,” said Senator King, citing... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus, has announced his support for the Cleaner, Quieter Airplanes Act, which would direct the National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) to develop electric aircraft technology on an accelerated timeline. The legislation supports the U.S. aviation industry’s efforts to develop airplanes that produce 50 percent less greenhouse gas pollution and less noise, keeping domestic aviation... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) announced his support of the Opportunity Zone Reporting and Reform Act to overhaul the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)’s Opportunity Zone program, which was created to incentivize investment in low-income communities. The bill would require qualified investors to submit annual informational returns on their Opportunity Zone investments, bringing essential transparency to a Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 program that likely has... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today joined a number of their colleagues in introducing bipartisan legislation to support and expand programs such as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a collaborative effort across the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont to use market-based tools to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector.... Continue Reading »
WATERVILLE, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) honored Veterans Day at events celebrating Maine veterans in Portland, Augusta, and Waterville. Senator King began his morning highlighting veterans healthcare providers alongside veterans, their families, and staff from Martin’s Point Healthcare in Portland. Senator King then met with veterans and VA leadership at Togus VA Medical Center in Augusta. At Togus he toured the new Fisher House, which is dedicated to providing a... Continue Reading »
FALMOUTH, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) celebrated the contributions of Maine’s forest economy while emphasizing the importance of environmental stewardship at the Land Conservation Assistance Network (LandCAN) panel discussion and forum in Falmouth. Senator King’s remarks focused on the economic impact of Maine’s forest products industry, which supports communities throughout the state, and the importance of balance in protecting Maine’s natural resources. The event, titled “May... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) sent a letter to U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Chairman of the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Ranking Member of the Committee, urging consideration of the House-passed Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act. The bipartisan bill would ensure that legal hemp and cannabis businesses can access the same financial services utilized by all other legal businesses. The bill... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) Robert Wilkie to raise the issue of late payments from the VA to Maine community hospitals and health care providers. As the lawmakers note in their letter, the Maine Hospital Association states the VA currently owes millions of dollars to fifteen Maine hospitals, and nearly a third of those delinquent claims are more than six... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) has awarded a total of $2,125,000 in grant funding to 17 Maine health coalitions and local governments to prevent youth substance abuse and foster drug-free communities in Maine.“Last year, drug overdoses claimed the life of 354 Mainers, nearly one person each day. We must take an all-hands-on-deck approach to stop this epidemic and support those who are... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) has joined a bipartisan group of his colleagues to introduce legislation that would make common-sense improvements to the federal government’s budget process. The Bipartisan Congressional Budget Reform Act would create a more deliberative budget process that emphasizes long-term fiscal planning over partisan brinksmanship and tackles growing debt and deficits.“Here’s a statement that won’t draw a lot of disagreement: Congress’s current... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) introduced the Primary Care Patient Protection Act to allow consumers enrolled in high-deductible health plans (HDHP) to be covered for two yearly visits to primary care physicians. Under current law, individuals covered by HDHPs have a low premium, but higher costs for medical services – including primary care visits – before their insurance plan begins to cover expenses. As a result, individuals often can’t afford the routine visits... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today in an Energy Subcommittee hearing of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) advocated for his legislation that would support businesses investing in energy efficiency technology, help diversify energy options for rural industries, and maximize the value of Maine’s natural resources. The Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Support Act reauthorizes and funds the CHP Technical Assistance Partnerships (TAP) program for the next... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, announced that he has joined the Senate Climate Solutions Caucus, a bipartisan effort that brings together Republican, Democratic, and Independent members of the Senate to find bipartisan solutions to address climate change. In addition to Senator King, members of the Climate Solutions Caucus include Senators Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Mitt Romney, (R-Utah), Jeanne... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, in a hearing of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) pressed nominee for Deputy Secretary of the Interior, Katharine MacGregor to ensure that no action is being taken or plans underway from the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) to drill natural resources off of the coast of Maine – reasserting the state’s opposition to offshore drilling. During the hearing, Senator King also pressed nominees on their support of the... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, calling on him to alleviate the economic hardship affecting Maine businesses as a result of the current trade dispute between the United States and the European Union.In October 2019, the U.S. imposed tariffs on $7.5 billion worth of European products following a World Trade Organization ruling that the European Union... Continue Reading »
