BRUNSWICK, ME – Following U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine)’s letter earlier this month with 24 colleagues to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar, the Administration has expanded relief funding eligibility for rural healthcare providers and updated requirements to preserve providers’ access to the Provider Relief Fund (PRF) created as a response to the coronavirus pandemic.“Rural healthcare providers are on the frontlines of combatting this public health crisis... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden wrote to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today requesting fixes to the Farmers to Families Food Box Program to ensure Maine-based contractors have a fair shot to be selected when the fourth round contracts are awarded. No companies in Maine were chosen by USDA to be suppliers in the first or third tranche of funding for the Farmers to Families Food... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON — Following the introduction of legislation earlier this year by Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) and Senator Angus King (I-ME) to make admission to national parks free for Gold Star Families – an idea proposed to Congressman Golden by a constituent – the U.S. Department of the Interior announced earlier today it would implement the lawmakers’ proposal nationwide. Starting November 11, 2020, entrance fees for Gold Star Families will be waived at all national parks and... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) and a group of 33 Senators sent a letter urging Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to ensure all struggling federal student borrowers can gain access to crucial federal relief. In their letter, the Senators pressed Secretary DeVos to immediately contact borrowers currently missing out on relief and help them consolidate their loans into qualifying loans. They also urged Secretary DeVos to use her administrative authority to... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) voted against Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to serve as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court. In his full statement below, Senator King cites the rushed nature of the proceedings – which he argued should take place after the upcoming election – and the core flaws of Judge Barrett’s judicial philosophy, which he discussed in a Senate floor speech and an op-ed for The Atlantic.“Today’s outcome was pre-determined from the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) joined 136 Senate and House lawmakers in sending a letter to House and Senate leadership urging them to prioritize the development of thoughtful, forward-looking policy plans to prevent and mitigate the impact of future pandemics. In the letter, the lawmakers outline the steps necessary to prevent future pandemics while also noting that Congress must act to provide relief to Americans suffering from the current economic downturn and public... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences is set to receive a total of $878,514 to conduct research on a new simple, low-cost method of detecting harmful toxins in mussels. This funding, of which $164,078 is slated for fiscal year 2020, was awarded through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Center for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS).“Maintaining the health of shellfish aquaculture... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – Ahead of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day this Saturday, October 24th, U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) announced the locations of the Maine collection sites. “Unused prescription drugs that collect in our homes can fall into the wrong hands, creating unintended gateways to opioid addiction, particularly as we continue to combat the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” said Senators Collins and King in a... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), member of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee with oversight over federal elections, and 12 members of the Rules and Judiciary Committees sent a letter to Corey R. Amundson, Chief of the Department of Justice’s Public Integrity Section, requesting an immediate explanation of the Department’s recent decision to weaken its longstanding policy of non-interference with elections. The Department has long recognized that public... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded a total of $283,164 for the New Beginning for Wabanaki Students, to increase Wabanaki student participation and success at the University of Maine and the University of Maine at Machias.“The New Beginning for Wabanaki Students at the University of Maine program will serve as a critical resource for Native American college students, promoting developmental and educational... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the first in a series of videos highlighting the benefits the Affordable Care Act has created for Maine people. Each of the videos will feature Senator King hearing directly from Maine people about their personal experiences with the law, which has helped thousands of Maine people access health coverage; each of the stories were submitted to Senator King’s website earlier this month. Today’s video features Dr. Garreth... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement after voting against another undersized coronavirus relief proposal from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) that fails to adequately meet the range of threats facing the American people. In his statement, Senator King emphasizes that even President Trump has called for a much-stronger relief bill, and highlights the fact that previous moves to reject Senator McConnell’s coronavirus... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) joined his colleagues to introduce the HEROES Small Business Lifeline Act, a comprehensive legislative package that would provide over $370 billion of support to the hardest-hit, most vulnerable small businesses, including minority-owned businesses and small businesses that have been left behind by earlier relief efforts. The bill closely mirrors legislation passed by the House of Representatives on October 1. Today’s introduction... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C.— Maine’s Congressional Delegation and Governor Janet Mills welcomed the announcement today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has made farmers throughout Maine eligible for disaster relief assistance due to the drought. “Maine farmers have faced tremendous challenges this year, from supply chain disruptions caused by COVID-19 to the drought that severely impacted the growing season,” said Senators Collins and King and Representatives Pingree and Golden in a... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), co-chair of the Senate Broadband Caucus, has cosponsored a bipartisan and bicameral bill to extend the time window given to Tribal Nations and Native Hawaiian organization are given during the pandemic to apply for spectrum licenses – a critical step to expanding broadband access in their communities. Specifically, the Extending Broadband Tribal Priority Act of 2020 will require the FCC to open a new 2.5 GHz Rural Tribal Priority Window that... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the Town of Searsport received a total of $911,190 to upgrade a wastewater treatment facility and improve water quality. This funding was awarded through the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) in partnership with the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA). “Safe water is vital to ensuring the economic and environmental health of Searsport residents and communities throughout Maine,” said... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) has received a total of $1,274,908 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to conduct research and modeling on climate, economic, ocean and ecosystem changes in the Gulf of Maine and inform fisheries of shifting weather patterns. “The Gulf of Maine is currently warming faster than almost any other body of water on Earth,” said Senators Collins... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that several organizations throughout Maine have been awarded a total of $11,192,423 to assist crime victims. The funding was awarded through the Office of Violence Against Women, an agency within the U.S. Department of Justice.“Now, more than ever, it is imperative that we continue to support victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and others crimes to ensure that service providers... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Office of U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) announced today that Senators King, Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and James Lankford (R-Okla.) reintroduced their bipartisan legislation to save hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars by reducing the federal funding available for the acquisition and leasing of new federal vehicles. The Domestic Reduction In Vehicle Expenditure and Lowering Emissions from State Sources Act, or the DRIVE LESS Act, aims to significantly improve... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – In May 2020, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries started canceling research surveys to protect the health of its crews and personnel at sea on account of the COVID-19 pandemic. In support of coastal communities across the country who rely on these surveys as a basis for their livelihoods, U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) joined their colleagues in calling on NOAA to identify and resolve any challenges created by... Continue Reading »
