WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today joined a bipartisan, bicameral group of more than 80 legislators from the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives in calling for adding lasting solutions to improve and protect mail delivery and service in comprehensive U.S. Postal Service reform legislation introduced in the House. In the letter, which was led by Senators Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kans.), Senators Collins and King pressed leaders of... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced that a bipartisan bill they cosponsored to help assess and strengthen American security at the Northern Border – the longest common land border in the world – passed unanimously in the U.S. Senate. The bipartisan legislation, the Northern Border Security Review Act, would require the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to conduct a comprehensive examination of the current resources and... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In the wake of an announcement that Maine has experienced a record number of drug-related deaths this year, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) is calling on the leaders of the Senate Appropriations Committee to fully fund the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act as they work on additional spending bills related to the remainder of the fiscal year. The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, which is aimed at bolstering treatment, recovery, education, and... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and James Lankford (R-Okla.), members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, today sent a letter to President-elect Donald Trump urging him to prioritize the nomination of the next Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and to select an experienced, collaborative individual who can advise on the nominations of other intelligence agency leaders. “A successful DNI makes the intelligence community more efficient, more... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today applauded an announcement from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration that nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) can immediately begin taking the 24-hours of required training to prescribe the opioid use disorder treatment, buprenorphine. Earlier this year, Senator King convened a roundtable with nurse practitioners in Bangor that focused on the importance of allowing NPs and PAs to... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) sent a letter to the Social Security Administration (SSA) expressing support for the agency’s effort to reduce the considerable wait times that people with disabilities experience when applying for programs that can help them support themselves and, when possible, reenter the workforce. In his letter, which is part of his ongoing effort to support Americans with disabilities, Senator King also offered several suggestions as... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today announced his support for legislation introduced by Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) that would extend the timeline for the implementation of the Obama Administration’s overtime rule to ease compliance on small businesses and non-profits. Senator King followed his co-sponsorship of the legislation today by also sending a letter to President Obama that criticizes the Administration for not doing more to mitigate the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), and Chris Coons (D-Del.) today sent a letter to the Secretaries of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Education, urging them to ensure that any veteran who is permanently disabled is discharged of their federal student loan debt. Such a discharge is allowed under current law, but the lack of coordination between the Department of Education (ED) and the VA is leaving behind potentially thousands of veterans who could... Continue Reading »
WATERVILLE, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement today in honor of Veterans Day: “Veterans Day holds a sacred place in our history as a Nation, and in turn, has become a dedicated occasion to commemorate all those in our community who bravely wore and continue to wear the uniform to protect our safety and security. The people of Maine have long embraced this duty, and our state has a hallowed history of sending our sons and daughters to bravely... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that Spurwink Services in Portland has been awarded a five-year, $20 million Investing in Innovation (i3) Scale-up grant from the Department of Education. The funding will support Spurwink’s expansion of its Building Assets, Reducing Risks (BARR) model that aims to improve student academic achievement in high schools. Senators Collins and King wrote a letter in July supporting Spurwink’s grant... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representative Bruce Poliquin announced that the U.S. Department of Labor has approved much-needed Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for displaced employees at Twin Rivers Paper Company. In July, Senators Collins and King and Representative Poliquin sent a letter to U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Thomas Perez in support of the TAA petition, which was filed in advance of the Madawaska mill shutting down one... Continue Reading »
BRUNSWICK, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement today on the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States: “As this campaign for the presidency draws to a close, I am hopeful that the President-elect and Congress can work together to write a new chapter in American history – one that begins and ends with the healing of our great national divide, a chasm that has seemingly only grown throughout the course of this long and bruising... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today welcomed an announcement from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that it has awarded a total of $1,549,262 to nine Maine agricultural producers. The funding, awarded through the USDA's Rural Development Value Added Producer Grant Program, will support activities related to the processing and marketing of agricultural, value-added products. "This federal investment will assist local, independent farms... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King welcomed an announcement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that it is investing $4.4 million to assist the Boothbay Harbor Sewer District and Vassalboro Sanitary District. Boothbay Harbor will receive a $450,000 Water and Waste Disposal Direct Loan and a $150,000 grant, and Vassalboro will receive a $2,113,000 Water and Waste Disposal Direct Loan and a $1,700,000 grant. “Water infrastructure helps to... Continue Reading »
BANGOR, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today joined with officials from Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to present Casco Bay Energy Company with OSHA’s prestigious Voluntary Protection Program Star Certification. Star Certification is awarded to exemplary worksites with comprehensive, successful safety, and health management systems. “Facilities like Casco Bay Energy are a critical component of America’s energy infrastructure, helping to... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King applauded a decision to approve Norway spruce as construction-grade dimensional lumber. Senators Collins and King commended a team of researchers from the University of Maine that conducted extensive testing on the wood species, which informed the decision by the American Lumber Standards Committee to approve Norway spruce for use in construction. The decision will benefit Maine landowners, loggers, lumber mills,... Continue Reading »
ATHENS, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today toured several local businesses in Somerset County, where he highlighted success stories in Maine manufacturing and emphasized the invaluable impact that businesses have in rural Maine towns as drivers of innovation, good jobs, and economic development. “The Somerset County businesses I toured today are proof positive that manufacturing in Maine is growing more diverse and providing new opportunities, even as we work through the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will invest a total of $427,000 to help six Maine small businesses purchase and install renewable energy systems or upgrade to more energy efficient equipment. The grants were awarded through the USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). “These investments will help Maine small businesses adopt cost-effective and efficient renewable... Continue Reading »
PORTLAND, ME – During a “Dirigo Speaks” event hosted by AARP and the Bangor Daily News this evening, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) outlined his vision of the five most serious long-term challenges facing the State of Maine. Senator King’s list included: 1) The need for continued infrastructure improvements; 2) The impact of climate change on Maine’s inland and coast; 3) The necessity for the continued diversification of energy resources; 4) Ongoing support to... Continue Reading »
PORTLAND, ME – This evening, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) delivered remarks about the leadership of pioneering polar explorer Ernest Shackleton during a University of Southern Maine (USM) Arctic forum titled, “Leadership, Exploration, and Survival: A Blueprint for Thriving in Our Changing World.” Senator King spoke about how Shackleton, whose extraordinary leadership helped successfully marshal his crew through a hazardous – and ultimately historic – journey... Continue Reading »
