WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) sent a letter today to the Social Security Administration (SSA) calling on the agency to help more people with disabilities return to the workforce by simplifying the work incentives in the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program. In his letter, Senator King calls on the agency to launch demonstration projects, that include Maine SSDI beneficiaries, in order to help policymakers best support Americans with disabilities who... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today announced that Pines Health Services in Aroostook County will receive a $200,000 Small Health Care Provider Quality Improvement grant through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). “Community health providers like Pines Health Services offer critical services that support rural Maine communities,” said Senator King. “This federal funding will aid Pines Health Services in its important mission to... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that The Opportunity Alliance will receive $2,771,947 to support its Early Head Start and Head Start programs. The grant was awarded through the Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families. “Head Start programs provide invaluable resources to young children and their families, helping them to develop new skills and build educational opportunities,” said... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) today reintroduced the Preventive Health Savings Act of 2016, legislation that would direct the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to more accurately reflect the cost-savings of preventive healthcare, including health screenings. “For Congress to make informed decisions about the future of health care policy in this country, we need good data – and that means having the Congressional Budget... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today applauded an announcement that the Maine Department of Transportation (DOT) will receive a $7,719,173 federal grant to support infrastructure improvements and equipment and technology investments at the Port of Portland. Senator King and the other members of the Maine delegation wrote a joint letter to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx in support of the project in April. “The Port of Portland is a critical... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) will receive $176,049 in federal funding from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to bolster public health system preparedness and response capabilities to protect Americans from the Zika virus. “The Zika virus is an imminent and evolving public health... Continue Reading »
SCARBOROUGH, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) celebrated the 100th birthday of Maine veteran Thomas Ewing. Mr. Ewing served in both World War II and the Korean War. Senator King joined with the veteran’s friends and family today at the Maine Veterans Home in Scarborough to congratulate him on his milestone birthday and thank him for his service to the country. “In our country’s time of need,... Continue Reading »
SCARBOROUGH, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today applauded an announcement that a Senate Subcommittee will hold a hearing next week to consider the Securing Energy Infrastructure Act of 2016, legislation he introduced last month that seeks to protect critical U.S. energy infrastructure, like the electric grid, from potentially catastrophic cyber-attacks. The hearing follows a request from Senators King, Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), and Jim Risch (R-Idaho) – members of the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C – U.S. Senators Angus King and Susan Collins and Representatives Bruce Poliquin and Chellie Pingree received letters today from the U.S. Department of Commerce announcing that it has agreed to establish an integrated, multi-agency Economic Development Assessment Team, known as an EDAT, to assist Maine’s forest products industry in the wake of several mill closures. The goal of the EDAT will be to leverage the power of multiple federal government agencies and harness... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins, Chairman of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, and Angus King, announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded a total of $947,680 in funding to two airports in Maine. The funding is awarded through the Federal Aviation Administration, an agency within the DOT. “In a rural state like Maine, regional airports are important pieces of our transportation system that... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that the Department of Homeland Security has awarded several state and local preparedness grants to the State of Maine. The awards total $9,001,635 and are part of the FY 2016 Homeland Security Grant Program, which is comprised of several related grant programs. “This funding will help ensure that our communities are prepared for and protected against potential terrorist acts or catastrophic... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) announced today that he and Senator Bill Cassidy, MD (R-La.) have introduced legislation that would protect licensed health care providers who volunteer their services during disasters in order to ensure that disaster victims have adequate access to medical care following a catastrophic event. The Good Samaritan Health Professionals Act would provide health care professionals with a limited but consistent level of protection from... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King and Susan Collins today introduced a resolution that would designate September 25, 2016, as “National Lobster Day.” Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) also sponsored the resolution, which recognizes the historic and economic importance of lobster in the United... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that Coastal Counties Workforce, Inc. (CCWI) and Educate Maine have been awarded a $4 million TechHire partnership grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. The funding will be used to help TechHire Maine expand and enhance education and job training for those seeking to work in Maine’s information technology (IT) industry. Senators Collins and King wrote a letter to the U.S. Department of Labor... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today led a bipartisan group of eleven Senators in sending a letter to U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz expressing concern about a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) policy that excludes some sustainably harvested forest products from federal use without scientific basis. In their letter, the Senators emphasize that DOE’s current position of accepting only lumber certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and not from... Continue Reading »
BRUNSWICK, ME – This weekend, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the June edition of his podcast focusing on positive trends in Maine agriculture. In the podcast, he interviews Leigh Hallett of the Maine Federation of Farmers’ Markets and Jessie Dowling of Fuzzy Udder Creamery about Maine’s thriving local food movement and the growth in farmers’ markets and small cheese producers across the state. The “Inside Maine Podcast with Senator Angus... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced that the U.S. Department of Education is awarding $1,663,407 in school improvement grant funding to the State of Maine. This funding will allow the state to award competitive subgrants to school districts that demonstrate the greatest need for funds and the strongest commitment to raising student achievement in low-performing schools. “Teachers and administrators in Maine’s school districts work hard... Continue Reading »
WASHINTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today welcomed an announcement from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that it will fund an estimated 85 percent of the sea days needed for the At-Sea Monitoring (ASM) Program for the current fishing year. Beginning July 1, groundfish fishermen covered by the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan will be reimbursed for their at-sea monitoring costs through an arrangement with the Atlantic... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today announced that he has joined the Senate Cystic Fibrosis Caucus after meeting with family members of 17-year-old Kate Marshall, a rising senior at York High School who was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis when she was 8 months old. “Kate Marshall is one of hundreds of people in Maine who confront the challenges of Cystic Fibrosis on a daily basis,” said Senator King. “And while listening to her brother and father... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement today after the majority of the U.S. Senate (52-46) voted in support of a bipartisan proposal offered by him and Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) that would keep weapons out of the hands of terrorists: “The vote today was an encouraging step, but it can’t be the end – we need to pass this bill,” Senator King said.... Continue Reading »
