WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) and Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) reintroduced the RESPONSE Act, legislation that would improve emergency preparedness and training for first responders and provide support to help emergency personnel better respond to hazardous incidents, such as crude oil train derailments and other hazmat situations. “Emergency responders bravely risk their lives every day to protect our communities, and we should support them by... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement today on the conclusions of a three-part study conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, which found that a significant portion of student borrowers who ultimately default on their education loans are those who carry relatively modest loan balances. Earlier this year, Senator King, along with Senator Richard Burr (R-N.C.), reintroduced the Repay Act, legislation that would simplify the complex... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – During a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Hearing today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) pressed Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell for answers about the National Park Service’s (NPS) process for awarding concessions contracts, and more specifically, the agency’s decision a year and a half ago to end a longstanding relationship with the Acadia Corporation (Acadia Corp.). “We had an experience a year or so ago at Acadia national park... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a statement submitted to the Congressional Record today, U.S. Senator Angus King paid tribute to the life of Wil Smith, a former associate dean at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine and a coach, mentor, and friend to countless people across the state. Wil lost a three year battle with colon cancer on Sunday morning. He was 46 years old. “There is a hole in the heart of our community today. But while Wil’s loss is felt by countless people, his legacy will... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – This morning at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Armed Services and Energy and Natural Resources Committees, called for greater United States leadership in the Arctic. Speaking at the Arctic Council Initiatives to Sustain Arctic Cooperation, King underscored the strategic importance of the Arctic and the need for expanded U.S. engagement and international cooperation in the region, particularly as... Continue Reading »
ROCKLAND, ME – Following a request from U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) and several of his colleagues last week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced a special enrollment period for individuals and families who did not have health coverage in 2014 and are subject to the fee or “shared responsibility payment” when they file their 2014 taxes in states which use the Federally-Facilitated Marketplace (FFM). The announcement by CMS is directly in... Continue Reading »
ROCKLAND, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, convened a roundtable at the Island Institute to discuss economic development and energy sustainability for Maine’s islands and remote coastal communities. Comprised of the Institute leadership and staff, as well as stakeholders from local communities, the roundtable focused on the importance of rural broadband, the impact of climate change, the transition... Continue Reading »
BANGOR, ME – In remarks delivered this morning at Husson University to local business leaders, students, faculty, and staff, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) discussed U.S. economic growth and job gains in Maine, highlighting strategies to strengthen Maine’s economy – including reducing regulatory burdens on small businesses, expanding rural access to high-speed broadband, and increasing access to higher education and making it easier to repay student loans. “The economy... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a letter today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) pressed the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide relief to towns in Washington County that have been hit by successive snowstorms this winter. The National Weather Service in Caribou, Maine has described the snowfall this season as “unparalleled” in the past 100 years or so. These extreme storms have forced businesses to close, left residents stuck in their homes, and... Continue Reading »
“I've been hitting, hammering on that in committee meetings and Armed Services and Intelligence the past year and a half. We need a general strategy beyond just killing them and beyond treating them as military targets. We need to talk about why is this happening…” – Sen. Angus King on CNN’s New Day, January 9, 2015. BRUNSWICK, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence who has called for the U.S. to... Continue Reading »
WESTBROOK, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, along with Small Business Regional Administrator Seth Goodall, toured Pika Energy, a Westbrook-based microgrid power electronics manufacturer that employs 11 people and is on the vanguard of developing clean, renewable energy technologies. “Innovative companies like Pika Energy continue to lead the way in developing renewable technologies that will not only... Continue Reading »
SCARBOROUGH, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), along with several of his colleagues, sent a letter Friday to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell asking the agency to grant individuals who were uninsured in 2014 and subject to the individual responsibility payment another opportunity to enroll in 2015 coverage under the Affordable Care Act. “To help ensure a smooth transition this year, we encourage the Administration to create a special... Continue Reading »
GREENWOOD, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, visited Mt. Abram Ski Resort where he surveyed the ski area’s cutting-edge renewable energy upgrades and announced his intention to reintroduce bipartisan legislation, the bipartisan Biomass Thermal Utilization Act, which would provide tax incentives to upgrade to clean, affordable biomass wood-pellet boilers. “From our downeast coastal waters to right here in... Continue Reading »
AUGUSTA, ME – Today, the Maine Farm Bureau, along with the American Farm Bureau Federation, recognized U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) with its 2014 Friend of the Farm Bureau Award. At an event held in the Maine Farm Bureau office in Augusta, Jon Olsen, Executive Director of the Maine Farm Bureau, presented Senator King with the award, which is presented to members of Congress in honor of their work on behalf of farming families in their home state. The Maine Farm Bureau nominated... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, after securing assurances from the Obama Administration that it will submit to Congress a plan for closing the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) opposed legislation in the Senate Armed Services Committee that would strictly prohibit the President from closing the facility in the next two years. Senator King released the following statement: “I believe that, on balance, closing the Guantanamo Bay detention facility is in our... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, with the support of U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), the United States Senate approved the nomination of Dr. Ashton Carter to serve as Secretary of Defense. “I am convinced that Dr. Carter is the right person to lead the Defense Department during this challenging time,” Senator King said. “It is more than evident to me that he is an intelligent and well-respected leader who is not only willing to make the hard decisions, but, importantly, who... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In an Energy and Natural Resources Committee Hearing today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) pressed Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz to develop a long-term strategy to safely transport and store waste from retired nuclear power plants, like Maine Yankee in Maine where more than one thousand spent nuclear fuel rods remain, costing Mainers millions of dollars per year and posing threats to the area’s safety and security. “As you know, we’ve been through a... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), along with Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.), has introduced legislation to help teachers, schools districts, and states transform learning systems by utilizing innovative technology. The Enhancing Education Through Technology Act (EETT) would support educators in using technology to increase college and career readiness, help school districts build a technology infrastructure to ensure schools take full... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a letter today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, urged the Department of Energy to make it easier for people in Maine to utilize funding provided through the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) to transition to more fuel-efficient units. Senator King, in his letter to Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Dr. David Danielson, noted that the administrators of WAP require a... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) today introduced bipartisan legislation to save 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, moves on the recommendations of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, which found that reducing the... Continue Reading »
