WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released a letter to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner John Koskinen urging the IRS to end to the increasing prevalence of “dark money” in American politics by limiting the vast role that tax-exempt nonprofit organizations are able to play in influencing elections through large-scale, anonymous donations. According to current IRS rule, a 501(c)(4) tax-exempt organization can participate in political activity... Continue Reading »
RAMALLAH and JERUSALEM – Today U.S. Senators Tim Kaine, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and Central and South Asian Affairs, and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Angus King, a member of the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committees had substantive discussions with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah and Palestinian Authority chief negotiator Saeb Erekat. They also met with a group of... Continue Reading »
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL – Today U.S. Senators Tim Kaine, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and Central and South Asian Affairs, and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Angus King, a member of the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, visited an Iron Dome site near the Gaza border, as well as had substantive discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon. During the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – As part of his ongoing effort to keep the people of Maine up to date with his work in Washington, U.S. Senator Angus King sat down to discuss this week’s events in the nation’s capital. In his weekly address Senator King discussed: A bill to suspend the nation’s debt ceiling until March of 2015, which successfully passed both chambers of Congress this week. A bill to fully restore cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) for military retirees under the age... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tim Kaine, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and Central and South Asian Affairs, and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Angus King, a member of the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, will depart today for a week-long trip to the Middle East. Senators Kaine and King will visit Israel and the West Bank. Senator Kaine will also visit Egypt. In Israel, Kaine and King will visit an Iron... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representative Mike Michaud issued the following statement today after a meeting in the U.S. Capitol with representatives from Cate Street and Great Northern Paper: “We had a productive meeting with the leadership of Cate Street and Great Northern Paper in which they stated that they have a plan for restarting the mill in East Millinocket with the hope of returning some workers by May 1st. We look forward to reviewing... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement today after voting for legislation that would repeal the reduction in the cost-of-living adjustment for military retirees under the age of 62: “I have long said that the men and women who have served in our military and risked their lives for our country should not have to bear the financial burden of efforts to reduce the national debt and deficit. When I voted for the bipartisan budget agreement... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement today after voting to suspend the nation’s debt ceiling through March 15, 2015: “Congress had for far too long gambled with the financial stability of the economy and with markets across the world by threatening to default on debt already incurred by our nation. Almost everyone agrees that we should continue to work to shrink our federal debt and deficit in a responsible way, but using the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King announced today that he has hired Kathleen Connery Dawe to serve as Director of Communications in his Washington, D.C. office. “I am excited to welcome Kathleen to my team,” Senator King said. “She is an experienced communicator who brings the kind of knowledge and communications experience that will well-serve the people of Maine.” “At a time when Washington seems paralyzed by partisanship,... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced that the Town of Buxton Fire - Rescue Department will receive a federal grant totaling $441,460 from the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program. This competitive funding will enable the department to hire and train new firefighters. SAFER grants are administered by the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency. “Maine fire departments play an invaluable role safeguarding our... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins, a senior member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, and Angus King, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today announced that Bath Iron Works (BIW) has been awarded a preliminary design contract for the U.S. Coast Guard’s Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) worth more than $21 million. BIW is now one of three shipyards in contention for the final contract. “With its skilled workforce and an outstanding record... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and Angus King (I-Maine) announced today that they have introduced legislation to protect jobs, reduce regulatory burdens, and provide greater certainty for health information technologies (health IT). The Preventing Regulatory Overreach To Enhance Care Technology (PROTECT) Act of 2014 offers a more specific regulatory framework for health IT that promotes innovation and job creation while protecting patient safety. “Not only is... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, along with a bipartisan group of their colleagues, today wrote a letter to President Barack Obama urging him to use all available tools to address propane shortages and price spikes that have impacted several thousand people in Maine and many more across the country. A confluence of events, including a greater than normal use of propane in the Midwest, particularly harsh winter temperatures, and infrastructure constraints, has... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced that the Department of Agriculture has awarded a total of $1,093,138 in grant funding to two Maine school districts and a rural health care provider through the Distance Learning and Telemedicine Loan and Grant program. The award amounts and recipients are as follows: Maine School Administrative District #37 – including the towns of Addison, Columbia, Columbia Falls, Millbridge, Harrington, and Cherryfield... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King issued the following statement today after the Department of Labor announced that the economy added only 113,000 jobs in January while the unemployment rate fell to 6.6 percent: “When taken together, the December and January jobs reports represent the two weakest consecutive months of job growth in almost two years, further underscoring the point that Congress should do more to help foster an environment that is ripe for job creation.... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – As part of his ongoing effort to keep the people of Maine up to date with his work in the nation’s capital, U.S. Senator Angus King sat down to discuss this week’s events in Washington. In his weekly address Senator King: Applauded passage of the 2013 Farm Bill that will direct our nation’s agriculture policy over the next five years. Expressed his disappointment over the Senate’s continued failure to advance legislation that would extend... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King voted again today to advance legislation that would renew unemployment insurance and released the following statement after the bill failed to garner the necessary 60 votes to move forward: “I have heard from hundreds of constituents who are disappointed by Congress’s inability to renew emergency unemployment insurance. Many of them are people who have lost their job through no fault of their own, who are actively searching for work,... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In case you missed it, Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) Vice President, Clyde Wayne Crews, Jr., and CEI regulatory studies fellow, Ryan Young, on Monday wrote an op-ed for The Hill’s Congress Blog emphasizing the role of federal regulatory reform in promoting economic growth across the country. In their article, they note how the Regulatory Improvement Act, introduced by Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Roy Blunt (R-MO), will enable Congress to review and... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has begun the process of evaluating domestically manufactured athletic footwear sources for possible procurement, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today. That action, known as a “Sources Sought,” is the result of language added to the FY14 National Defense Authorization Act Joint Explanatory Statement, which was included at the request of Senators Collins and King. The Defense Department... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – With the support of U.S. Senator Angus King, the Senate today passed H.R. 2642, the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013, more commonly known as the Farm Bill, by a vote of 68-32. Following the vote, Senator King released the following statement: “Following extensive negotiations, I am pleased the Senate passed the 2013 Farm Bill, which defines our nation’s agricultural policy over the next five years. Agriculture is, as it always has... Continue Reading »
