WASHINGTON — Senator Angus King (I-ME) and Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) reintroduced their Future Logging Careers Act this week with Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) and Chellie Pingree (ME-01) as cosponsors. The bipartisan, bicameral Future Logging Careers Act would allow small logging businesses to train 16- and 17-year-old family members for futures in Maine forest products.“Maine’s logging industry is part of the foundation of our state, passed down from generation to generation as a... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) has cosponsored bipartisan legislation to expand summer meal programs across the country to ensure children maintain access to nutritious meals when school is out. The COVID-19 pandemic, and transition to remote learning, exacerbated the challenges that food insecure students face when schools are closed. The Summer Meals Act would expand eligibility and participation for summer meal programs,... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today announced that he is backing two legislative pushes to confront and condemn the sharp increase of hate crimes aimed at Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). Senator King is cosponsoring the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, which would designate a point person at the Department of Justice (DOJ) and expedite the review of COVID-19-related hate crimes and provide support to state and local law enforcement responding to these hate crimes.... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the Maine Department of Labor has been awarded a total of $382,579 to promote and enhance its Short Time Compensation (STC) program, which allows workers to receive a partial unemployment benefit payment while their employer reduces their hours to avoid layoffs. “As we continue to combat this public health crisis, it is crucial that we maintain the safety net that supports individuals whose hours have been reduced... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) and U.S. Navy Admiral Charles Richard, Commander, United States Strategic Command highlighted nuclear weapons as the “essence of deterrence” in an exchange on U.S. national security strategy with Russia. During the discussion – which came during a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee – Senator King expressed grave concern over Russia’s “escalate to deescalate” policy, which prompted Admiral Richard to share his perspective... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) are reintroducing bipartisan legislation that would incentivize the use of energy efficient biomass heaters in homes and businesses instead of relying on fossil fuel energy. At the end of 2020, after years of advocacy from the Maine delegation, a 26 percent tax credit for highly efficient residential wood heating systems available through the end of 2023 became law. This Congress, the updated Biomass... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement after taking part in a bipartisan, bicameral meeting at the White House with President Joe Biden to discuss opportunities for Congressional action to bolster our nation’s infrastructure:“Today’s meeting was a productive, open dialogue that brought bipartisan voices to the table in the effort of reaching a compromise that can address our nation’s infrastructure needs without drastically increasing the... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded Midcoast Maine Community Action a total of $1,547,499 for its Head Start and Early Head Start Programs.“Head Start and Early Head Start programs across Maine provide invaluable resources to young children and their families, helping them to cultivate new skills and build educational opportunities,” said Senators Collins and King in a joint... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) have introduced the Seasonal Business PPP Parity Act, legislation that would provide additional support for those seasonal small businesses who were unable to utilize further relief provided by the December 2020 law because their PPP loans had already been forgiven. The legislation modifies a provision in the Paycheck Protection Program to provide additional funds to some seasonal businesses who applied in the... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – Ahead of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day this Saturday, April 24, 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. Properly disposing of unused drugs is one way we can each do our part to combat the opioid epidemic, particularly as... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last night, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution introduced by U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Steve Daines (R-Mont.) marking April 17 through April 25, 2021 as National Park Week. The resolution encourages people around the country and world to spend time in America’s treasured national parks. In honor of National Park Week, entrance into all national parks will be free on Saturday, April 17. Led by Senators King and Daines – the Chairman and Ranking Member... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) joined a bipartisan group of Senators in urging the Administration to fund initiatives to strengthen semiconductor manufacturing on American soil. These provisions were included in the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) for America Act and signed into law as part of the FY21 National Defense Authorization Act.“We write today to encourage you to prioritize securing funding to implement the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today stressed the climate dangers posed by methane, an extremely dangerous greenhouse gas released during natural gas extraction. Senator King has been outspoken about the environmental dangers of methane emissions, and is a leader in the cause to repeal the Trump Administration’s relaxation of methane regulations – with plans to undo that policy change through the Congressional Review Act (CRA) in the weeks ahead.“I’ve been an advocate of... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) led a bipartisan group of their colleagues in a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen calling for the Treasury Department to clearly communicate that state and local governments can designate mental health and substance use disorder services as an acceptable use for funds allocated through the American Rescue Plan. In their letter, the senators emphasize the mental toll of the coronavirus pandemic on Americans... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), co-chair of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, today questioned General Paul Nakasone, Director of the National Security Agency (NSA), on current United States strategies to deter foreign adversaries from launching cyberattacks, or striking U.S. critical infrastructure. Developing a layered cyber deterrence strategy was the key focus outlined in the March 2020 final report of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, and the proposed approach was... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) led a bipartisan group of his Senate colleagues – including Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) – in a letter urging Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to allow state, tribal, and local governments to use funds allocated through the American Rescue Plan to address contamination from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in local water supplies and farmland. In their letter, the Senators highlight the potentially dangerous effects of PFAS... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today announced that the U.S. Department of Treasury will allocate at least $56,234,176 to Maine businesses through the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI). The SSBCI is designed to leverage additional funding sources for small businesses, and is expected to help provide at least $503 million in capital to support Maine small businesses and entrepreneurs as the state continues its recovery from the impacts of the coronavirus... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that a total of $1,975,008 in emergency payments have been awarded to Maine Veterans’ Homes locations to help respond to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This funding was provided through provisions of the Fiscal Year 2021 Department of Veterans Affairs appropriations bill that was signed into law last December. The law allowed VA to use up to $100 million of unobligated funding appropriated under the CARES Act to... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to urge the quick distribution of the $200 million in COVID-19 relief funding for logging and log hauling businesses that was included in the December COVID-19 relief package. In February, Senator Collins and Representative Golden led 19 of their colleagues – including Senator King – in sending initial letters... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Angus King (I-ME), Congressman Mike Gallagher (R-WI), Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE), and Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI), the four legislative members of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, released the following statement regarding President Joseph R. Biden’s nomination of John C. “Chris” Inglis to be the inaugural National Cyber Director (NCD) and Jennifer Easterly to be the Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA):“We are pleased that... Continue Reading »
