ANCHORAGE, AK – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement today calling on the Senate to fulfill its Constitutional obligation to consider any nominee put forward by the President for the Supreme Court: “The Framers were perfectly clear on two points: the President's term is four years, not three years and one month, and the President ‘shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint … Judges of the Supreme... Continue Reading »
BETHEL, AK – Almost exactly one year after U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) first urged federal officials to modernize the way national park passes are sold, the National Park Service (NPS) today officially launched a pilot program that will make entrance passes at Acadia National Park available for sale online. Senator King, a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, praised the announcement: “With the launch of this pilot program at Acadia, the national... Continue Reading »
BETHEL, AK – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) yesterday participated in a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Field Hearing in Bethel, Alaska where he advocated for the development and deployment of innovative renewable energy technologies to help power rural and remote communities in Maine and across the country. The hearing followed a visit to Oscarville, Alaska, a small community on the Kuskowin River just outside of Bethel whose residents have to shoulder the burden of... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced a $4.6 million investment from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that will support conservation efforts in Maine’s Western Mountains. The Senators, along with Congressman Bruce Poliquin, wrote a letter in support of the project which will help private landowner efforts to bolster fish and wildlife habitats in western Maine between the White Mountains in New Hampshire and Moosehead Lake. “Our... Continue Reading »
BANGOR, ME – During an opioid roundtable discussion at Hope House in Bangor today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) announced his intention to introduce legislation that would update an obsolete federal limit on the number of beds at many drug treatment and recovery facilities. The sixteen bed limit, which was established in law more than 50 years ago, arbitrarily restricts the number of people struggling with drug addiction who are able to access vital treatment. The bill that... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.) have introduced the Cradle Act, bipartisan legislation to improve care for babies born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) from exposure to opioids during pregnancy. “When a baby is born with neonatal abstinence syndrome, the focus should be on ensuring that the child receives the highest-quality, most effective care available,” Senator King said. “But too often, federal... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representative Bruce Poliquin have received a response from Jonathan B. Jarvis, the Director of the National Park Service, to the letter they sent to President Barack Obama regarding the possible designation of land in the Katahdin region as a national monument last November. Senator Collins, Senator King, and Congressman Poliquin received identical responses from Director Jarvis. The complete text of the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) participated in a celebration commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the 1996 Telecommunications Act held at the Library of Congress, where he recognized the work of former Senator Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) in establishing the E-Rate program that expanded access to rural broadband for students across the country. During the event, Senator King presented an award to former Maine State Librarian Linda Lord who accepted it on behalf of... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King, a member of the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, voted in favor of the North Korea Sanctions Enforcement Act of 2016, legislation that would authorize the President to apply sanctions to individuals, foreign governments, and financial institutions that engage in prohibited transactions with North Korea: “North Korea’s recent weapons tests are a direct threat not only to our national security interests,... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (HSGAC) Committee unanimously approved legislation introduced by U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) and a bipartisan group of his colleagues which would improve how the federal government manages its buildings and other property across the country. The Federal Property Management Reform Act of 2016, introduced by Senators King, Tom Carper (D-Del.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), Ron Johnson... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – During an open Senate Intelligence Committee hearing today on worldwide threats, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) pressed the Directors of National Intelligence, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Central Intelligence Agency, and National Security Agency to better understand the drug threat facing the country and work together to enhance the country’s ability to cut off the flow of heroin and other illegal drugs entering the United States. Senator King’s... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following statement on the release of the President’s Fiscal Year 2017 Budget Request: “The American people want – and they deserve – a federal budget that invests in our nation’s future, protects our national security, and builds on the economic progress of the past few years while ensuring that we are on a long-term course to reducing our... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following a push by U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) to modernize U.S. icebreaking capabilities, the Obama Administration announced today that it has requested from Congress $150 million to acquire a heavy polar icebreaker for use in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. Senator King released the following statement: “A robust fleet of U.S. icebreakers is critical to expanding our presence and influence in the Arctic, particularly as Russian and other... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Intelligence and Armed Services Committees, released the following statement today in response to an announcement by the Obama Administration that the President’s forthcoming budget request will increase funding for cyber-security by 35 percent to bolster national defense: “A frontline of warfare in the 21st century is computer... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King released the following statement today in response to the U.S. Department of Commerce announcement that it had initiated an expedited review of Catalyst Paper and Irving, sought by both companies, in connection with a trade case involving supercalendered paper exports from Canada. Catalyst and Irving requested the expedited review because they were not individually investigated by the Department of Commerce and were... Continue Reading »
PORTLAND, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) joined U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Jay Williams and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree to announce $640,000 in federal funding to support innovation, entrepreneurship, and job creation in Maine. Senator King, Assistant Secretary Williams, and Congresswoman Pingree announced that the Maine Center for Entrepreneurial Development (MCED) in Portland will receive $390,000 to expand its Top Gun Program into... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin sent a letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) Robert McDonald urging him to take immediate action to improve the implementation of the Choice Program and ensure that all veterans in Maine receive timely care. “Our staff recently participated in a roundtable discussion on the implementation of the Choice Program in Maine along with representatives from the... Continue Reading »
BRUNSWICK, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) has joined with a bipartisan group of Senators to introduce legislation that would improve how the federal government manages its buildings and other property across the country. The Federal Property Management Reform Act of 2016, introduced by Senators King, Tom Carper (D-Del.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), and James Lankford (R-Okla.) last night, would establish a framework for federal agencies to... Continue Reading »
BRUNSWICK, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today toured TechPlace, Brunswick Landing’s Technology Accelerator, to see firsthand how the innovative center is supporting the small business development needs of early-stage Maine manufacturers and technology companies. TechPlace, which Senator King helped get off the ground by helping secure a federal grant, provides local entrepreneurs a place to network with other innovators, research and develop ideas, build prototypes, test... Continue Reading »
BRUNSWICK, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today attended the 150th Anniversary Celebration for Norway Savings Bank at the bank’s branch on Maine Street in Brunswick, where he presented a special Congressional Record statement recognizing the bank’s longstanding and high-quality service to Maine people. As a strong supporter of community banks like Norway Savings, Senator King has been working in Congress to cut unnecessary government red-tape and help make it... Continue Reading »
