WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King announced today the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation has passed the Waterfront Community Revitalization and Resiliency Act, legislation he cosponsored that would boost efforts to revitalize waterfront communities. The bill now moves to the full Senate. “Maine’s waterfront communities are not only a central part of our state’s heritage, but they’re also a crucial part of our state’s economy,... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – During a confirmation hearing today before the Senate Armed Services Committee, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today urged the nominee for Commander of United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), which oversees all military operations in Central and South America, to work to reduce the flow of heroin from those countries into the United States. “We are, at this moment in time, suffering – literally – from a heroin epidemic all over the country,... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing this morning with Secretary of Defense Ash Carter on the U.S. strategy to defeat ISIS, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) condemned calls to marginalize Muslims as a strategic mistake that would play into the hands of ISIS. In an exchange with Defense Secretary Carter, Senator King pointed out that it is a deliberate strategy of ISIS to create a division between the U.S. and Islam and such calls would undermine national... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON D.C. – With the support of U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), the Senate today overwhelmingly passed the Every Student Succeeds Act, a major bipartisan education reform bill that curtails the burdensome requirements of No Child Left Behind, reduces reliance on high-stakes testing, and ensures access to a quality education for all students. Senator King released the following statement: “Today is a victory for students, parents, and educators in Maine and across the country... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced that the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution designating Saturday, December 12, 2015 as “Wreaths Across America Day.” On December 12th, a convoy of volunteers is scheduled to arrive at Arlington National Cemetery to lay approximately 230,000 Maine-made balsam wreaths at the grave site of each American veteran interred there. This is the 24th consecutive year that Morrill and Karen... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that the petition for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for the 195 workers displaced by the closure of the Expera Specialty Solutions pulp mill in Old Town has been approved by the U.S. Department of Labor. “It is our hope that this announcement brings relief to the many hard-working men and women at the Old Town mill who, through no fault of their own, lost their jobs as a result of increased foreign... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, issued the following statement today following an announcement by MaineGeneral Health that its computer network had been breached: “Numerous Maine businesses, including those in the health care sector, have told me that they are confronting thousands of attempts to hack their systems and steal sensitive data. Unfortunately, that’s the sad reality of today’s world –... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) announced this morning they have reintroduced legislation that would offer employers incentives to voluntarily provide paid family or medical leave to their employees. The bill, known as S. 2354 – The Strong Families Act, offers new options for working families. Senator King released the following statement: “Because of our country’s outdated family leave policies, working parents too often... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King took part in the Wreaths Across America Capitol wreath laying ceremony this morning in Washington. Beginning in 2007, and each December since, Wreaths Across America, based out of Columbia Falls, Maine, has placed a Remembrance Wreath at the U.S. Capitol Building. The wreath laid at the U.S. Capitol is adorned with flags representing each branch of the U.S. Armed Forces and POWs/MIAs, and decorated with a red bow. During the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King announced today that Oona Mackinnon Hoban and Eamonn Dundon of Portland High School will serve as part-time interns in his Scarborough office. The internship, which will provide both students with school credit, is the result of a collaborative effort with the nonprofit Jobs for Maine’s Graduates (JMG) and Portland High School aimed at giving local students an opportunity to learn more about the work of a U.S. Senator’s office... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – With the support of U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), the Senate tonight overwhelmingly approved a long-term transportation bill that authorizes $305 billion in funding over the next five years for vital transportation infrastructure projects across the country. The bill will result in increased highway and transit funding for Maine and also includes several provisions either authored or strongly supported by Senator King. “Our country’s aging transportation... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) voted against legislation that would repeal the Affordable Care Act and deny federal funding to Planned Parenthood facilities across the country: “The Affordable Care Act has provided thousands of people in Maine and millions more across the country with affordable, high-quality health insurance,” Senator King said. “Rather than try to take that away, Congress should focus on how we can improve and strengthen the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In the wake of the brutal terrorist attacks in Paris last month, as well as initial reports that this week’s attack in San Bernardino may be tied to terrorism, U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) today introduced legislation that would ensure that U.S. counterterrorism officials have the necessary tools to track suspected terrorists and prevent terrorist attacks in the United States. “The first line of defense against terrorism is... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – An agreement reached yesterday on a long-term highway funding bill includes a hat-trick of legislative victories for Maine long championed by U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine). In addition to providing an increased and stable source of funding for highway, transit, and other infrastructure projects, the legislation would (1) reauthorize the Export-Import Bank, (2) boost jobs by simplifying the federal permitting process for major projects, and (3) deliver regulatory... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – United States Senators Susan Collins, Chairman of the Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, and Angus King, member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, today announced an award of $469,000 to the Maine Maritime Academy (MMA) from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The funding will support the Marine Engine Testing and Emissions Laboratory (METEL) at MMA. “Finding practical solutions for reducing harmful emissions is a top priority,... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins, Co-Chair of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, and Angus King, a member of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will begin accepting applications for grant funding through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program on Monday, December 7th at 8:00 a.m. The application period will close on January 15, 2015 at 5:00 p.m. The AFG Program funding assists fire... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, members of the Senate Intelligence Committee, have joined with Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) to introduce bipartisan legislation that would strengthen the security of the Visa Waiver Program to help prevent terrorists from entering the United States. “Protecting the safety and security of the people of Maine and across our country remains our most important consideration as we seek to... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today applauded an announcement from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that the State of Maine will receive $19.6 million to support water infrastructure projects. The funds will be used to upgrade sewage plants and drinking water systems, replace aging infrastructure, and bolster water projects essential to environmental protection and public health safety across the state. “Maintaining strong water... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins, the Chairman the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development, and Angus King today announced that several housing authorities and municipalities in Maine will receive a total of $439,537 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The grant funding will come through HUD’s Family Self-Sufficiency Program and will be used to help public housing residents and individuals... Continue Reading »
WESTBROOK, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy toured Smiling Hill Farm in Westbrook and held a roundtable with agricultural officials from across the state to discuss the EPA’s Clean Water Rule and its impact on farmers in Maine. The roundtable follows a letter to the agency led by Senator King and signed by ten of his colleagues expressing concern over the ambiguity of the rule and how... Continue Reading »
