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 »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, released the following statement today after the Obama Administration submitted to Congress an Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) to degrade and ultimately destroy the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL): “ISIL is an aggressive, destructive threat that jeopardizes not only our allies and partners in the region, but Americans at home and abroad... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, announced today that he has been appointed to serve on the following subcommittees for the 114th Congress: Energy; National Parks; and Water and Power. Senator King was appointed to serve on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee earlier this year. “As a new member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, I will play an active role in shaping our national... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – With five days left in the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) open-enrollment period, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today recognized one of the companies in Maine responsible for helping Mainers sign-up for affordable, high-quality health care coverage under the law. In remarks delivered on the Senate floor, Senator King lauded Maine Community Health Options and the work the organization has done to help more than 60,000 people in Maine sign up for healthcare... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) has introduced legislation to help small business owners who want to provide health insurance to their workers. The Small Business Tax Credit Accessibility Act would expand and simplify the Affordable Care Act’s small business tax credit, making it available to more employers and for a longer period of time. “The ACA has helped millions of Americans, including thousands in Maine, access high-quality, affordable... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, applauded a forthcoming announcement from the Obama Administration today that it intends to create a Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center to strengthen the federal government’s ability to combat cyber-attacks. “The United States is long overdue in establishing a central command center to analyze and coordinate efforts to combat cyber-attacks,” Senator King said.... Continue Reading »
Mr. President, I rise to speak about a little-discussed aspect of the Affordable Care Act. Before touching on the main subject, I should point out that I think as of tonight there will be more than 11 million Americans who will have already signed up for health care coverage under the Affordable Care Act so far this year. Of course, the deadline is coming up next week, and this weekend there could be a very large influx of newly insured Americans, which I think is an occurrence we should all... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a letter today to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) , U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King joined with 30 of their colleagues in urging the agency to act on long-delayed biodiesel production standards in order to provide certainty to the biodiesel industry and protect jobs. “EPA’s recent actions have neither reflected industry capacity nor biodiesel’s separate treatment under the RFS,” the Senators wrote in their letter to EPA... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King applauded an announcement from Sun Life Financial that the company plans to open a new and innovative operations center in Scarborough that will immediately create approximately 100 jobs with plans to add an additional 100 over the next few years. “Today’s announcement is wonderful news and I extend a warm welcome to Sun Life Financial,” said Senator Collins. “I’m pleased that in the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In remarks on the Senate floor this afternoon, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) highlighted the work of Dr. Ed Bilsky and his colleagues at the University of New England (UNE) to better understand and treat chronic pain, which is responsible for an estimated $500 billion annually in direct and indirect medical costs. Dr. Bilsky was recently named a member of the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives (DABI), a group of neuroscientists committed to advancing public... Continue Reading »
Mr. President, I also come to the floor today with some good news . It comes as no surprise that our debates here in the Senate focus generally on challenges, such as the one I just outlined, that face the United States. After all, that is our task and it is our fundamental responsibility to identify our Nation's problems and work together to find solutions. But too often--and I am sure everyone in this body realizes--the bad news gets more attention than... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In response to the release of the Maine Ocean Acidification Commission Report today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Climate Action Task Force, renewed his call for action to address the effects of climate change and ocean acidification on Maine’s fishing industry: “This report underscores what Maine’s lobstermen and fishermen have been saying for years: that the ocean waters are warming, that they’re growing more acidic... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following the news of the cyber-attack on Anthem Health Insurance, which may have compromised the data of millions of customers including its 300,000 members in Maine, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, released the following statement: “How many cyber-attacks do we have to endure, how many Americans have to be put at risk, before Congress takes action on this incredibly pressing and serious issue? “I commend... Continue Reading »
Mr. President, I also come to the floor today with some good news. It comes as no surprise that our debates here in the Senate focus generally on challenges, such as the one I just outlined, that face the United States. After all, that is our task and it is our fundamental responsibility to identify our Nation's problems and work together to find solutions. But too often--and I am sure everyone in this body realizes--the bad news gets more attention than the good news. The old... Continue Reading »
