BRUNSWICK, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today released the December edition of his Inside Maine podcast. In this edition, Senator King speaks with Travis Mills, a retired Army veteran, quadruple amputee and founder of the Travis Mills Foundation in Maine. Senator King then speaks with Jack Richards, a veteran and board member of the Veteran Mentors of Maine program. Senator King and his guests discuss how best help Maine veterans successfully transition into civilian life... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will begin accepting applications for grant funding through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program on Tuesday, December 26 at 8:00am. The application period will close Friday, February 2, 2018 at 5:00pm. This year, Maine applicants received more than $2.3 million in grants ranging from $10,000 to $349,143 in FY16 funds. “The Assistance to... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) urged Senate leaders to continue funding the Prevention and Public Health Fund (PPHF) at current levels. The letter comes as the Congress discusses a plan to continue funding the government that threatens to cut $6.35 billion in funding from the PPHF. “Prevention remains one of the key means by which our nation can combat public health outbreaks and emergencies,” Senator King wrote in the letter.... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Angus King (I-Maine) and healthcare assisters working to sign Maine people up for healthcare through the Affordable Care Act have received additional guidance from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, telling them that people in Maine affected by October’s wind storm can sign up for coverage through December 31st, and will not require any additional documentation to qualify. The new information provides an update to CMS Administrator Seema... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today urged his colleagues in Congress to focus their legislative priorities on essential programs and services that have expired or are set to expire before the end of the year. During his speech, Senator King highlighted the misguided decision to force through tax reform based on an arbitrary deadline instead of addressing funding for some of the nation’s most pressing issues. Essential programs and services ranging from the... Continue Reading »
PORTLAND, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today joined local veterans and veteran advocates at American Legion Post 153 in Auburn to discuss the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) announcement, made last week, that it will fund three new positions in Maine to better serve the needs of justice-involved Maine veterans confronting homelessness, mental health, or substance abuse issues. The funding will support a Veterans Justice Outreach (VJO) Specialist, a Health Care for... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today joined health professionals, parents, and advocates at Greater Portland Health in Portland to underscore the importance of fully funding the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and reauthorizing funding for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). Federal funding for CHIP expired at the end of September, putting millions of low-income children across the country at risk of losing their health coverage. Funding for... Continue Reading »
BRUNSWICK, ME – Today, Senator Angus King (I-Maine) received a response to his November letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, in which he urged CMS Administrator Seema Verma to extend the 2018 Affordable Care Act Open Enrollment Period for Maine following the severe storm that caused more than 400,000 Maine people to lose power. In today’s letter, the full text of which is included below, Administrator Verma agrees that “individuals who were unable to enroll... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King joined a bipartisan group of nine senators in a letter to Leaders McConnell (R-Ky.) and Schumer (D-N.Y.) today calling on them to provide states like Maine with the resources they need to tackle the ongoing opioid epidemic. In their letter, the bipartisan group urged Senate leadership to include additional funding dedicated to addressing the public health crisis in the upcoming supplemental and omnibus appropriations... Continue Reading »
PORTLAND, ME – U.S. Senator King (I-Maine) this week wrote to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary David Shulkin urging him to protect homeless veterans and ensure veteran homeless programs are fully funded. The letter follows reports that the VA planned to reallocate funding previously appropriated for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive housing (HUD-VASH) veteran housing voucher program to the VA’s General Purpose... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded $500,000 to the Aroostook Band of Micmacs through USDA Rural Development’s Community Facilities Direct Loan Program. The funding will be used to construct a two-story, multifunction facility in Presque Isle that will provide space for important tribal programs. “Investing in infrastructure for the Aroostook Band of Micmacs ensures that... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, today introduced the Next Generation Grid Resources and Infrastructure Development (GRID) Act. The legislation would encourage energy independence, foster innovation, and leverage federal resources to support a more resilient 21st century electricity grid through the use of distributed energy resources (DER). The legislation builds off the Free Market Energy Act, introduced... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement after today’s vote by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to roll back the agency’s existing protections on net neutrality: “Disastrous isn’t strong enough of an adjective to describe today’s decision. This ruling will make it harder for regular people to use the internet, plain and simple. For decades, the internet has leveled the playing field so a mom-and-pop shop in... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai in support of the agency’s existing net neutrality rules. The senators’ letter comes ahead of today’s planned vote by the FCC on rolling back the existing net neutrality protections. “We are writing to urge you to cancel today’s vote on the Restoring Internet Freedom Order,” the Senators... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Angus King (I-Maine) joined with Senator Bill Nelson (D-Fla) and 37 of their colleagues in sending a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai urging him to abandon his plan to repeal the agency’s net neutrality rules. The senators’ letter comes ahead of a Thursday vote by the FCC on existing net neutrality protections. “Your plan gives a broadband provider the ability to significantly alter their... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin today applauded the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) announcement that it will fund three new positions in Maine to better serve the needs of justice-involved Maine veterans confronting homelessness, mental health, or substance abuse issues. The funding will support a Veterans Justice Outreach (VJO) Specialist, a Health Care for Re-entry Veterans (HCRV)... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that the U.S. Navy has awarded Bath Iron Works (BIW) a $23,902,104 contract modification. The funding will be used to continue lead yard services for Arleigh Burke-class ships. “This funding is critical to ensuring that the highly skilled men and women of Bath Iron Works have the necessary resources to continue building the best, most advanced destroyers in the world,” Senators Collins and King said... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today announced his support for the Gold Star Families Support and Installation Act. The bipartisan, bicameral legislation would increase support for Gold Star families by creating a standardized policy so the families can more easily access military facilities and certain military benefits. “Gold Star families have... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the Senate unanimously passed a resolution designating Saturday, December 16, 2017 as “Wreaths Across America Day.” On December 16th, a convoy of volunteers is scheduled to arrive at Arlington National Cemetery to lay Maine-made balsam wreaths at the grave sites of American veterans interred there. “In its twenty-six year history, Wreaths Across America has become an enduring symbol of valor and... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) introduced a motion to instruct members of the bicameral conference committee on tax reform to return a final conference report that does not increase the federal budget deficit for the period of FY 2018 through FY 2027. He spoke on the Senate floor in support of the motion, which was defeated by a vote of 48 to 50. Excerpts from the speech are below: “We are headed into literally uncharted territory with regard to our... Continue Reading »
