WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) sent a letter to Department of Labor (DOL) Secretary Alexander Acosta urging him to release a previously undisclosed DOL cost-benefit analysis on a proposed regulation that would allow employers to create tip pools at restaurants and other establishments that have a mix of tipped and non-tipped workers. The letter also requests that the Department reopen a comment period for a minimum of 15 days following release of the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that two Maine organizations will receive a total of $2,760,206 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for Head Start and Early Head Start programs across the state. Midcoast Maine Community Action, based in Bath, received $1,422,044, and Androscoggin Head Start and Child Care, based in Lewiston, received $1,338,162. “Head Start programs across our state are instrumental in ensuring that... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, today spoke on the Senate floor about the potential adverse impacts of the Department of Interior’s proposed National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2019-2024. Senator King’s remarks come in response to the January announcement from Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke that the Trump Administration plans to expand offshore oil and gas leasing to... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) joined a bipartisan group of senators in calling on Senate leadership to immediately reauthorize funding for community health centers. In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (N.Y.), King and 66 of his Senate colleagues expressed their strong support for community health centers, which provide access to cost-effective primary and preventive care for more than 200,000 people... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded four Maine organizations a total of $1,343,036 in grant funding to support rural educational and health care services. The funding, awarded through the USDA’s Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant Program, helps rural communities leverage the capabilities of telecommunications to stay connected, support their communities, and grow the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) yesterday introduced the Veteran’s Affairs Senior Executive Accountability (SEA) Act of 2018, bipartisan legislation that would strengthen accountability of senior executives at the Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA). “The VA plays a crucial role in the lives of veterans who have sacrificed so much to protect our nation,” said Senator King. “Unfortunately, there have been several... Continue Reading »
PORTLAND, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) joined leadership and employees at Avesta Housing in Portland to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Landmark legislation enacted in February 1993, the FMLA provides certain employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year for certain family and medical reasons like the birth and care of a newborn child or the care of a family member with a serious... Continue Reading »
PORTLAND, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) visited Tilson Technology Management, Inc., a veteran-owned national network deployment and technology professional services company based in Portland, to discuss Tilson’s Veteran and Guard/Reserve (VGR) Support Program and the importance of broadband infrastructure. “Our nation’s veterans made immense sacrifices to protect our nation, and deserve our gratitude, our respect, and our support,” said Senator King.... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King wrote to the leaders of the Senate Finance Committee, urging them to include language from the Biomass Thermal Utilization (BTU) Act in any tax extender legislation. The BTU Act is bipartisan, bicameral legislation that would help promote the many economic and environmental benefits that biomass thermal energy provides by qualifying biomass heating equipment for renewable energy tax credits. “Many regions of the United... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today applauded the announcement that OTM Holdings, LLC (OTM) has purchased the Old Town pulp mill complex with plans to redevelop the site and spur economic development in Penobscot County. “The planned redevelopment of the Old Town Mill will bolster Maine’s rural economy by encouraging growth and helping to create jobs,” Senators Collins... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee confirmed U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) as the Ranking Member of the National Parks Subcommittee. “For more than a century, National Parks have been passed from generation to generation, as each new age group takes on the hallowed responsibility to protect parks for those who come next,” said Senator King. “From the sheer size of the Grand Canyon and the dramatic waterfalls of... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) announced that Maine State Senator Joyce Maker will attend the State of the Union tomorrow as his guest. Senator Maker, a Republican from Calais, was elected in 2016 to represent District 6 in the Maine State Senate, where she chairs the Joint Standing Committee on Marine Resources and sits on the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. Prior to being elected to the State Senate, she served three terms in the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The office of U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today released the January edition of his Inside Maine podcast. In this edition, Senator King is joined by Senators Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.), two colleagues who worked with Sen. King as part of the Common Sense Coalition, the bipartisan group put together in response to last week’s government shutdown. All three Senators worked throughout the weekend to bring an end to the shutdown... Continue Reading »
BATH, ME – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Jack Reed (D-RI), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), today visited Bath Iron Works (BIW) to meet with front line supervisors and tour the USS Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001), the second Zumwalt class destroyer built at BIW. At Senator King’s urging, Senator Reed requested the visit to Maine to see firsthand the highly skilled work performed by the employees at BIW to build and maintain the Navy fleet. The Senate... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Angus King (I-Maine) joined a bipartisan group of Senators in expressing support for a proposal from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that would help increase the transparency and accuracy of prescription drug costs in Medicare Part D. “Pharmacy price concessions account for real differences between the listed prices of prescription drugs and those drugs’ final, actual costs,” the senators... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement after today’s Senate vote to pass a three week continuing resolution and reopen the federal government: “After a weekend spent trying to bring together Senators from across the political spectrum and to create a meaningful dialogue, we have arrived at a viable compromise that can move us forward. A three-week continuing resolution is longer than I’d like, but it appears this... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement after tonight’s Senate vote to reject a continuing resolution to fund the government through February 16th: “For 20 years, Congress hasn’t had a budget on time. Instead, we’ve opted to kick difficult decisions a little bit further down the road through continuing resolutions, leaving important priorities unfinished. This isn’t what our constituents sent us here to... 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 Pay Our Military Act, a bill that would guarantee military personnel receive regular paychecks and related compensation in the event of a government shutdown. The bill would also allow most Department of Defense civilians and some contractors to go back to work, provided that they directly support uniformed personnel, and provides for death benefits for... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today announced his support for the Community Health Investment, Modernization, and Excellence (CHIME) Act. This legislation would support Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC), which provide vital health care services to rural communities in Maine, by reauthorizing the Community Health Center Fund (CHCF) and the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) for five years. ... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King joined a bipartisan effort led by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) to develop bipartisan legislation to address Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and other immigration issues. “It’s imperative that Congress act so that young people who were brought to the United States as children, through no decision of their own, can stop living in fear of deportation. I have talked with... Continue Reading »
