WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a co-chair of the bipartisan Senate Broadband Caucus, joined with his fellow caucus leaders in sending a letter to President Trump urging the administration to include “dedicated, stand-alone funding for broadband deployment” in any proposed infrastructure package. “Our rural communities have connectivity needs that are not being met, limiting economic opportunity and growth,” the senators wrote.... Continue Reading »
PORTLAND, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) met with health professionals, students and administrators at the Maine College of Health Professions to discuss the importance of the health care industry in Maine, and challenges presented by health care workforce shortages in the state. “Each and every day, the people of Maine rely on the treatment provided by health care workers,” said Senator King. “That’s why the education provided by the Maine College of... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King congratulated Caroline Baldacci of Bangor and Virginia Jewel Hugo-Vidal of Gorham on being selected as Maine’s delegates to the 56th Annual United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP). Caroline and Virginia will join 104 other students from across the country in spending a week in the nation’s capital where they will have an opportunity to study the American legislative system first-hand. “Caroline... Continue Reading »
BRUNSWICK, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King celebrated and honored the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – who has inspired millions in America and across the globe to give back and help others – by participating in community service events in the Brunswick area. “On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. told the world about his radical new dream: that America would fulfill its promise of equality to all citizens, not just the lucky few of the right... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) joined 10 of his colleagues in sending a letter to President Trump, urging him to renew the opioid public health emergency declaration. “On October 26, 2017, you declared a public health emergency with the goal of mobilizing federal resources and strengthening the federal response to the opioid epidemic,” the Senators wrote in their letter. “This emergency declaration expires on January 23, 2018.... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin today sent a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristjen Nielsen and U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Secretary Alexander Acosta requesting that DHS audit the number of unused visas from the first half of fiscal year 2018. The letter also asks DOL to distribute visas based on time of application rather than randomly processing. “H-2B... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Angus King (I-Maine) joined their New England Senate colleagues in introducing the New England Coastal Protection Act. The legislation, which would bar offshore drilling along the region’s coast, follows a proposal from the Department of the Interior to open up federal Atlantic waters to offshore oil and natural gas exploration and extraction, putting vital coastline at risk and threatening a central economic engine... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today released a joint statement outlining their support for a bipartisan Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to restore net neutrality, which the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) repealed in December: “With the protections made possible under net neutrality, businesses in Maine and across our country are ensured equal access to the Internet so they can innovate, grow, and compete in the global economy.... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, sent a letter to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke expressing their opposition to a recent proposal from the Department of Interior that would allow offshore drilling in the vast majority of federal waters, including potentially off the coast of Maine. “We oppose any effort to open waters off the coast of Maine or any proximate area to offshore drilling,... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) joined a bipartisan group yesterday in writing to the administration to express concern about a pending trade investigation involving imported newsprint and other commercial printing papers used by local newspapers in Maine and across the country. Specifically, the Senators’ letter pertains to the administration’s ongoing review of a petition by one manufacturer claiming that Canadian producers of... Continue Reading »
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 »
