WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today welcomed an announcement from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that the Departments of Labor and Homeland Security will issue up to 15,000 additional H-2B visas for U.S. businesses to hire temporary workers. Senators Collins and King had repeatedly pressed both Departments and USCIS to increase the visa cap so that Maine businesses would be able to hire additional temporary employees to help their... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today announced his support for legislation that would provide emergency funding to the Veterans Choice Program. The program, which helps veterans across Maine and the nation receive health within their communities, is facing an unexpected funding shortfall and, according to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, is likely to run out of money in early August. The Veterans Access to Care Act of 2017, introduced by Senator Jon Tester... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins, the Chairman of the Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, and Angus King today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded $531,999 to the Steven A. Bean Municipal Airport in Rangeley to support work to expand and reconstruct the airport’s apron. “Maine’s regional airports encourage economic growth, connecting our state’s communities to vital resources and industries,” Senators... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins, the Chair of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, and Angus King today announced that four Maine fire departments will receive a total of $1,488,479 in federal funding through the latest round of grants awarded under the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) and Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response (SAFER) programs. The Van Buren Fire Department will receive $20,505 to purchase thermal imaging cameras, and the Raymond Fire... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) issued the following statement in response to the release today of the new Senate health care bill: “This bill is no more encouraging than the last, which is to say it’s still terrible. It still includes drastic cuts to Medicaid that will hurt Maine seniors, children, and people with disabilities. It still shifts costs to the states. It still has inadequate... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) applauded the men and women of the Maine Army National Guard for their work in preparing the nation of Montenegro to enter the National Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). “First, we all on this side of the dais, I assert, often are prone to bragging about our own states. But, in this case, I cannot fail to... Continue Reading »
WASHINTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today announced that the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee unanimously passed the Brownfields Utilization, Investment, and Local Development (BUILD) Act, bipartisan legislation he cosponsored that would strengthen the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Brownfields Program. The Brownfields Program assists states and local communities through grants and technical assistance as they assess, safely clean up, and reuse... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today announced his support for a bipartisan occupational licensing reform bill that would give state governments the tools to help initiate reforms to ensure bureaucratic requirements are not creating unnecessary barriers for those seeking to enter the workforce. The New Hope and Opportunity through the Power of Employment Act (New HOPE Act) will help states decide if they want to eliminate or reduce burdensome licensing requirements... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement today on the passing of Peter Alfond: “Like so many others across Maine, I am saddened to learn of Peter’s passing,” Senator King said. “His generosity, along with his never-ending passion for helping others, has fundamentally changed our state for the better. Peter will be remembered for his kind heart, his great philanthropy, and his unwavering commitment to the people of Maine,... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) has signed onto a letter led by Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) urging the agency to better prevent painkillers from flooding the market by setting lower opioid production quotas for 2018. Last year, the DEA heeded Senators King’s and Durbin’s call to address America’s opioid epidemic by reducing nearly all opioid quotas by 25 percent or more. This was the first reduction of its... Continue Reading »
BRUNSWICK, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded a total of $3,907,601 in federal funding to two Maine Health Centers. Katahdin Valley Health Center in Patten will receive $2,736,329 and Pines Health Services in Caribou will receive $1,171,272. “People throughout our state rely on rural health providers for the essential health services that keep them happy and healthy,” Senator King... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin announced today that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved up to $10 million to purchase Maine wild blueberries after the Delegation requested the Department take action earlier this year. Bonus buys help protect American farmers from unexpected market conditions by purchasing surplus goods and distributing them to food banks and other... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded a total of $1,947,230 in funding to three airports in Maine. The funding was awarded through the Federal Aviation Administration. “Maine’s airports are vital parts of our transportation system that help bolster the tourism industry and support jobs across our state,” Senators Collins and King said in a joint statement. “This... Continue Reading »
MACHIAS, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today visited Eastport Health Care Clinic and Down East Community Hospital in Machias where he heard concerns from doctors, health care providers, and hospital leadership over the proposed legislation currently under consideration by the Senate to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). At Eastport Health Care Clinic, Senator King sat down with the leadership of every Federally-Qualified Health Center throughout Washington County. The... Continue Reading »
EASTPORT, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement in honor of the 4th of July. Senator King will celebrate the holiday by marching in the Grand Independence Day Parade in Eastport, and then he will join local officials for the grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony at the newly-rebuilt Eastport breakwater. Eastport is home to the largest Fourth of July festival in the state of Maine. “Today, as communities across America come together to honor our... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) along with U.S. Representatives Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) today introduced the Biomass Thermal Utilization Act of 2017, legislation that incentivizes the development of biomass as an affordable, clean, and home-grown source of energy. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Oreg.) are also original sponsors of the bill. ... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced that the National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded the University of Maine and Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in Boothbay two grants totaling $574,650 for a joint study of a marine protozoan parasite that infects oysters. Bigelow Laboratory has received $399,908 for the project and University of Maine has received $174,742. “Maine’s ocean ecosystem helps drive our state’s economy, and... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer urging immediate engagement in efforts to ensure that Maine’s lobster industry remains competitive in the wake of the provisional implementation of the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). In their letter, the Maine... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) announced today that he has cosponsored the Young Fishermen’s Development Act, legislation to mitigate the challenges facing new entrants into the fishing industry and bolster recruiting with competitive grants to support new and established local and regional training, education, outreach, and technical assistance initiatives for young fishermen. “Fishing is... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today sent a letter to the United States Postal Office (USPS) Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan voicing concern over the USPS proposal to scale back operations at the Scarborough Distribution Center. The proposal, which could go into effect as early as this week, would move equipment from Scarborough to Nashua, New Hampshire and could result in less efficient and less timely mail delivery in southern Maine “The APBS sorts... Continue Reading »
