WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rural Maine is in the midst of a public health crisis, and U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today pressed two federal health agencies to explain what is being done to help address it. Calling the crisis a “slowly emerging, catastrophic injustice”, Senator King in a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlighted how people in rural Maine are facing health challenges of an unprecedented... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin are warning Maine veterans to beware of a scam where imposters attempt to imitate the Veterans Choice Program (VCP) phone line. Through this scam, a phone line has been set up by an unknown party to potentially mimic the VCP phone line. The imposter phone line may be intended to reach veterans who inadvertently dial the VCP number incorrectly. “We urge all Maine... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – As energy companies continue their push to expand the export of natural gas, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today introduced legislation to ensure that any exports would not hurt people or businesses across Maine by jeopardizing America’s competitive advantage and driving up energy prices. More specifically, the Natural Gas Consumer Protection Act would require the Department of Energy (DOE) to consider the effect that any natural gas export proposal would have... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King and Susan Collins announced today that the government funding compromise reached last night includes a provision that would allow the Secretaries of the U.S. Departments of Labor and Homeland Security to increase the number of H-2B visas distributed to small businesses across the county. The move comes just days after Senator King led a group of his colleagues, including Senator Susan Collins, in sending a letter to Senate leadership urging them... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Maine’s U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King appeared in a joint interview on NBC’s Meet the Press today with host Chuck Todd. The Senators discussed their work to build consensus and facilitate bipartisanship in Washington, D.C. Click HERE to watch the interview. A transcript of the interview follows: “MEET THE PRESS”APRIL 30, 2017 TODD: We have joining us this morning two Senators who could theoretically buck that trend:... Continue Reading »
BRUNSWICK, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today released the April edition of his podcast, Inside Maine. In the podcast, Senator King interviews Kristina Egan, Executive Director of the Greater Portland Council of Governments (GPCOG), and Peggy Daigle, who has worked as City or Town Manager in several rural municipalities in Maine, most recently serving in Lincoln. The focus of this month’s podcast is the Make it in America Manufacturing Communities Act, bipartisan... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ahead of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency’s National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day tomorrow, U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) announced the locations of the Maine collection sites. Click HERE for locations. The National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications. At a... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) led a group of 23 Senators, including Senator Angus King (I-ME), in calling on Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to reverse course and review dozens of applications for grant funding for first generation college students. The Department recently rejected these applications due to ridiculous formatting requirements. Senators Collins and Tester have learned that the U.S. Education Department denied dozens... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) has led a group of his colleagues, including Senator Susan Collins, in sending a letter to Senate leadership urging them to come to the aid of Maine businesses who are in desperate need of seasonal workers. In the letter, Senator King and his Republican colleagues strongly urged the Majority and Minority Leaders to implement cap relief within the H-2B visa program for businesses that need extra help during their peak seasons. The letter... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee unanimously approved the Strengthening Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health (SMASH) Act, bipartisan legislation introduced by Senator Angus King (I-Maine) that would help give states and localities the tools they need to fight back against mosquitos and the viruses they carry. The bill will now be sent to the full Senate for its consideration. The HELP Committee’s unanimously approval of... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King applauded yesterday's decision by the U.S. Department of Commerce, which confirmed that Catalyst Paper received a negligible amount of subsidies during the review period. Catalyst Paper will now be excluded from the countervailing duty order on supercalendered paper. In December 2015, countervailing duty orders were issued on supercalendered paper imports from Canada. During the course of the investigation, however, the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin were encouraged by the findings in a report released today by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA OIG) on mental health consults and access to care issues at the VA Maine Healthcare System (VA Maine). The report indicated that VA Maine has made significant improvements following a 2015 report that substantiated some instances where... Continue Reading »
WATERVILLE, ME – In the wake of the Trump Administration's proposal to slash funding for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) this week signed a letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee urging them to fully fund the EPA’s Brownfields Program in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 budget. The EPA's Brownfields Program assists states and local communities as they assess, safely clean up, and reuse Brownfield sites – properties that contain... Continue Reading »
WATERVILLE, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today visited Educare Central Maine, a state-of-the-art early learning center, where he underscored the importance of affordable childcare for working families across Maine and the country. During the visit, Senator King spoke with parents and childcare professionals about the Promoting Affordable Childcare for Everyone (PACE) Act, bipartisan legislation he re-introduced with Senator Richard Burr (R-N.C.) that would update the Child and... Continue Reading »
AUBURN, ME – Flanked by Maine veterans who have been mired in the bureaucratic mess of a broken appeals process at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today called on Congress to pass the Department of Veterans Affairs Appeals Modernization Act. The legislation, which Senator King has cosponsored, would overhaul the current VA system to provide veterans with clear and timelier options after receiving an initial appeals decision from the VA. The... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Bruce Poliquin and Chellie Pingree sent a letter to the Secretary of the Department of Education, Betsy DeVos, today to express their strong concern that the Department has refused to review the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s (UMPI) application for two grants under the fiscal year 2017 Upward Bound Program competition due to an unintentional line-spacing issue the University was not permitted to... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – After attending the successful launch of Flight Deck Brewing in Brunswick just last month, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today announced his support for bipartisan legislation that would promote continued job creation in the growing craft beverage, cider, wine, and distillery industries throughout Maine and the nation. The Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act, introduced by Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), would cut taxes and modernize... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement on the confirmation of Judge Neil Gorsuch to serve as an Associate Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court: “While I did not support Judge Gorsuch’s confirmation, I do sincerely hope that the concerns that led me to vote no today will be proven wrong. I would be delighted if this were the case in the long-term. However, today I had to vote my convictions and not my hopes.” To read Senator... 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 on the U.S. strike in Syria: “The use of chemical weapons is not only an affront to all of humanity, but it also violates longstanding prohibitions against the use of these weapons as well as the 2013 agreement by the Syrian government to eliminate its chemical weapons stockpiles and manufacturing capability. Last night’s... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – A day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that one in 10 pregnant women confirmed with the Zika virus gave birth to a child with virus-related birth defects, U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), and Richard Burr (R-N.C.) today reintroduced bipartisan legislation that would help give states and localities the tools they need to fight back against mosquitos and the viruses they carry. Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) has also... Continue Reading »
