WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced that five Maine organizations have been awarded a total of $3,649,544 through the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Program and the Native American CDFI Assistance (NACA) Program. CDFIs are private financial institutions that provide affordable loans to low-income individuals and communities to help finance community businesses—including small businesses, microenterprises, nonprofit... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King released the following statement today on the recent announcement that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has decided to not pursue a proposed rule at this time that would have required individuals to opt in to receive mutual fund information in paper form. Senators Collins and King have strongly advocated to keep paper as the default delivery method for financial disclosures. “For our nation’s... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin responded to today’s announcement that the European Commission’s Committee on Invasive Alien Species has decided that they will not proceed with the listing of American lobster as an invasive species at the European Union level. The decision brings an end to the proposal that threatened to end live American lobster exports to EU countries. Senators Collins... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that CEI in Brunswick has received a direct loan of $20 million as a Re-Lender through USDA Rural Development’s Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant Program. As a Re-Lender, CEI will use the loan to distribute fixed interest rate loans to purchase, construct, or improve community facilities, such as libraries or senior centers, in high-poverty, rural communities. “Community centers are the... Continue Reading »
RANGELEY, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) has joined a coalition of his colleagues in urging the Justice Department to investigate and, if appropriate, prosecute individual wrongdoing at Wells Fargo after revelations that the bank’s employees had opened millions of accounts without customer approval. In September, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued its largest penalty to date of more than $100 million to the bank for the well-documented, unfair, and abusive... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that the Maine Department of Labor will receive $9,000,000 from the U.S. Department of Education to expand vocational and educational opportunities for Maine students with disabilities. “Few issues are as important to the State of Maine as the availability of good jobs and access to quality education,” said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement. “This innovative program represents a... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced that the City of Sanford will receive $769,209 in grant funding from the Economic Development Administration to expand local broadband infrastructure and improve the region’s economic competitiveness. The funding will support the construction of an open-access municipal fiber optic network that will serve the Mill Yard complex located in downtown Sanford, a 600-acre industrial park, and over 80 businesses... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that a total of $464,500 has been awarded to seven Maine organizations through the Economic Development Administration’s comprehensive economic development strategy (CEDS) program. The awards will be used by the organizations to establish an economic development planning framework, process, and strategy that supports private capital investment and job creation in their respective... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and U.S. Representative Bruce Poliquin announced today that the University Center Economic Development Program at the University of Maine and University of Southern Maine will receive a total of $116,667 in grant funding from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) to support technical assistance for Maine’s forest products sector. In June, the Senators wrote a letter to the EDA in support of the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King released a statement in honor of National Lobster Day, which will be celebrated this coming Sunday. In July, the Senate unanimously passed a resolution introduced by Senators Collins and King that designated September 25, 2016, as National Lobster Day. “The lobster industry is not only an iconic part of Maine’s image, but it’s also a significant engine in our local economy that supports families up and... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today led a letter calling on the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco’s Board of Directors to not reappoint John Stumpf, the CEO of Wells Fargo, to another term on the Federal Advisory Council. The Council, of which Stumpf is currently a member, is responsible for consulting with and offering direct insight to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System on a broad range of economic, monetary, and financial... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the European Union (EU) moves forward with its consideration of Sweden’s request to ban all live imports of American lobster, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin today sent a letter to the European Commission once again speaking out against the proposal and urging them to take into consideration the peer-reviewed science and potential economic repercussions of such a ban. “As the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following their leadership and advocacy on the Senate Appropriations and Armed Services Committees, U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), and Angus King (I-ME) announced today that the U.S. Navy plans to provide funding for another critical project at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY). The funding includes $25.2 million to conduct structural repairs at berths 11A, 11B, and 11C that will repair a quay wall and restore the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senators Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and Angus King (I-Maine) sent a letter to the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the Senate and House Armed Services Committees urging them to incorporate language in the final National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would ensure servicemembers and Department of Defense (DoD) civilians, including public shipyard workers, receive full reimbursement when traveling on... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following their leadership and advocacy on the Senate Appropriations and Armed Services Committees, U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), and Angus King (I-ME) announced today that the U.S. Navy plans to provide funding for two critical projects at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY). The funding includes $25.7 million to conduct critical repairs and improvements to dry dock #3, as well as $7.2 million for engineering and design... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin released the following statement today in response to a decision by the European Union’s (EU) Scientific Forum on Invasive Alien Species to open up a broader review of Sweden’s request to declare American lobster as an invasive species and ban all imports of live lobster into the EU: “We find this decision deeply disappointing, particularly because... Continue Reading »
BAILEYVILLE, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today attended the grand opening of St. Croix Tissue, Inc. in Baileyville where he delivered remarks applauding the mill on its success and investments in Maine's forest economy. “This is a great day – it is a great day because forest products is at the heart of Maine. There are three great resources that we have in this state: the cold waters of the Gulf of Maine, the forests and farms of our state, and our wonderful... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced that Ocean Renewable Power Company (ORPC) will receive $5,350,000 through the Department of Energy to enhance the performance of its tidal turbine system. ORPC was one of 10 organizations across the country to receive funding to support the development of a commercially viable marine and hydrokinetic industry. “ORPC is a global leader in hydrokinetic energy, and this grant will help accelerate the... Continue Reading »
GREENLAND – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), who is on a fact-finding mission in Greenland, released the following statement today in response to President Barack Obama’s designation of the North Woods and Waters National Monument: “Throughout the debate and discussion surrounding the national monument, I have always been concerned first and foremost with the economic wellbeing of the Katahdin Region. The question for me has been whether a designation would be a net benefit... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King and Susan Collins and U.S. Representative Bruce Poliquin released the following joint statement today on the conclusion of the Economic Development Assessment Team’s (EDAT) three-day deployment to Maine: “As the Economic Development Assessment Team concludes its work on-the-ground in Maine today, we wish to express our thanks to the Commerce Department and to members of the multi-agency team for their efforts over the past three days.... Continue Reading »
