WASHINGTON — Maine’s congressional delegation called on the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration (NOAA) this week to take steps to protect the endangered North Atlantic right whale from ship strikes and questioned the agency on why it has failed to address the threat ships pose to whales. In their letter, Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME), Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (ME-01), and Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) noted that ship strikes and fishing gear have... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) announced that he will vote to find President Donald Trump guilty of both articles of impeachment when a final vote is recorded tomorrow. During a speech on the Senate floor, Senator King cited the President’s clearly proven effort to convince a foreign power to investigate a political rival in exchange for the release of Congressionally-appropriated funds, his blanket stonewalling of Congress’s impeachment authority, and the... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor was awarded a total of $2,791,196 for three separate research projects. The funding was allocated through the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).“The Jackson Laboratory’s leadership in the scientific field and its repeated breakthroughs to find cures for diseases are proof that there is no better investment than biomedical... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – United States Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sent a letter to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) requesting information regarding the agency's recent decision to shutter PREDICT, a program established to identify and combat viruses that may generate global public health emergencies, such as the recent coronavirus. The joint letter follows-up on a November request from Senator King, who asked for information on USAID’s decision... Continue Reading »
BRUNSWICK, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King held a listening session where hundreds of Maine people shared their thoughts on the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. Senator King’s listening session, which was attended by an overflow crowd of over three hundred Maine people from around the state, comes prior to an expected Wednesday vote on the two articles of impeachment, and days after the Senate blocked new witnesses, including Ambassador John Bolton; Senator King strongly... Continue Reading »
BRUNSWICK, ME – Tomorrow, Sunday, February 2nd at 2:00 p.m., U.S. Senator Angus King will hold a listening session to invite Maine people to share their thoughts on the impeachment of President Donald Trump. Senator King’s listening session comes prior to an expected Wednesday vote on the two articles of impeachment, and days after the Senate blocked new witnesses, including Ambassador John Bolton; Senator King strongly supported hearing from these witnesses.“For the past several weeks, I have... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today released the following statement after the Senate voted not to proceed to the consideration of witnesses in the impeachment of President Donald Trump:“I took an oath to do impartial justice at the outset of this trial, and from where I sit, part of that responsibility is an exhaustive search for all the relevant witnesses and documents. It seems obvious to me that we should have voted 100-0 to get the information we need to do this... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) joined 40 senators in urging the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) to withdraw its proposed rule that would change when and how often the agency conducts continuing disability reviews (CDR). The proposal would require millions of Americans who rely on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to re-prove their eligibility for benefits more frequently without reason, placing a significant... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that Midcoast Maine Community Action Program and Aroostook Micmac Council have received a total of $1,657,710 for their Head Start programs. “Head Start programs are instrumental in ensuring that children cultivate new skills and receive educational opportunities that prepare them for a lifetime of success,” said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement. “We welcome this important investment in Maine... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) joined 30 of his Senate colleagues in sending a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar requesting updates on the Administration’s response to the novel coronavirus outbreak and information on the steps being taken to keep families safe. In the letter, the Senators ask HHS to keep them updated with the latest information regarding the severity of the disease, the country’s capacity to diagnose cases, what... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) and U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today led a bicameral, bipartisan group of their colleagues, including Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Representative Jared Golden (D-Maine), in a letter to Acting Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Chad Wolf urging the administration to immediately increase the statutory cap of H-2B visas for fiscal year 2020. The Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020, authorizes the... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) joined a bipartisan group of Senators in sending a letter to Dr. Stephen Hahn, the new Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Working on behalf of dairy farmers in Maine and across the country, the Senators implored Commissioner Hahn to work with Congress to combat the misuse of dairy terms on non-dairy products.“Dairy farmers across our nation work hard to ensure their products are healthy,... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) and U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and Jared Golden (D-Maine) are sending a letter today pressing U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer for specific information regarding China’s commitment to purchase lobster in the recently announced U.S./China trade deal. In the letter, the Maine Delegation urges the USTR to release China’s financial commitment to American lobster, citing China’s... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the Maine Federation of Farmers’ Markets (MFFM) has been awarded $160,111 for its Workplace to Market Project. This funding was awarded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farmers’ Market Promotion Program.“The Maine Federation of Farmers’ Markets plays an important role in our state’s agricultural industry, helping farmers connect with customers and increasing low-income families’ access to fresh,... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement opposing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s proposed rules for the upcoming impeachment trial of President Donald Trump:“For weeks, Senator McConnell has been telling everyone who would listen that the Senate’s impeachment process would use the rules that governed the Clinton impeachment – but it is clear today that his assertions were at best misleading, and at worst, a willful bait and switch,”... Continue Reading »
BANGOR, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) met with Maine organizations focused on proactive approaches to health and wellness as he highlighted the role they play in cutting costs and improving public health. Senator King first met with team members at the Bangor Region YMCA and toured their Teen Center, which opened last year and works to address isolation, drug, and alcohol issues with young people. Following this visit, Senator King toured the new pediatrics facility at Penobscot... Continue Reading »
ORONO, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) spoke at the 2020 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast Celebration at the University of Maine. The event is co-hosted by the Greater Bangor Area Branch of NAACP and the UMaine Division of Student Life, and brings together hundreds of Maine people to honor Dr. King’s legacy. During his remarks, Senator King highlighted Dr. King’s commitment to justice and equality, and shared his personal experience attending the March on Washington in 1963,... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, in a Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) emphasized Congress’s failure to assert its constitutional duties as delegated by the Framers of the Constitution. Terming the recent period of Congressional history as “the Great Abdication”, King condemned Congress’s decisions to cede its responsibilities in declaring war, managing trade, and allocating federal funds. His comments come as the Administration reportedly will seek to... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today voted in support of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). King, long skeptical of trade deals with nations that do not share America’s labor and environmental standards, weighed the agreement’s benefits and risks for Maine through extensive consideration before concluding that, while imperfect, the trade deal improves America’s current trade position. “This was a close call,” said King. “On one-hand, I have long held... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King applauded the Senate’s unanimous passage of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act. This bipartisan bill, introduced in June, seeks to tackle the problem of plastic waste on a global scale by spurring innovation and finding uses for the plastic waste that already exists to keep it from entering the oceans. The legislation builds on the initial progress made by the Save Our Seas Act, which was signed into law in 2018. The... Continue Reading »
