WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King and Susan Collins today applauded an announcement from the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) that they have partnered to initiate the Mass Timber University Grant Program. The new grant program aims to promote the construction of mass timber buildings on American higher education campuses throughout the country. The announcement follows a December 2018 letter – led by Senator King and signed by Senator... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, released the following statement upon reviewing Attorney General William Barr’s letter outlining the ‘principal conclusions’ of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report:“Attorney General William Barr’s letter confirmed for me what I have gathered from the last two years of public reports: Special Counsel Mueller and his team have conducted a serious, careful, and thorough investigation into the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine), Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), and Doug Jones (D-Ala) led a bipartisan group of 12 Senators to call on the U.S. Department of Commerce to release its report on whether imported automobiles and auto parts threaten the country’s national security.Last year, Commerce self-initiated a “national security” investigation into automotive imports under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. Under the statute, the president is authorized to impose... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded the State of Maine $2.3 million to help combat the opioid epidemic. The State Opioid Response grants are administered by HHS’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) and aim to address the opioid crisis by increasing medication-assisted treatment.“No community is immune from this heartbreaking epidemic that... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the Office of U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, announced Senator King’s cosponsorship of the Sunlight for Unaccountable Non-Profits (SUN) Act, legislation that requires the IRS to publish the names of any donors who give more than $5,000 to tax-exempt political organizations.“The Framers intended to create a government that is both by the people and for the people. This cannot and should not allow secretive... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Angus King (I-Maine) and Representative Jared Golden (D-Maine) today applauded an announcement from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that it will immediately reopen the Bangor Taxpayer Assistance Center (TAC) two days a week. The IRS announcement comes days after the members of the Maine delegation urged the IRS to reject the recent closure of the Bangor tax office, which served as the last remaining TAC in the Second Congressional... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) and U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today urged the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to ensure it remains the primary provider of veteran health care and to implement the Veterans Community Care Program (VCCP) as a means to fill gaps in veteran health care coverage. The VCCP, authorized by the VA Mission Act of 2018, offers American veterans local care outside of the VA depending on certain conditions and eligibility... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) and Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) urged the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) today to reject the recent closure of the last remaining Taxpayer Assistance Center (TAC) in Maine’s Second Congressional District. The members of Congress, led by Golden, wrote to the IRS urging agency leadership to reject the move and provide answers on how IRS will meet the needs of rural Mainers. “I won’t stand by while bureaucrats in Washington try... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – On Maine’s 199th birthday, U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) and Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-ME) and Jared Golden (D-ME) wrote to the United States Postal Service (USPS) expressing their strong support for creating a commemorative postal stamp in celebration of Maine’s bicentennial on March 15, 2020.“Since joining the Union 199 years ago as the 23rd state in 1820, Maine has contributed enormously to the social fabric of our country,” the Maine... Continue Reading »
BANGOR, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee and ranking member of the National Parks Subcommittee, today brought together Maine leaders and advocates to meet with Acting U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt to discuss National Park Service priorities in Maine. During the meeting, Senator King underscored the Katahdin Woods and Water National Monument’s economic potential for the region, and stressed the immediate... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) voted in favor of a resolution of disapproval to overturn the President’s declaration of a national emergency to build a wall on the southwestern border. The resolution of disapproval passed by a vote of 59-41, with 12 Senate Republicans voting to block the declaration.“Today’s vote was not a choice between the President’s border wall and open borders – and frankly, the repeated suggestion that I or any of my Senate colleagues support... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON — Senator Angus King (I-ME) and Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation today to level the playing field for the logging trade with other agricultural fields, ready young Mainers for good jobs in the forest products industry, and support Maine’s family logging businesses. The Future Loggers Careers Act allows 16- and 17-year-olds to learn the logging trade under parental supervision so that they may carry on and contribute to the family... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) pressed Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan and Under Secretary of Defense David Norquist to identify which authorized military construction projects are subject to being cancelled or reduced in order to reallocate $3.6 billion to construction of the President’s border wall. After questioning from Senator King and his colleagues throughout the hearing, the Acting Defense Secretary agreed to provide a full list of projects at risk... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today cosponsored the Defending Against Imitations and Replacements in Yogurt, Milk, and Cheese to Promote Regular Intake of Dairy Everyday (DAIRY PRIDE) Act. The bipartisan legislation, introduced by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho), would protect the integrity of dairy products and require that non-dairy products not be labeled with dairy terms like milk, yogurt and cheese. Senator King co-sponsored the DAIRY PRIDE... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) introduced the Housing for Homeless Students Act, bipartisan legislation that would update current law to ensure students who have experienced homelessness or are currently homeless can access affordable housing while pursuing their education. Under current law, people pursuing full-time education are not eligible for the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program and can lose access... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) joined a bipartisan group of his colleagues to introduce the Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act. The PHIT Act would encourage more physical activity in the United States and incentivize healthier living by allowing Americans to use a portion of the money saved in their pre-tax health savings account (HSA) and/or flexible spending account (FSA) toward qualified sports and fitness purchases, like gym memberships, fitness equipment, and... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON D.C. – The President today signed a public lands package into law that includes language authored by U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine), Ranking Member of the Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, and Susan Collins (R-Maine) to address issues raised by communities near Acadia National Park (ANP). Specifically, the law clarifies about boundary issues affecting ANP and the surrounding communities, protects the use of intertidal zones by harvesters of... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – Today, the President signed into law a permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) as part of a public lands legislative package. The legislation previously passed the Senate and the House by overwhelming bipartisan majorities.U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) have long championed LWCF. In January, they joined a bipartisan group in reintroducing legislation to permanently reauthorize the program. “I have long... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Richard Burr (R-N.C.), and U.S. Representatives Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.) and Jason Smith (R-Mo.) today reintroduced the Promoting Affordable Childcare for Everyone (PACE) Act, bipartisan, bicameral legislation that would update federal childcare tax credits to help American families better access affordable, high-quality care for their children. The legislation would make several changes to the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC)... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Angus King (I-Maine) today announced that they have joined 23 of their Senate colleagues to reintroduce a bipartisan resolution opposing privatization of the United States Postal Service (USPS). The resolution notes that the USPS is a self-sustaining establishment and that potential privatization would result in higher prices and reduced services for USPS customers, especially in rural communities.“The United States Postal Service is... Continue Reading »
