Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), the Chairman of the Senate Aging Committee, and Angus King (I-ME) announced that Catholic Charities of Maine (CCM) has been awarded $100,000 through the Corporation for National and Community Service’s (CNCS) Senior Corps RSVP program. This funding will support 165 Senior Corps volunteers in Kennebec and Somerset Counties.“In Maine, hundreds of seniors make significant contributions through our state’s Senior Corps programs, including... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Angus King (I-Maine) joined a bipartisan group of 38 Senators to send a letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee urging that back pay for federal contract workers impacted by the government shutdown be included within the upcoming disaster relief package. While federal workers harmed by the government shutdown have since been compensated for their lost wages, federal contract employees – including janitorial, food,... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) announced the hiring of three new staff members. Alex Porter, who had previously served as a Legislative Aide for Senator King, rejoins his staff as Tax Counsel and Legislative Assistant; Megan DesCamps, an experienced healthcare policy advisor, joins Senator King’s staff as Senior Policy Advisor focusing on healthcare policy; and Jeffrey Burke, a recent graduate of the University of Maine, joins Senator King’s office as Staff Assistant... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today introduced the Senior and Disability Home Modification Assistance Initiative Act with Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine), Chairman of the Senate Aging Committee, and a group of their colleagues. The legislation would make it easier for older Americans and individuals with disabilities to access federal home modification programs and remain in their homes. By helping these populations navigate and utilize these federal programs to... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) pressed top military officials to provide thorough oversight to ensure American servicemembners and their families have access to safe military housing. Speaking to U.S. Navy Secretary Richard Spencer, U.S Secretary of the Army Mark T. Esper, and U.S. Secretary of the Air Force Heather A. Wilson, Senator King pushed for greater accountability in the military to address the significant housing... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON D.C. –U.S. Senator Angus King today joined his colleagues to introduce the Save the Internet Act, bicameral legislation that will ensure the internet remains open and free from discriminatory practices. The bill would reverse the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)’s repeal of critical net neutrality protections in 2017, and fully restore the 2015 Open Internet Order. Senator King heralded the legislation’s introduction in a social media video, which can be viewed HERE.“There is... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) questioned witnesses before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) today on ways to respond to climate change challenges through the electricity sector. During his comments, Senator King pointed to the important progress that has been made through energy efficiency efforts, raised the importance of diversifying energy sources, and emphasized the possibilities that could be unlocked through improvements in storage... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, DC – During a hearing in the Senate Armed Services, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today pressed General Stephen Lyons, Commander of United States Transportation Command, about the cybersecurity of the military’s private sector partners for shipping, transportation, and logistics, and ways for the military to drive improvements by those partners. Specifically, Senator King raised the concept of ‘red teams’, in which hacking experts attempt to penetrate the systems of a business or... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Angus King (I-Maine) today announced that National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) $789,659 in grant funding to examine the impact of a warming climate on growth and population patterns in cod and lobster. The study will also document marine habitat shifts across the northwest Atlantic caused by rising temperatures.“The health of Maine’s coastal ecosystems are central to the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Angus King (I-Maine) have joined a bipartisan group of their colleagues to introduce legislation that would secure health care benefits for “Atomic Veterans” – military personnel exposed to harmful radiation when cleaning nuclear testing sites during the late 1970s.The Mark Takai Atomic Veterans Healthcare Parity Act would extend key VA benefits to veterans who helped clean up the Enewetak Atoll in the Marshall Islands,... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King led a group of 11 bipartisan Senators in sending a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, urging her to increase the number of H-2B visas to provide relief to small businesses struggling to fill seasonal job openings in the current tight labor market. The letter calls on Secretary Nielsen to increase the existing 66,000 H-2B visa cap to 135,320, the number available in fiscal year 2007, which is... Continue Reading »
ROCKPORT, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) commended the work of the men and women in Maine’s fishing industry at the Maine Fisherman’s Forum in Rockport today, listening first-hand to the priorities and concerns of Maine fishermen from around the state. “Here in Maine, generations of families have made their living at sea, and they have helped shape the traditions, culture, and economy of our state,” Senator King said. “The... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) joined colleagues to introduce legislation that would allow states that expanded Medicaid after 2014 or expand in the years ahead to receive the same full federal matching funds that the state would have received if it had expanded earlier under the terms of the Affordable Care Act. The legislation would directly benefit Maine, which is in the process of expanding Medicaid following a successful 2017 referendum; the state legislature had... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), and U.S. Representatives Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) today reintroduced bipartisan, bicameral companion legislation that would incentivize the use of energy efficiency biomass heaters in homes and businesses instead of relying on fossil fuel energy. The Biomass Thermal Utilization (BTU) Act would amend the federal tax code to incentivize the use of energy efficient wood boilers, stoves and heaters... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) took to the Senate floor to echo the call of his predecessor, former U.S. Senator George Mitchell, who urged action on climate change more than 30 years ago. During his speech, Senator King read a statement that Senator Mitchell made during a 1986 Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing on climate change, emphasized the lack of substantive action since that speech was made, and pushed for more forceful bipartisan efforts to... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today cosponsored the Flu Vaccine Act, legislation to support comprehensive research for the creation of a universal influenza vaccine that could protect against multiple strains of the flu virus and offer more effective and longer-lasting protection than current annual vaccines. The legislation calls for a total investment of $1 billion – $200 million for each of the fiscal years 2020 through 2024 for the National Institutes of Health (NIH).... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – In a continuation of the Maine Delegation’s concerted efforts to remove the unfair and harmful tariff on U.S. lobster exports to China, 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 U.S. Trade Representative Robert E. Lighthizer, calling on him to make the lobster industry a priority in the ongoing trade negotiations with the Chinese government.“[T]he U.S. lobster industry continues to be... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) today joined a bipartisan group of Senators to reintroduce the Developing Responsible Individuals for a Vibrant Economy (DRIVE-Safe) Act to address the driver shortage in the trucking and logistics industry, as well as enhance safety training and job opportunities for young workers. In addition to Senator King, the legislation is cosponsored by Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.) Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Joe... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – Last night, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) as part of a public lands legislative package by a vote of 363-62. The legislation previously passed the Senate by a vote of 92-8 and now heads to the President’s desk to be signed into law.Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) have long championed LWCF. Last month, they joined a bipartisan group in reintroducing... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the February Edition of his Inside Maine Podcast. This month’s edition features Kate Dempsey, Maine State Director of the Nature Conservancy, and Stephanie Clement, Conservation Director at Friends of Acadia, who join Senator King to discuss the Senate’s recent passage of a public lands legislative package, which was advanced by a vote of 92-8. The legislation included the permanent... Continue Reading »
