WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus S. King, Jr. (I-ME), along with Senators Mark Pryor (D-AR), Roy Blunt (R-MO), John Boozman (R-AR), Mike Crapo (R-ID), and Orrin Hatch (R-UT), today introduced the Forest Products Fairness Act, a bipartisan bill that provides new opportunities for American forestry producers by allowing their products to qualify for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s BioPreferred Program. The USDA BioPreferred Program was created... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, released the following statement today after President Obama nominated Sylvia Mathews Burwell to serve as Director of the Office of Management and Budget: “As a member of the Senate Budget Committee, I look forward to listening to Ms. Mathews Burwell during her confirmation hearing and learning her thoughts on how Congress and the Administration can address our nation’s... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –In a letter last Friday, U.S. Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-Maine) pressed U.S. Trade Ambassador Ron Kirk for answers about the Canadian government’s distribution of $124.5 million in what appear to be illegal trade subsidies to the Port Hawkesbury Paper Mill in Nova Scotia that are responsible in part for the elimination of 45 jobs at the NewPage Paper Mill in Rumford, Maine. The trade subsidies, which Senator King believes are in violation of established World... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-Maine), Congressman Mike Michaud (D-ME-2), and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME-1) joined 209 Members of Congress in filing an amicus brief today in the United States Supreme Court in U.S. v. Edith Schlain Windsor, a landmark challenge to Section 3 of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, known as DOMA. Section 3 of DOMA defines marriage for purposes of federal law as “only a legal union between one man and one woman,”... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-ME) applauded an announcement by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) at the Maine Fisherman’s Forum today that it will attempt to cover one hundred percent of at-sea monitoring costs for the Northeast ground fishery during the upcoming fishing year, beginning this May. The at-sea monitoring program analyzes the fishing area as well as the catch and gear type in order to monitor sector quotas. NOAA had... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-Maine) released the following statement after the Senate failed to reach a resolution on sequestration: “I’m disappointed that Congress was unable to move forward on a sequester replacement plan. Sequestration represents a significant threat to our economic and national security and we lost an opportunity today to work together to achieve a much needed resolution. “I am encouraged, however, by tomorrow’s... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Rules Committee, cosponsored legislation this week that improves accountability, increases transparency, and saves taxpayer money by modernizing campaign finance reporting practices. The Senate Campaign Disclosure Parity Act, introduced by Senator Jon Tester (D-Montana), requires candidates for the United States Senate to file their quarterly campaign finance reports electronically with the Federal Election... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-Maine) welcomed word today from the U.S. Amy Corps of Engineers that it intends to allocate $3.5 million in federal funding to finish the dredging of Wells Harbor at the end of this year. The harbor, which has not undergone a complete dredge in several years, sustained a massive influx of sand from Hurricane Sandy and has been virtually blocked for passage except during high tide. The storm damage made the project eligible for funding... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-Maine), a member of the Armed Services Committee, today voted in favor of the nomination of former Senator Chuck Hagel to become the 24th U.S. Secretary of Defense. Following Senator Hagel’s confirmation, Senator King released the following statement: “Having met Senator Hagel personally, and having heard his testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, I am convinced that he is a man of honesty, integrity, and... Continue Reading »
PORTLAND, ME– U.S. Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-Maine), a member of the Armed Services Committee, announced today the hiring of Stephen M. Smith, of Arlington, Virginia, to serve as Military Legislative Assistant. In his position, Smith will be responsible for advising Senator King on issues related to the military, national security, foreign policy, and veterans’ affairs. Smith joins Senator King’s office after more than 21-years of active duty military service that... Continue Reading »
PORTLAND, ME – U.S. Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-Maine) announced today that he will be serving on the following Armed Services Subcommittees for the 113th Congress: the Subcommittee on Seapower, the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, and the Subcommittee on Personnel. Senator King’s appointments place him in a powerful position to represent Maine’s defense-related interests, especially when it comes to issues like shipbuilding at Bath Iron Works, maintenance and repair... Continue Reading »
PORTLAND, ME – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-Maine) joined with the owners and employees of the Bethel Inn Resort to congratulate them on one hundred years of exceptional service to the greater Bethel region. In celebrating the milestone achievement, Senator King also gathered with business and community leaders for a roundtable event at the resort, where he discussed his first months in the U.S. Senate, as well as ways to strengthen the local and state... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In a letter sent to President Barack Obama yesterday, Senators Susan Collins and Angus King call on the President to convene a meeting with Congressional leaders that must conclude with an agreement to avert sequestration and reduce our national debt. In the letter, the Senators express deep concern over the impact that sequestration would have on national security, including the defense industrial base in Maine, and our nation’s fragile economic... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), a senior member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, and Angus S. King, Jr. (I-ME), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, announced today that they will be visiting Bath Iron Works (BIW) and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY) on Thursday, February 21, 2013. The visit will be Senators Collins and King’s first event together in Maine. Both Senators hold seats on important committees that oversee Maine’s... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –The Maine Congressional delegation today wrote a letter to President Barack Obama urging him to direct the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to release any available overestimated funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) that is currently being withheld. In November, Maine received $34.9 million in LIHEAP funding, which is ninety percent of Maine’s total $38.5 million allocation. The reserved ten percent, or $4.5 million, has... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –In a continued effort to keep Mainers informed of his work in the nation’s capital, U.S. Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-Maine) sat down yesterday to recap the events of this past week in the U.S. Senate, including his reaction to the State of the Union Address, William Kayatta’s confirmation to the First Circuit Court of Appeals, and the delay of former Senator Hagel’s confirmation to become the next U.S. Secretary of Defense. Senator King also offered a... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-Maine) released the following statement today after the Senate failed to secure the necessary sixty vote super-majority to proceed to a confirmation vote on former Senator Chuck Hagel’s nomination to become the next U.S. Secretary of Defense: “I am disappointed by today’s vote to delay Senator Hagel’s nomination to be our next Secretary of Defense. When President Obama nominated Senator Hagel for the position, I... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-Maine) today hailed the Senate’s 88-12 confirmation of William Kayatta, Jr., of Cape Elizabeth, to serve as a judge on the First Circuit Court of Appeals. Today’s vote to install Kayatta on the bench ends a long nomination process that, regrettably, had been stalled on several occasions. Kayatta was originally nominated by the President on January 23rd, 2012, but never received a full Senate vote after being approved by the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-Maine), a member of the Armed Services, Budget, Rules, and Senate Select Intelligence Committees, released the following statement tonight after President Obama delivered his State of the Union address: “Tonight, the President eloquently presented us with his vision for the future of America, describing the challenges that confront us today, as well as his solutions to crafting a better tomorrow. Central to his message was not only... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement after his vote today to report former Senator Hagel’s nomination for U.S. Secretary of Defense out of committee. Senator Hagel’s nomination was reported out favorably and a final confirmation vote before the full Senate is expected at a future date. “I’ve had the opportunity to meet Senator Hagel personally and... Continue Reading »
