In case you missed it, an editorial from the New York Times today applauded the Department of Defense for once again pursuing a “Bug Bounty” program, which rewards so-called “white hat” hackers who detect and report security vulnerabilities within the Pentagon’s cyber-networks. On October 24, 2016, U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, also commended the program in a letter to... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King released the following statement today in response to the announcement that Dirk A. Lesko will succeed Fred Harris as President of Bath Iron Works on January 1, 2017: “We commend the selection of Dirk Lesko to serve as the next President of Bath Iron Works. We have both worked with Dirk very closely over the years and are confident that his depth of experience, proven track record, and longstanding commitment to the yard... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced that Cianbro Corp. of Pittsfield has been awarded a $28,860,243 contract from the U.S. Navy to perform structural repairs at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY) in Kittery. “Portsmouth Naval Shipyard plays a critical role in the defense of our country, and it’s important that the shipyard has the tools and infrastructure needed to continue in that mission,” said Senators Collins and King in a joint... Continue Reading »
BRUNSWICK, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today joined with local citizens, Amtrak and Downeaster officials and state business leaders to celebrate the launch of Amtrak’s new schedule with more convenient travel options, including the addition of a third daily roundtrip from Boston to Freeport and Brunswick, which officially begins today. “The Downeaster is one of the best trains in the Amtrak system, and from my time as Governor to today, it’s been incredible to... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today joined a bipartisan, bicameral group of more than 80 legislators from the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives in calling for adding lasting solutions to improve and protect mail delivery and service in comprehensive U.S. Postal Service reform legislation introduced in the House. In the letter, which was led by Senators Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kans.), Senators Collins and King pressed leaders of... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced that a bipartisan bill they cosponsored to help assess and strengthen American security at the Northern Border – the longest common land border in the world – passed unanimously in the U.S. Senate. The bipartisan legislation, the Northern Border Security Review Act, would require the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to conduct a comprehensive examination of the current resources and... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In the wake of an announcement that Maine has experienced a record number of drug-related deaths this year, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) is calling on the leaders of the Senate Appropriations Committee to fully fund the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act as they work on additional spending bills related to the remainder of the fiscal year. The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, which is aimed at bolstering treatment, recovery, education, and... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and James Lankford (R-Okla.), members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, today sent a letter to President-elect Donald Trump urging him to prioritize the nomination of the next Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and to select an experienced, collaborative individual who can advise on the nominations of other intelligence agency leaders. “A successful DNI makes the intelligence community more efficient, more... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today applauded an announcement from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration that nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) can immediately begin taking the 24-hours of required training to prescribe the opioid use disorder treatment, buprenorphine. Earlier this year, Senator King convened a roundtable with nurse practitioners in Bangor that focused on the importance of allowing NPs and PAs to... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) sent a letter to the Social Security Administration (SSA) expressing support for the agency’s effort to reduce the considerable wait times that people with disabilities experience when applying for programs that can help them support themselves and, when possible, reenter the workforce. In his letter, which is part of his ongoing effort to support Americans with disabilities, Senator King also offered several suggestions as... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today announced his support for legislation introduced by Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) that would extend the timeline for the implementation of the Obama Administration’s overtime rule to ease compliance on small businesses and non-profits. Senator King followed his co-sponsorship of the legislation today by also sending a letter to President Obama that criticizes the Administration for not doing more to mitigate the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), and Chris Coons (D-Del.) today sent a letter to the Secretaries of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Education, urging them to ensure that any veteran who is permanently disabled is discharged of their federal student loan debt. Such a discharge is allowed under current law, but the lack of coordination between the Department of Education (ED) and the VA is leaving behind potentially thousands of veterans who could... Continue Reading »
WATERVILLE, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement today in honor of Veterans Day: “Veterans Day holds a sacred place in our history as a Nation, and in turn, has become a dedicated occasion to commemorate all those in our community who bravely wore and continue to wear the uniform to protect our safety and security. The people of Maine have long embraced this duty, and our state has a hallowed history of sending our sons and daughters to bravely... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that Spurwink Services in Portland has been awarded a five-year, $20 million Investing in Innovation (i3) Scale-up grant from the Department of Education. The funding will support Spurwink’s expansion of its Building Assets, Reducing Risks (BARR) model that aims to improve student academic achievement in high schools. Senators Collins and King wrote a letter in July supporting Spurwink’s grant... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representative Bruce Poliquin announced that the U.S. Department of Labor has approved much-needed Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for displaced employees at Twin Rivers Paper Company. In July, Senators Collins and King and Representative Poliquin sent a letter to U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Thomas Perez in support of the TAA petition, which was filed in advance of the Madawaska mill shutting down one... Continue Reading »
BRUNSWICK, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement today on the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States: “As this campaign for the presidency draws to a close, I am hopeful that the President-elect and Congress can work together to write a new chapter in American history – one that begins and ends with the healing of our great national divide, a chasm that has seemingly only grown throughout the course of this long and bruising... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today welcomed an announcement from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that it has awarded a total of $1,549,262 to nine Maine agricultural producers. The funding, awarded through the USDA's Rural Development Value Added Producer Grant Program, will support activities related to the processing and marketing of agricultural, value-added products. "This federal investment will assist local, independent farms... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King welcomed an announcement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that it is investing $4.4 million to assist the Boothbay Harbor Sewer District and Vassalboro Sanitary District. Boothbay Harbor will receive a $450,000 Water and Waste Disposal Direct Loan and a $150,000 grant, and Vassalboro will receive a $2,113,000 Water and Waste Disposal Direct Loan and a $1,700,000 grant. “Water infrastructure helps to... Continue Reading »
BANGOR, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today joined with officials from Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to present Casco Bay Energy Company with OSHA’s prestigious Voluntary Protection Program Star Certification. Star Certification is awarded to exemplary worksites with comprehensive, successful safety, and health management systems. “Facilities like Casco Bay Energy are a critical component of America’s energy infrastructure, helping to... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King applauded a decision to approve Norway spruce as construction-grade dimensional lumber. Senators Collins and King commended a team of researchers from the University of Maine that conducted extensive testing on the wood species, which informed the decision by the American Lumber Standards Committee to approve Norway spruce for use in construction. The decision will benefit Maine landowners, loggers, lumber mills,... Continue Reading »
