ORONO, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today delivered keynote remarks at the 2016 Maine Food Network Gathering held at the Wells Conference Center at the University of Maine in Orono, where he applauded the years of hard work that have helped grow Maine’s thriving local food movement. “Maine has a rich history of agriculture and fisheries. The broad scope of agricultural production, from small local direct market farms to larger commodity growers, is strengthening our... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced that the U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have awarded $3,735,439 in grant funding to the State of Maine to continue to expand access to high-quality preschool for children from low-income families. “Early childhood education is an investment in the future of our children,” Senators Collins and King said in a joint statement. “This funding will expand... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin announced today that they have sent a letter to the Foreign-Trade Zones (FTZ) Board in support of Maine manufacturer Flemish Master Weavers’ (FMW) trade appeal. The Sanford-based rug manufacturer has applied to the FTZ Board for production authority status that would exempt them from certain tariffs. Currently, textile tariffs that are designed to protect American... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that two tribal communities in Northern Maine will receive a total of $222,453 to promote economic development through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Of that funding, $122,953 will be awarded to the Aroostook Band of Micmacs, and $99,500 will be awarded to the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians. “We welcome this funding for Maine’s tribal communities, which will help support vital economic... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today joined several of his colleagues on the Senate Intelligence Committee in sending a letter to President Obama urging him to declassify information relating to the Russian government and the U.S. election. “We believe there is additional information concerning the Russian Government and the U.S. election that should be declassified and released to the public,” Senator King and his colleagues wrote in their letter.... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today announced additional victories for Maine in the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). In addition to the inclusion of the American-made athletic footwear provision, the NDAA also contains several other provisions for which Senator King fought, including robust funding for shipbuilding, support for military construction projects at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, and funding to... 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 – has unanimously passed the U.S. House of Representatives and now heads to the President’s desk for his signature to become law. Earlier this month, the legislation – the Northern Border Security Review... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, members of the Senate Military Family Caucus, today participated in the American Red Cross Holiday Mail for Heroes Program, which brings together Senators and Congressional staff to sign holiday cards for servicemembers, veterans, and their families. “The men and women serving in our military, along with their families and our nation’s... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today joined federal and local leaders to discuss efforts to expand broadband access, digitally connect communities nationwide, and spearhead key broadband infrastructure policy goals in the coming years. Senator King, a founding co-chair of the Senate Broadband Caucus, delivered the keynote address at Transforming Communities: Broadband Goals for 2017 and Beyond, an event hosted at Google by Next Century Cities, the Schools, Health... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and U.S. Representative Bruce Poliquin today announced that the final 2017 National Defense Authorization Act includes a provision championed by them that will require the Department of Defense to consider athletic footwear subject to the Berry Amendment by providing initial entry service members with American-made athlete shoes upon arrival at basic training. The provision, which is set to be approved by the House of... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) participated in a classified briefing held before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security to discuss the security situation along the Northern Border. Senator King, who is not a member of the Subcommittee, was invited to attend the briefing along with senators from other Northern Border states. Senator King and his colleagues were briefed by high-ranking officials from the U.S. Border Patrol and U.S.... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) announced today that bipartisan legislation he cosponsored with Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) to support first responders by ensuring they have the resources and tools they need to handle hazardous incidents, including crude oil train derailments, unanimously passed the U.S. House of Representatives – bringing the legislation one step closer to being signed into law. Senator King has been working with Senator Heitkamp and... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – With the support of U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), the Senate today overwhelmingly passed legislation that would expand on successes in telemedicine to improve access to health care in rural and underserved communities across America. Telehealth technologies such as videoconferencing are already making an impact in Maine, particularly for seniors, helping connect people with medical professionals while remaining within the comfort of their homes and supporting... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the U.S. Economic Development Administration awarded a $500,000 Economic Recovery Assistance grant to Eastern Maine Development Corporation (EMDC). The funding will be used to establish a plan to support redevelopment and revitalization in Eastern Maine and to provide assistance to businesses that have been affected by the closure of manufacturing plants. “Collaboration between the public and private... Continue Reading »
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 »
