WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King have joined bipartisan legislation to ensure that auto manufacturers continue to provide AM radio service in every new vehicle. The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act would direct federal regulators to require automakers to include AM broadcast radio in their new vehicles at no additional charge. AM radio is especially important for rural communities, with the National Association of Farm Broadcasters (NAFB) finding that two-thirds of... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden announced that the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (Maine DHHS) will receive $2,048,452 through the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Emergency Response Grant program (SERG). This program is designed to meet emergency substance use and mental health needs for communities impacted by a precipitating emergency or... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) is joining legislation that would help public service providers like first responders and teachers afford homes and live in the communities where they work. The Homes for Every Local Protector, Educator, and Responder (HELPER) Act would establish a new, one-time-use home loan program for law enforcement officers, firefighters, medical first responders, and teachers. A recent study from a group of Maine housing experts found that Maine is now short... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C .– During tonight’s State of the Union Address, President Biden is expected to announce his decision to order the U.S. military to establish a temporary port in Gaza to facilitate more humanitarian aid to Palestinians in need. The decision follows the efforts of Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), and Senator Angus King (I-ME), a senior member of SASC, who recently delivered a letter to President Biden urging his Administration to... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) is joining colleagues to cosponsor legislation cracking down on the enforcement of illegal robocalls. The Deter Obnoxious, Nefarious, and Outrageous Telephone (DO NOT) Call Act cracks down on illegal robocalls and robotexts, improves enforcement, and increases penalties for robocallers who violate the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). The TCPA restricts the use of automated telemarketing calls. In 2022, Americans received 78 billion... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a joint hearing of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC) and the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee (HVAC), U.S. Senator Angus King received confirmation of the value of several of his policy initiatives with the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). In an exchange with VFW Commander-in-Chief Duane Sarmiento, King detailed three specific pieces of legislation he’s co-sponsored that would ease the paperwork process for those transitioning to civilian life, in order to make... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King, a member of the Senate Armed Services (SASC) and the Senate Veterans’ Affairs (SVAC) Committees, is cosponsoring legislation to protect and enhance the fertility services offered by the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA). Senator King’s support of this legislation comes on the heels of the recent Alabama Supreme Court decision equating frozen embryos to children. The Veterans Families Health Services Act would... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) is co-sponsoring bipartisan legislation that would allow workers to use their tax-free educational savings plans to pay for credentialing and training. The Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act would change existing policy and allow tax-free 529 plan education funds to pay for the expenses of a post-secondary credential, such as a commercial driver’s license. The bill also grants the Department of Labor authority to determine what... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, has introduced legislation banning energy exports to China and other foreign adversaries. Having long warned of America “exporting our principal advantage in the world economy,” Senator King joined with colleagues to introduce the Protecting American Households From Rising Energy Costs Act. The legislation would ban the export of crude oil or liquefied natural gas (LNG) to China,... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND), members of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, have introduced a bill that would require the VA to study the risks to elderly veterans of a proposed rule by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that would unsustainably change staffing ratios at nursing homes. The bill requires an assessment of the VA’s ability to continue meeting the long-term care (LTC) needs of veterans at VA and VA affiliated... Continue Reading »
Sanford, ME – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree, and Governor Janet Mills announced the Maine Defense Industry Alliance (MDIA), a newly established non-profit coalition of Maine defense companies, state agencies, community colleges and universities, and other vocational training organizations. Based at the York County Community College (YCCC) Instructional Site in Sanford, this partnership was created to attract and train thousands of new... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King today encouraged United States Space Command (USSPACECOM) leadership to assess threats to America’s significant private and public satellite fleet. In a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), King questioned General Stephen Whiting, USSPACECOM Commander, about what the United States is doing to mitigate existing risks in space and what the country can do to keep American assets and infrastructure safe from foreign adversaries. The... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Angus King (I-ME), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), and SASC Chairman Jack Reed (D-RI) are urging the Biden Administration to deploy a U.S. Navy hospital ship to the region. Sending a hospital ship would help to alleviate suffering and treat the injuries of Gazans hurt in the current conflict between Israel and Hamas terrorists embedded in the civilian population. In a letter to the White House, the Senators make the case that supplying a... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a hearing of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC), U.S. Senator Angus King raised the importance of honoring fallen servicemembers at national cemeteries. Under the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA), servicemembers are entitled to burial benefits, which include a final resting place in any VA national cemetery with available space — at no cost to the family. Unfortunately only 35-percent of veterans are aware of this benefit, according to a poll conducted... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Maine’s Congressional Delegation wrote to President Joe Biden in support of Governor Janet Mills’ request for a Major Disaster Declaration to help address the estimated $70.3 million in damage that occurred across eight Maine counties during the January 10 and January 13 storms. U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden asked the President to fully grant the Governor’s request to make federal assistance available for... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND), members of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC) and Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), are urging the Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) to better support veterans seeking the benefits and resources they’ve earned. In a letter to the Co-Chairs of the DOD-VA Joint Executive Committee, the Senators are suggesting the DOD change a question in the pre-separation transition form... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins, Angus King, Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) introduced bipartisan legislation to address PFAS contamination in private wells. The Technical Fix for the State Response to Contaminants Program bill would ensure that states have flexibility to use funding from the $5 billion provided in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for PFAS and other emerging contaminants in small and disadvantaged communities to help assist private well owners... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME), a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, and Ted Cruz (R-TX) have introduced legislation to modernize information on public oceans to improve public safety and provide navigation guidance. The bipartisan Modernizing Access to Our Public Oceans (MAPOceans) Act would require the federal government to standardize and digitize information about ocean recreation and navigation. This would create a one-stop shop that would... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, was featured in a “CBS Sunday Morning” segment focused on Ukraine’s war against Russia’s bloody invasion entering its third year in the upcoming days. King, one of the most outspoken members of Congress supporting Ukraine’s defense of its sovereignty and freedom, sat down with CBS National Security Correspondent David Martin and spelled out how the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King joined 60 of their Senate colleagues in cosponsoring the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act. This legislation would provide kids and parents with better tools to protect minors online, hold Big Tech accountable for harm to kids, and provide transparency into these companies’ proprietary algorithms. “Far too many children across the nation are at risk online. We must ensure that our laws keep up with constantly evolving technology and... Continue Reading »
