WASHINGTON, D.C. – With the support of U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the Senate today passed the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, bipartisan legislation that funds U.S. Department of Energy programs and critical water infrastructure projects administered by the Army Corps of Engineers. The legislation, which appropriates $355 million more in funding than the Fiscal Year 2016 enacted level, will continue to... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) will award a total of $990,900 in grant funding to entities in Maine that foster artistic creativity and innovation in their communities. These grants will support a wide range of artistic endeavors, including public art, museum exhibits, and performances. “Maine is fortunate to have so many excellent organizations committed to developing and maintaining the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In remarks delivered on the Senate floor this afternoon, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) applauded an announcement that federal student loan interest rates for the 2016-2017 academic year will fall to 3.76 percent, down from last year’s rate of 4.29 percent – the best rate for students in twelve years. The reduction is the result of the Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act, legislation brokered by Senator King and a bipartisan group of his colleagues... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King released the following statement today in response to the announcement that University of New England (UNE) President Danielle Ripich plans to retire in June 2017, at which point she will have spent nearly 11 years at the helm of the University: “Over the last decade, President Ripich has been a bold and visionary leader for the University of New England,” Senators Collins and King said in a joint statement.... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) announced today that the RESPONSE Act, bipartisan legislation he introduced with Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) to better prepare emergency responders to handle potential hazardous incidents such as crude oil train derailments, has unanimously passed the U.S. Senate. “We’ve seen it time and time again: when there’s an emergency, Maine’s first responders act, selflessly putting their lives on the lines to save... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) announced today that he and Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) have introduced the Cyber Act of War Act of 2016, legislation that would require the Administration to develop a policy to determine when a cyber-attack constitutes an act of war. A clear policy does not yet exist despite the increasing vulnerability of our systems and personal information to cyber-attacks. “Cyber-space is a new and evolving battlefield in the 21st century,... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King congratulated Benjamin Levesque of Lyman and Connor Archer of Stillwater for being named Maine’s top Youth Volunteers for 2016 by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. In addition to being named a top volunteer for Maine, Connor Archer was also named one of the top ten youth volunteers in the nation. “Connor and Benjamin join impressive company as Maine’s top youth volunteers for 2016, and we... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today congratulated Thornton Academy students for their participation in the Carlos and Malú Alvarez Academic WorldQuest National Competition at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., last week. After earning the right to compete in Washington by winning the Maine state competition, the students placed 8th out of 49 high school teams from around the nation. “Congratulations to the hardworking team from... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that Oak Point Associates of Biddeford has been awarded a $15 million contract from the U.S. Navy for architectural and engineering services to support Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) projects at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery and other U.S. Navy facilities across New England. NAVFAC is responsible for managing the planning, design, and construction at shore facilities operated by the U.S.... Continue Reading »
BRUNSWICK, ME – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) today led a bipartisan letter calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to update broadband speed definitions for the Community Connect Grant Program. Earlier this month, USDA upped broadband speed requirements for the Broadband Access Loan Program to 10mbps, while Community Connect was only upped to 4mbps. Both programs provide much-needed support for enhancing broadband in rural America.... Continue Reading »
AUGUSTA, ME – During a tour and roundtable discussion at the Maine VA Medical Center at Togus today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) urged top officials from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to improve the implementation of the Choice Program in Maine to provide veterans with timely and accessible health care. In late January 2016, it was revealed to members of Maine’s Congressional Delegation that, due to poor implementation of the program, more than half of eligible... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that Bath Iron Works will build the Navy’s first Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyer (DDG-51). This DDG-51 Flight III guided missile destroyer will incorporate new technologies, including a powerful new radar called the SPY-6, also referred to as the Air and Missile Defense Radar, which significantly enhances a ship’s ability to detect air and surface targets as... Continue Reading »
BRUNSWICK, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the April edition of his podcast focusing on positive trends in Maine’s craft brew industry and how federal policies can help to continue that momentum. In the podcast, he interviews Maine Beer Company founder Dan Kleban and Blue Ox Malthouse founder Joel Alex who highlighted the growth of Maine’s small brewers, outlined how the industry is helping to strengthen Maine’s economy, and provided insights... Continue Reading »
FREEPORT, ME – In keynote remarks delivered at the Maine Association of Psychiatric Physicians (MAPP) Annual Meeting in Freeport today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) emphasized the importance of working together to fight Maine’s opioid and heroin epidemic and how Maine’s medical community is a central part of a comprehensive response to curbing the ongoing crisis. “We all recognize the urgency of... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) introduced a bipartisan bill today to examine the rising rate and treatment costs of neonatal abstinence syndrome or NAS, a withdrawal condition in newborns often caused by the prenatal use of opioids in pregnant women. “The statistics are heartbreaking. Nearly one thousand babies were born in Maine last year with neonatal abstinence syndrome,” Senator King said.... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) pressed Secretary of Defense Ash Carter on the status of repairs to the Mosul Dam in northern Iraq. The dam, which is at a high risk of catastrophic breach, is currently scheduled to be repaired this year by an Italian contractor. According to a recent U.S. Embassy Fact Sheet, its collapse could occur with little to no warning and unleash a tidal wave that could result in the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins, the Chairman of the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, and Angus King today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded a total of $639,841 in grant funding to support maintenance efforts at Knox County Regional Airport and Lincoln Regional Airport. “Maine’s airports are critical pieces of our state’s transportation system that bolster our economy and... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a letter sent to the Senate Appropriations Committee today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) called for increased mosquito abatement funding to support local, state, and national efforts to contain the spread of the Zika virus. In his letter, Senator King emphasized that unless Congress deals with the Zika crisis head on by allocating additional funding, public health responders in Maine will continue to lose Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) funding, which... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator Susan Collins, the Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD), and Senator Angus King, a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded $58,995 to the State of Maine that will help keep our pipelines safe. The investment will provide funding to continue to support one of the state’s two Damage Prevention... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ahead of the 11th U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced the locations of the Maine collection sites. Click HERE for locations. The National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications. At the previous... Continue Reading »
