WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins, the Chairman of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, and Angus King, announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded a total of $3,317,011 in funding to 10 airports in Maine. The funding was awarded through the Federal Aviation Administration, an agency within the DOT. “Maine’s regional airports are vital pieces of our transportation system that help bolster the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In response to the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) decision today to move forward on a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to repeal existing net neutrality protections, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) – a strong proponent of the open internet – released the following statement: “Today’s vote by the FCC is a mistake. Rolling back these common-sense net neutrality... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today joined Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) in reintroducing the Strengthen and Fortify Existing Bridges (SAFE Bridges) Act, legislation that would begin to address the more than 56,000 structurally deficient bridges across the country. More specifically, the legislation would establish a program to provide funding specifically dedicated to repairing and replacing bridges categorized as structurally deficient. “In Maine, bridges... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement on a recent decision by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that will help increase the number of homes and businesses in rural Maine that receive high-speed broadband internet: “I applaud the FCC’s decision to focus on bringing high-speed broadband access to new areas, thereby enhancing private investment and the goals of universal service in rural America,” Senator King said.... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) today reintroduced the Community Broadband Act, legislation that would preserve and protect the rights of cities and localities to invest in local broadband infrastructure. Municipal broadband can often provide an affordable, reliable option for many rural and low-income communities that continue to face persistent barriers to high-speed internet access. In Maine, the Town of Rockport and the Cities of South... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), co-chairs of the Senate Broadband Caucus, have introduced bipartisan legislation to measure the economic impact of broadband on the U.S. economy. While the federal government measures the economic impact of many industries, it does not produce current, reliable statistics on the economic impact of broadband on the U.S. economy. Accurate, reliable data on the economic impact of... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) led five of his colleagues, including Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine), in sending a bipartisan letter calling on the Federal Communications Commission to work to avoid cuts or spending reductions to the Rural Health Care (RHC) Program, which helps deliver vital health care services and telemedicine to people who live in rural areas by providing funding for broadband. The RHC Program was initially used to allow rural health care... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) announced today that he has cosponsored the Improving Rural Call Quality and Reliability Act, bipartisan legislation aimed at improving rural communications and addressing call completion. Today, persistent dropped calls in rural communities across the country are creating major inconveniences for families, hurting businesses, and even threatening public safety. A 2012 test call project found that nearly one in five calls placed to rural... Continue Reading »
BRUNSWICK, ME – The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has released an agenda for its February Open Meeting indicating that it will move forward with Phase II of the Universal Service Fund’s Mobility Fund (MFII), which is aimed at providing broadband service in rural areas of the country. The move by the FCC follows pressure from Senator King and his colleagues who wrote to new FCC Chairman Ajit Pai urging him to expand mobile broadband deployment in rural areas. Senator King... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today joined several of his colleagues in sending a bipartisan letter to the new Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai asking him to prioritize mobile broadband deployment in rural and underserved areas. Specifically, the Senators are calling on the agency to move forward with Phase II of the Universal Service Fund’s Mobility Fund (MFII), which is aimed at providing broadband service to these... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), the co-chairs of the Senate Broadband Caucus, led 48 senators, including Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine), in urging President Donald Trump to include broadband in any infrastructure initiative he puts forward. “Expanding access to broadband, both rural and urban, is the infrastructure challenge of our generation and... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree sent a letter urging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to move forward and fund critical dredging projects for York Harbor and the Saco River. “Small ports and harbors like York and Saco River are the economic lifeblood for many coastal communities in Maine. In allocating funds that Congress makes available to the Corps each year for the operation and maintenance of our... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that the Lewiston non-profit New Beginnings, Inc. will receive $185,400 through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to help expand New Beginnings’ outreach services and support their work to improve the lives of homeless as well as runaway youth and families in crisis. New Beginnings’ outreach program connects with youth who live outside the traditional service system in... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that Shaw House, a non-profit in Bangor that serves homeless and at-risk youth, will receive a total of $140,001 through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). The funding will support operations at Shaw House’s Basic Center Program (BCP) for homeless and runaway youth and their families. Senators Collins and King wrote a letter in support of Shaw House’s grant application in... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Congressman Bruce Poliquin announced that an agreement has been reached between the United States Postal Service (USPS) and a mail delivery person to Swan’s Island and Frenchboro. “We are pleased that this agreement has been reached so that the citizens of these island communities can continue to receive their mail in a timely and efficient manner,” said Senators Collins and King and Congressman... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced that the City of Sanford will receive $769,209 in grant funding from the Economic Development Administration to expand local broadband infrastructure and improve the region’s economic competitiveness. The funding will support the construction of an open-access municipal fiber optic network that will serve the Mill Yard complex located in downtown Sanford, a 600-acre industrial park, and over 80 businesses... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – With the support of U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), the Senate today passed the Water Resources Development Act, legislation that invests in America’s drinking water and wastewater infrastructure and authorizes 29 critical Army Corps projects, including the Portsmouth Harbor and Piscataqua River Navigation Project and also reauthorizes the Cape Arundel Disposal Site off the coast of southern... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the Bucksport Fire and Ambulance Department will receive a $25,000 federal grant through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program. The funding will be used to help purchase a cardiac monitor, pagers, tablets and monitoring equipment. “All across Maine, the brave men and women in our local fire departments work tirelessly every day to keep our communities safe,” said Senators Collins... Continue Reading »
BRUNSWICK, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today applauded an announcement that the Bangor Community Connector Public Transit System will receive $1,441,600 in grant funding from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The funding is through the FTA’s Buses and Bus Facilities Grants Program. “Safe and reliable public transportation is integral to helping move Maine communities forward,” said Senator King. “The Community Connector System helps people in the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins, Chairman of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, and U.S. Senator Angus King announced today that Casco Bay Lines will receive $2,560,000 to help fund Phase II of the Casco Bay Ferry Terminal Renovation. The funding was awarded through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Passenger Ferry Grant Program. “Casco Bay Lines serves approximately one million passengers each year and is a... Continue Reading »
