WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King and Representative Chellie Pingree have introduced legislation to ensure Maine organic farmers and businesses are well equipped to expand their businesses, reach new markets and further support Maine’s agricultural economy. The Organic Market Development Act would codify and increase support for an existing, and highly popular, grant program, which would help resolve supply chain gaps as demands for organic products continue to rise. In a 2020 study,... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –With Maine losing hundreds of residents each year from household falls, Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today is announcing legislation which would help older Maine people “Stand Strong” and avoid injuries from falls. The Stand Strong legislative package would encourage proactive home modifications and increase access to preventative screenings for older Americans to keep them thriving while avoiding costly injuries. The package includes the reintroduction of the Preventative Home... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Angus King today spoke to top China experts about American defense policy and the need to deter the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from influencing American companies, elections, and interests. In an open hearing of the Senate Intelligence Committee (SSCI), King asked Dr. Glenn Tiffert – a distinguished research fellow at the Hoover Institution – about the importance of a strong deterrence strategy to ensure the United States can defend itself from multiple forms of... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — During Suicide Prevention Month, U.S. Senator Angus King, a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC), and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden, are urging the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide more resources and better protect veterans struggling with mental health conditions. In a letter to VA Secretary Denis McDonough, the Maine Delegation is requesting the VA set aside funding for Regional VA Offices to provide veterans gun safes and... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Working Forests Caucus, has introduced legislation to protect and restore Maine’s forests, aiming to bolster both the economic success and environmental health of the state. The bipartisan bill, America’s Revegetation and Carbon Sequestration (ARCs) Act of 2023, would work to restore ecosystems, boost carbon sequestration through tree planting, improve fire risk reduction and expand forest products and wood innovation.... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Angus King and several of his Senate colleagues are calling on the FCC to protect affordable and equitable Internet access for all Maine people. In a letter to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the Senators are urging the FCC to expeditiously reclassify broadband as a telecommunications service under Title II of the Communications Act and restore net neutrality protections. By doing so, this would allow the FCC to better... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden, have announced the U.S. Department of Education has awarded the University of Maine $4,058,656 for the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) Maine RISE program. GEAR UP Maine, run by UMaine Farmington and the non-profit Syntiro, has helped prepare Maine students for postsecondary education since 1998, including more than 29,000 students since... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today are celebrating Maine’s lobster industry after the Senate unanimously passed their bipartisan resolution designating September 25, 2023 as “National Lobster Day.” National Lobster Day recognizes the cultural, economic and environmental importance of the iconic species, which is a foundational part of Maine’s economy. Senators Collins and King have sponsored similar legislation in recognition of the day annually since 2015. “For... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Mike Rounds (R-SD) have introduced a bill that would provide support to veterans in the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) applying for their well-deserved benefits. The TAP Promotion Act would allow accredited representatives from Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs), or other organizations, participate in TAP classes to help transitioning servicemembers file Benefits Delivery at... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, U.S. Senator Angus King released the following statement after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Capitol Hill to speak with lawmakers: “For over a year and a half, Ukraine has bravely defended its freedom and its sovereignty from a bloody, unprovoked invasion by an autocratic dictator. Putin believed he would quickly defeat his neighbor, rebuild the Soviet Union, and divide the Free World, but on every count, he has failed. While this war has waged longer... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King, a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, is joining a group of bipartisan colleagues in calling on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to step up its protections for veterans against predatory scammers looking to cash in on their hard-earned benefits. In a letter to VA Secretary Denis McDonough, the lawmakers urge the department to enforce existing protections for veterans filing for disability benefits. They also request additional... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (Maine DHHS) will receive a total of $287,194 from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Community Mental Health Services Block Grant (MHBG) program. This funding is part of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), and is in addition to the more than $4 million Maine DHHS will receive in Fiscal Year 2023 through the MHBG... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Ron Wyden (D-OR), along with Representative Jared Huffman (D-CA-02), have introduced bicameral legislation to protect at-risk marine life and ecosystems. The Help Our Kelp Act would invest federal resources towards state, local, and federal efforts to restore and protect kelp forests against climate change and other human-caused disruption. Kelp forest ecosystems in Maine and along the nation’s shores provide food and habitat for... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, during Suicide Prevention Month, U.S. Senator Angus King, discussed the importance of providing resources and support for veterans going through mental health challenges. In a hearing of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, King questioned Dr. Matthew Miller, the Executive Director for Suicide Prevention with the Veterans Health Administration through the Department of Veterans Affairs, and Gilly Cantor, the Director of Evaluation and Capacity Building at the... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – Today, Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that four Maine organizations will receive a combined total of $1,196,000 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service to help restore habitats for endangered Atlantic salmon in Maine. Maine is home to the only remaining populations of wild Atlantic salmon, a species listed as endangered since 2000 due to threats from dams, pollution, and historic overfishing. “The... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, U.S. Senator Angus King is calling on the Biden administration to continue working to seek ways to lower prescription drug costs for more Americans. In a letter with Senator Elizabeth Warren and Congressman Lloyd Doggett, King urges Department of Commerce (DOC) Secretary Gina Raimondo and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra to release its Interagency Working Group draft framework for public comment. In March of this year, DOC and HHS... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, on National Voter Registration Day, U.S. Senator Angus King is introducing a resolution to recognize September as “National Voting Rights Month.” The resolution encourages voter registration in the month of September and pushes Congress to restore the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to preserve the right to vote. “In the face of state-level threats that undercut the fundamental right to vote for millions of Americans, we must act to protect our democracy,” said Senator King.... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King spoke with an AI scientist about the need for regulation and liability of computer-generated or -altered content. In an open Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, King asked Dr. Yann LeCun – a New York University Professor of Computer Science and Data Science at New York University – about what is technologically feasible in terms of implementing watermarks (a small icon or caption) for users to discern between real and artificially created... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) and Representative Mike Gallagher (R-Wisc.), Co-Chairs of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission (CSC), today released the following statement prior to their Capitol Hill event discussing the successes of CSC efforts since its implementation in April 2019 and what the commission hopes to accomplish in the near future. Since its launch, the commission has seen about 70 percent of its recommendations fully or partially implemented. Joining King and... 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 $19 million in federal funding is now available to combat marine debris in coastal communities through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Sea Grant Program. This grant program, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will support healthy marine ecosystems nationwide. The funding opportunities are part of nearly $3 billion in... Continue Reading »
