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 »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND), members of the Senate Veterans Affairs and Armed Services Committee, introduced legislation to improve healthcare access for rural veterans. The Supporting Rural Veterans Access to Healthcare Services Act would provide travel assistance for veterans living in highly rural areas to VA-authorized health care appointments. Specifically, the bill would reauthorize the VA Highly Rural Transportation Grant (HRTG) Program for... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) has joined a group of his colleagues urging the Department of Education to quickly address issues with the new simplified Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). In a letter to Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, the members expressed their support for the continued implementation of the FAFSA Simplification Act, bipartisan legislation passed in Congress in 2020 to make the federal student financial aid process more efficient. The... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King is urging the Department of Transportation (DOT) to take all necessary steps to value highway messaging that breaks through the traffic jam of information. In a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, King calls on the DOT to prioritize safety over speed, distracted and impaired driving, and manufacturers charging premiums for basic safety features instead of curbing clever highway messaging. According to the Maine DOT, in 2022 (the latest... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), a member of the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, today voted in support of the National Security Act – legislation that will provide aid to allies defending American interests abroad, boost efforts to fight the fentanyl crisis harming communities nationwide, and support American manufacturing to restock the American reserve of ammunition and other materials. The bill passed the Senate in a 70-29 vote. “A vote for The National... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) have introduced a bill to make child care more affordable and accessible for working families. With Maine’s child care shortage estimated to cost its economy hundreds of millions of dollars, the Right Start to Child Care and Education Act would help cut child care costs by increasing the amount of tax-free money Maine families can save through dedicated flexible spending accounts, and expanding employer-provided and... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), Co-Chair of the Cybersecurity Solarium Commission and a member of the Senate Armed Services (SASC) and Intelligence Committees (SSCI), and Marco Rubio (R-FL), today introduced legislation to protect U.S. healthcare systems from hackers and other bad actors. The Strengthening Cybersecurity in Health Care Act would require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) perform consistent evaluations of its cybersecurity systems, and provide... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) has led a joint effort in urging the Biden Administration to finalize its guidance for taking future administrative action to lower prescription drug prices and save taxpayer dollars. Senator King and his colleagues wrote a letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and Commerce Undersecretary Laurie Locascio, calling for changes to the “Interagency Guidance Framework for Considering the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King have announced a federal grant to support Maine’s forest products economy. The $1,745,869 in funding through the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) as a part of the Forest Economy Program (FEP), aims to bolster regional forestry while promoting industry innovation. The University of Maine will be receiving $745,869 for sustainable forest-based products packaging and Our Katahdin will be receiving $1 million for critical water... Continue Reading »
To watch or download today’s Morning Joe interview click here WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) today joined the hosts of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” to emphasize the importance of finding common ground across party lines and shoring up American immigration policy. Acknowledging that no legislation is perfect, Senator King explained why the current national security supplemental appropriations bill – endorsed by the U.S. Border... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) is joining growing calls to expand Wi-Fi hotspot access at home for students and teachers, with studies showing a significant grade point average difference between students with and without home connectivity. In a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, King and his colleagues emphasize the importance of expanding the existing E-Rate program that helps schools and libraries obtain affordable broadband.... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), a member of the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, is urging the Biden Administration to work with Israel on distributing additional humanitarian aid into Gaza. In a letter to President Biden, King and his colleagues are strongly encouraging the administration to work with their Israeli counterparts on five specific steps to significantly increase urgently needed humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza. The humanitarian situation... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King and Congressman Jared Golden are leading a bipartisan, bicameral letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) requesting a briefing on Chinese state-owned marijuana farms in Maine and across the United States. In a letter to Attorney General of the United States Merrick Garland, King, Golden, and their colleagues express concern for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) affiliated marijuana cultivation operations in the United States, the impacts on legal... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI), shared remarks on the Senate floor this week about the importance of choosing honor in Ukraine as his colleagues negotiate a bipartisan supplemental appropriations bill to provide aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. Today, the editors of Time Magazine adapted his remarks for their print/online audience. America Must Choose Honor in... Continue Reading »
