WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King, a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC), along with Senator Susan Collins and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden, is pushing to simplify and improve the healthcare travel reimbursement process for Maine veterans. In a letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) Denis McDonough, the Maine Delegation identifies challenges with the VA’s new Beneficiary Travel Self Service System, implemented more... Continue Reading »
PORTLAND, ME—U.S. Senator Angus King, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today delivered a speech at the United States Coast Guard’s (USCG) commissioning ceremony of the CGC John Patterson – the Coast Guard’s newest fast response cutter (FRC). The Coast Guard accepted delivery of the 53rd fast response cutter, John Patterson, on May 11 in Key West, Florida. John Patterson will be the fourth fast response cutter to be homeported in Boston. King was joined by... Continue Reading »
BRUNSWICK, ME — U.S. Senator Angus King has introduced legislation to increase access to mental health resources for educators and school staff. The Supporting the Mental Health of Educators and Staff Act will help address mental health challenges that have been exacerbated by growing teacher shortages, increasingly unfavorable working conditions, community-wide hardships, and lingering impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. Educators – particularly those working in underserved schools... Continue Reading »
BRUNSWICK, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King is urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to enforce its rules, and get telemarketing calls (robocalls) under control. In a letter to the FCC, King and several of his Senate colleagues also call for issue guidance restating long-held requirements for unwanted telemarketing calls to assist telemarketers and sellers in complying with these rules. “We are heartened that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is considering... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King has introduced bipartisan legislation to combat the opioid epidemic plaguing Maine communities, as drug overdoses have taken 268 lives in Maine through June. The bipartisan Life Budgeting for Opioid Addiction Treatment (LifeBOAT) Act would establish a 1-cent stewardship fee on each milligram of active opioid ingredient in a prescription pain pill to provide and expand access to substance use treatment through the existing Substance Use... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, along with Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden, announced today that Bath Iron Works (BIW) has been awarded a contract to build three additional DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. The contract is part of the Navy’s 5th DDG-51 multiyear procurement (MYP) authorized by Congress. The contract also supports the potential for five additional ships, as BIW continues to work to deliver... Continue Reading »
BRUNSWICK, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), Vice-Chair of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, today celebrated the Senate’s unanimous passage of his bipartisan Duck Stamp Modernization Act of 2023 that would make the Federal Duck Stamp – required for duck hunting – available electronically. Providing access to the stamp on smartphones, in an expedited fashion, would help more people enjoy waterfowl hunting, remove barriers to getting outdoors,... Continue Reading »
BRUNSWICK, ME — U.S. Senator Angus King has introduced bipartisan legislation to expand and strengthen the Center for Disease Control (CDC)’s mosquito control and response efforts. The Strengthening Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health (SMASH) 2.0 Act, cosponsored by Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Rick Scott (R-FL), and Tina Smith (D-MN), would provide the CDC additional funding to research and fight the spread of dangerous diseases like West Nile Virus. The bill comes as the... Continue Reading »
Senator King’s podcast can be found HERE or on Apple Podcasts WASHINGTON D.C. – The Office of U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today released the July episode of his “Inside Maine” podcast. The Senator was joined by NASA Administrator and former astronaut Bill Nelson, along with the CEO and founder of bluShift Aerospace, Sascha Deri, to discuss Maine’s emerging space industry. “Maine entrepreneurs are directing our state towards the stars,” said Senator... Continue Reading »
Bath, MAINE — Governor Janet Mills and U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today delivered remarks at the christening of the future USS Harvey C Barnum Jr (DDG 124), a navy destroyer built at Bath Iron Works. The Arleigh Burke Class Destroyer is named in honor of Marine Corps Colonel Harvey C. Barnum, Jr., a Medal of Honor recipient who served in the Vietnam War and was later appointed Acting Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. Also joining Mills,... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bipartisan resolution, cosponsored by Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, designating the month of July as “National Blueberry Month.” The resolution recognizes the importance of blueberries to Maine, and the United States’ agricultural economy, and highlights the crop’s history. Senators Collins and King included language in the resolution specifically paying tribute to Maine wild blueberries and... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committees and co-chair of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission (CSC), today supported the Senate’s 86-11 passage of bipartisan legislation to strengthen America’s national security, support our men and women in uniform, and boost Maine communities. The Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) includes a number of provisions that Senator King backed,... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Peter Welch (D-VT) have introduced legislation that would help protect American and Maine farmland for agricultural use and expand access to farming for the future generations. The Farmland Access Act updates the existing, but underutilized, federal Buy-Protect-Sell program that allows land trusts and other Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to purchase and preserve farmland before its eventual transfer to another farmer who can... Continue Reading »
Watch or download Senator King’s questioning HERE WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a hearing of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, U.S. Senator Angus King, today urged top officials from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to work on reducing backlogs in processing veterans’ PACT Act toxic-exposure claims. King encouraged Joshua Jacobs, VA Under Secretary for Benefits, to adopt automation technology nationwide to make processing benefits more efficient; referencing a... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King today continued his push for America to rapidly move towards a clean, affordable, and reliable energy future. In a hearing of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee, King questioned Kelly Speakes-Backman, the Executive Vice President for Public Affairs at Invenergy, and Erik G. Milito, the President of the National Ocean Industries Association, about the need to judge energy permitting based on both its... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), asked Lieutenant General Stephen N. Whiting – nominee to be Commander of the United States Space Command – and Lieutenant General Gregory M. Guillot of the United States Air Force – nominee to be Commander of United States Northern Command – about the military’s need to deter Russian and Chinese aggression in the Arctic and in space. King pressed... 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 regarding the Biden administration’s announcement of a new permanent National Cyber Director, a position filled by Acting National Cyber Director Kemba Walden since February 2023. “We are relieved to hear that the Biden administration has finally nominated the permanent replacement for the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. —U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) today announced that the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) will receive federal funding to improve Maine communities’ resilience to shifting sea levels and climate. GMRI will be awarded $996,977 to collect needed coastal flooding data and to build coastal flood resilience. The funding from the National Science Foundation will allow GMRI to initiate pilot research programs in four coastal cities:... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S Senator Angus King Jr. (I-Maine) has introduced the Freedom to Vote Act, legislation to improve access to the ballot for Americans and advance common-sense election integrity reforms. The bill reflects extensive feedback from state and local election officials, including Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, to ensure the local authorities directly responsible for implementing reforms are able to do so effectively. It also would end... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Angus King (I-ME) announced that the Allagash Fire Department has been awarded a total of $526,571 in federal grants through the Fiscal Year 2022 (FY’22) Assistance to Firefighter (AFG) grant program. This grant will be used to purchase a 1,500-gallon water capacity truck and related equipment, replacing a noncompliant pumper truck. “Firefighters across Maine and... Continue Reading »
