WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel, underscored today in a subcommittee hearing on military sexual assaults the importance of the Ruth Moore Act of 2013. The act, named after veteran Ruth Moore of Milbridge who was twice raped during her service in the U.S. Navy, would make it easier for victims of military sexual assault to obtain the benefits they deserve from the Department of Veterans Affairs... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-Maine) today video conferenced via Google Hangout with students and faculty from Lawrence High School in Fairfield, kicking-off the Senator’s effort to connect with every high school in the State of Maine over his next six years in office. The 40 minute discussion, called “Capitol Class with Angus” and moderated by senior Matt Saunders, addressed a variety of issues including the economy, the national debt, and... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, joined a bipartisan group of Senators last week in writing U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel to urge him to preserve the precedence of combat decorations over a new medal honoring drone pilots and cyber warriors. A recent decision by the Department of Defense gave the newly-created Distinguished Warfare Medal precedence above combat awards like the Bronze Star and Purple... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today announced that he will be cosponsoring S. 294, the Ruth Moore Act of 2013. The legislation, named after veteran Ruth Moore of Milbridge, would make it easier for victims of military sexual assault to obtain the benefits they deserve. Currently, more than 85 percent of all military sexual assaults go unreported, which means veterans have a difficult time meeting... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) today praised the announcement that the Camden Amphitheatre and Public Library in Camden has been selected as a new national historic landmark. The Camden Amphitheatre and Public Library is among 13 new national historic landmarks designated today by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Director of the National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. The Camden Amphitheatre and Public Library is... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –As the first season for congressional internships draws to a close, U.S. Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-Maine) today praised interns Julia Isaacson of Cumberland and Carly Applebaum of Falmouth for their fantastic work in his Washington, D.C. office. Julia, a sophomore at Dartmouth College, and Carly, a recent graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, were selected to participate in Senator King’s internship program in November 2012. The... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-Maine) announced today that he has joined the bipartisan and bicameral Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus for the 113th Congress. With over 250 members from both chambers of Congress who represent almost all 50 states, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus works to protect the interests of America’s hunters, anglers, and trappers. “Hunting and fishing are ways of life in Maine,” said Senator King. “Not... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –In a continued effort to keep Mainers informed of his work in the nation’s capital, U.S. Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-Maine) sat down to recap the events of this past week in the U.S. Senate. Senator King specifically spoke about his visit on Monday to the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Counterterrorism Center, John Brennan’s confirmation as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Senator Rand Paul’s talking filibuster surrounding the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, released the following statement after voting today to confirm John O. Brennan as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Mr. Brennan was confirmed 63-34 following an 81-16 vote to end debate on his nomination. “As I’ve previously stated, we are at a moment in history when threats from across the globe continue to challenge our nation at every turn. The... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced that the Department of Homeland Security has awarded $87,769 in grant funding to the Eddington Fire Department through the "Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program," or FIRE Act. “The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program is an extremely critical source of funds for our fire and rescue personnel,” said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement. “This federal funding helps local first... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus S. King, Jr. (I-ME), along with Senators Mark Pryor (D-AR), Roy Blunt (R-MO), John Boozman (R-AR), Mike Crapo (R-ID), and Orrin Hatch (R-UT), today introduced the Forest Products Fairness Act, a bipartisan bill that provides new opportunities for American forestry producers by allowing their products to qualify for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s BioPreferred Program. The USDA BioPreferred Program was created... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, released the following statement today after President Obama nominated Sylvia Mathews Burwell to serve as Director of the Office of Management and Budget: “As a member of the Senate Budget Committee, I look forward to listening to Ms. Mathews Burwell during her confirmation hearing and learning her thoughts on how Congress and the Administration can address our nation’s... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –In a letter last Friday, U.S. Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-Maine) pressed U.S. Trade Ambassador Ron Kirk for answers about the Canadian government’s distribution of $124.5 million in what appear to be illegal trade subsidies to the Port Hawkesbury Paper Mill in Nova Scotia that are responsible in part for the elimination of 45 jobs at the NewPage Paper Mill in Rumford, Maine. The trade subsidies, which Senator King believes are in violation of established World... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-Maine), Congressman Mike Michaud (D-ME-2), and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME-1) joined 209 Members of Congress in filing an amicus brief today in the United States Supreme Court in U.S. v. Edith Schlain Windsor, a landmark challenge to Section 3 of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, known as DOMA. Section 3 of DOMA defines marriage for purposes of federal law as “only a legal union between one man and one woman,”... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-ME) applauded an announcement by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) at the Maine Fisherman’s Forum today that it will attempt to cover one hundred percent of at-sea monitoring costs for the Northeast ground fishery during the upcoming fishing year, beginning this May. The at-sea monitoring program analyzes the fishing area as well as the catch and gear type in order to monitor sector quotas. NOAA had... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-Maine) released the following statement after the Senate failed to reach a resolution on sequestration: “I’m disappointed that Congress was unable to move forward on a sequester replacement plan. Sequestration represents a significant threat to our economic and national security and we lost an opportunity today to work together to achieve a much needed resolution. “I am encouraged, however, by tomorrow’s... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Rules Committee, cosponsored legislation this week that improves accountability, increases transparency, and saves taxpayer money by modernizing campaign finance reporting practices. The Senate Campaign Disclosure Parity Act, introduced by Senator Jon Tester (D-Montana), requires candidates for the United States Senate to file their quarterly campaign finance reports electronically with the Federal Election... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-Maine) welcomed word today from the U.S. Amy Corps of Engineers that it intends to allocate $3.5 million in federal funding to finish the dredging of Wells Harbor at the end of this year. The harbor, which has not undergone a complete dredge in several years, sustained a massive influx of sand from Hurricane Sandy and has been virtually blocked for passage except during high tide. The storm damage made the project eligible for funding... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-Maine), a member of the Armed Services Committee, today voted in favor of the nomination of former Senator Chuck Hagel to become the 24th U.S. Secretary of Defense. Following Senator Hagel’s confirmation, Senator King released the following statement: “Having met Senator Hagel personally, and having heard his testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, I am convinced that he is a man of honesty, integrity, and... Continue Reading »
PORTLAND, ME– U.S. Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-Maine), a member of the Armed Services Committee, announced today the hiring of Stephen M. Smith, of Arlington, Virginia, to serve as Military Legislative Assistant. In his position, Smith will be responsible for advising Senator King on issues related to the military, national security, foreign policy, and veterans’ affairs. Smith joins Senator King’s office after more than 21-years of active duty military service that... Continue Reading »
