WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), in a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), pressed Sean O’Keefe, nominee to serve as the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, for his commitment to maintain focus on addressing brain injuries stemming from weapon blast traumas. During the exchange, Senator King’s remarks were informed by the analysis of the brain of the Lewiston shooter — who shot and killed 18 Maine people in October 2023 — which... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – As mass shootings continue to kill or injure Americans needlessly, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) reintroduced legislation to curb these mass killings without hindering 2nd amendment gun rights. The Gas-Operated Semi-Automatic Firearms Exclusion (GOSAFE) Act would protect communities from gun violence while safeguarding law-abiding Americans’ constitutional right to own a firearm for legitimate self-defense, hunting, and sporting purposes by limiting the features of certain... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) introduced bipartisan legislation to curb violence against health care workers. The Save Healthcare Workers Act would help deter and prevent violence against health care workers by making it easier to prosecute individuals who commit violence against hospital employees. The legislation would establish fines and federal criminal penalties for persons convicted of assaulting hospital personnel, with increased penalties... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), in a hearing of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee (SVAC), pressed Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins to provide some details about the 585 VA contracts he has announced he plans to cancel nationwide. The hearing comes two months after Senator King wrote a letter to Secretary Collins requesting a full list of all the contracts cancelled and made clear that arbitrary, reckless cancellations will harm veterans by denying... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Jerry Moran (R-KS), members of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee (SVAC), are introducing bipartisan legislation to permanently authorize a successful pilot program to expand access to medical disability exams for veterans filing claims for a service-connected disability. The legislation would allow any eligible health care professional with a current unrestricted license and a contract with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a hearing of the Senate Veterans Affairs (SVAC) Committee, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) spoke with Dr. Thomas O’Toole, the Acting Assistant Undersecretary for Health for Clinical Services and the Deputy Medical Officer for Veterans’ Health Administration for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, about the need to prioritize preventative measures to mitigate veteran suicide. During the exchange, Dr. O’Toole agreed that Senator King’s bipartisan legislation to provide... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Steve Daines (R-MT), leaders of the Senate National Parks Subcommittee, are introducing bipartisan legislation to strengthen and better manage public lands across the country. The America the Beautiful Act would reauthorize the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF) and increase its funding to address serious maintenance backlog and ensure that America’s public lands can be enjoyed for generations to come. Senator... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a hearing of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee (ENR), U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), ranking member of the Senate National Parks Subcommittee, pressed Leslie Beyer, the nominee to serve as the Assistant Secretary of the Interior overseeing lands and minerals management, about transferring public land away from federal management for possible resource development without the approval of Congress. During the exchange, Senator King expressed concerns about these... Continue Reading »
To watch the floor speech, click here The full transcript of the speech can be found here WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Angus King today spoke on the Senate floor to commemorate the 75th anniversary of former U.S. Senator Margaret Chase Smith’s (R-ME) ‘Declaration of Conscience’ speech. The speech, delivered on June 1, 1950, would be the defining moment in which a Republican stood up to her own party in defense of American democracy. More specifically, King called on his colleagues in both... Continue Reading »
To watch the floor speech, click here WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) today spoke on the Senate floor to commemorate the 75th anniversary of former U.S. Senator Margaret Chase Smith’s (R-ME) ‘Declaration of Conscience’ speech. The speech, delivered on June 1, 1950, would be the defining moment in which a Republican stood up to her own party in defense of American democracy. More specifically, King called on his colleagues in both parties to remember her legacy and “…stop... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) and dozens of his Senate colleagues are raising concerns from the public and encouraging the White House to reconsider Social Security Administration (SSA) field office closures in Maine and across the United States. In the letter to Acting Commissioner of the SSA Leland Dudek, King and the other Senators demand SSA field offices remain open so beneficiaries can continue to seek in-person assistance. “We write with concern in response to public... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) are cosponsoring bipartisan legislation to prohibit offshore drilling along the Maine coast, extending throughout the entirety of New England. The New England Coastal Protection Act would ban oil and gas leasing off the coast of Maine and in these protected areas. According to NOAA Fisheries, ocean and coastal industries, including tourism, fishing, and recreation, generate more than $17.5 billion in New England... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bipartisan resolution introduced by U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), the Ranking Member of the National Parks Subcommittee, marking the week of April 19 through April 27 as National Park Week 2025. The resolution, supported on a bipartisan basis, seeks to boost awareness of the value and availability of recreational areas while encouraging people across the country to spend time in America’s treasured national parks. The resolution is... Continue Reading »
KITTERY, ME – Yesterday, U.S. Senators Susan Collins, Angus King, and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) visited Portsmouth Naval Shipyard with Secretary of the Navy John Phelan. The visit was Secretary Phelan’s first to a public shipyard since his confirmation as Secretary of the Navy by the U.S. Senate. The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is a key economic driver in the region, supporting thousands of jobs integral to America’s national security. “It was a great pleasure for us to welcome the new Secretary of... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King released the below statement following the President’s Oval Office meeting with El Salvadorean President Nayib Bukele: “The recent actions of the Trump Administration in connection with the deportations to a prison in El Salvador, culminating in yesterday’s meeting in the Oval Office, should strike fear and outrage in every American. “Putting two and two together, the President now claims the power to deport anyone he feels might be guilty of a... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins, Angus King, and a bipartisan group of 58 senators introduced legislation to expand telehealth access in Maine and across the country. The Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act would permanently expand coverage of telehealth services through Medicare, make COVID-19 telehealth flexibilities permanent, improve health outcomes, and make it easier for patients to connect with their doctors.... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Jim Risch (R-ID), co-chairs of the Senate Working Forests Caucus, are introducing bipartisan legislation to improve forest industry employment and participation through a grant program aimed at rural and underserved communities. The Jobs in the Woods Act would support developmental programs designed to better equip and train the forest products workforce for careers with the U.S. Forest Service and timber industries. Nationally, the forest... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a hearing of the Senate Energy and Natural Resource (ENR) Committee, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) spoke with Dr. Preston Griffith, the nominee to serve as the Under Secretary of Energy, and Dr. Dario Gil, the nominee to serve as the Under Secretary of Energy for Science, about the need to prioritize energy storage technology as America works toward an “all of the above” energy future, making clear the value of renewable energy sources like wind and solar power. During the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In an open hearing of the Senate Select Intelligence Committee (SSCI), U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) grilled Joseph Kent, nominee to be Director of the National Counterterrorism Center in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, about whether it was appropriate to share highly detailed information about an imminent military strike in an unsecure Signal chain made up of top national security intelligence officials — and, inadvertently, editor-in-chief of The... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King, in a hearing of the Senate Subcommittee on Seapower, spoke with Matthew Sermon, the program manager of the Maritime Industry Base, about the importance of strengthening Department of Defense (DoD) operations by removing unnecessary bureaucratic barriers to help expand the defense industrial base. During the exchange, Senator King cited the “burdensome” and “slow” process that companies are currently forced to go through when trying to contract with the... Continue Reading »
