WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today joined a bipartisan group of colleagues to call on the Biden administration to expedite H-2B work visas as many of Maine’s businesses prepare for the approaching winter ski and tourism season in Maine. In a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Department of Labor (DOL) Marty Walsh, the Senators highlight the urgent need for workers across the nation’s ski and winter tourism industry and stress... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that the U.S. Navy has awarded Bath Iron Works (BIW) a $181,983,583 contract modification to a previously awarded contract for Planning Yard Services for the DDG-51 Class Guided Missile Destroyer program. “Time and time again, the hardworking, highly-skilled men and women at Bath Iron Works demonstrate that Bath built is best built. This new funding is a testament to the shipyard’s expertise that will strengthen... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –– U.S. Senator Angus King, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, is cosponsoring bipartisan legislation to protect veterans from benefits fraud. The Governing Unaccredited Representatives Defrauding (GUARD) VA Benefits Act would reinstate criminal penalties for unaccredited scam benefit representatives who charge unauthorized fees while helping veterans file a disability claim – something prohibited under current law, but without criminal charges in the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King released the following statement after the United States Senate advanced the Respect For Marriage Act on a bipartisan 62-37 vote. The bill, cosponsored by Senator King, expands federal protections for same-sex and interracial marriages by requiring federal recognition of valid state marriages. The bill also guarantees that all marriages are given full legal status regardless of the couple’s sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin.“Marriage is one of... Continue Reading »
PORTLAND, ME – Maine Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden, and Governor Janet Mills today released the following statement after the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) announced plans to temporarily suspend their certification of Maine’s lobster fishery. In their decision, MSC acknowledges that while the Maine fishery meets standards for sustainability and environmental impact and is unlikely to cause harm to right whales, it is unable to certify... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C.—In response to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA) favoring the shipping industry over the lobster industry in its attempts to reduce the risk of right whale deaths, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden wrote to Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo to express their opposition to imposing stricter regulations on fishermen compared to other groups. Since... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) announced that the Maine Connectivity Authority will receive a total of $5,000,000 to support the development of a Five-Year action plan to close the broadband gap in rural Maine. This funding was authorized through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and provided through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program that was created and funded by the bipartisan infrastructure law.Senator... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King, has cosponsored a bipartisan bill to maximize the historic broadband funding for residents across Maine. The Broadband Grant Tax Treatment Act (BGTTA) would classify broadband funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the American Rescue Plan (ARP) as non-taxable income, ensuring that the entirety of federal dollars awarded to companies for the purpose of deploying broadband in Maine can be used wholly for that purpose, rather than going back... Continue Reading »
Watch Senator King’s full floor speech HERE and download broadcast quality HERE.WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Chairman of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, today delivered remarks from the Senate Floor on the importance of protecting peace through strong military deterrence and passing the bipartisan 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). In his speech, King explained the need to modernize the nation’s nuclear... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that four conservation organizations will receive a total of $1,569,333 to restore habitats for coastal and marine species in Maine, help support our nation’s fisheries, contribute to the recovery of threatened and endangered species, and build resilient coastal ecosystems and communities. The funding was awarded through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).“We welcome this funding, which will help to... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, DC—U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) and Representative Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today announced that $450,000 in Congressionally-Directed Spending secured by the Maine leaders is headed to the Maine 4-H Club Foundation. The Maine 4-H Club Foundation intends to use the investment to leverage the purchase of Bridgton’s historic Magic Lantern Theater and operate an Innovation Lab and Learning Center. Run by the University of Maine... Continue Reading »
Watch the interview and download broadcast quality HERE BRUNSWICK, ME – Today, on Veterans Day, U.S. Senator Angus King, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released a conversation with Librarian of Congress Dr. Carla Hayden on the importance of preserving veteran history. In the interview, King and Dr. Hayden discussed Senator King’s ongoing contributions to the Library’s Veterans History Project (VHP) and the urgent need to save the stories of veterans for future... Continue Reading »
Watch Senator King’s Veterans Day video message and download broadcast quality HERE BRUNSWICK, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement in honor of Veterans Day.“In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the first Veterans Day Proclamation declaring November 11th as a day of ‘common purpose’ for all Americans to ‘remember the sacrifices of those who fought so valiantly to preserve our... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Angus King (I-Maine) applauded the announcement of a $418 million investment from Sappi North America, Inc. at the Somerset Mill in Skowhegan. The significant investment will help the mill convert?Paper Machine No. 2 to diversify its specialty product line and double its production capacity. Construction of the expansion is expected to support 1,000 contractor jobs across Maine.“The forest products industry is a vital part of... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, and Representative Chellie Pingree, announced today that two Maine organizations will be receiving a total of $1.2 million from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Sea Grant American Lobster Initiative to support the health of Maine’s lobster industry and help lobstermen adapt to any potential regulatory changes.The funding will be used by the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) to research new,... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that Maine tribes will receive a total of $2,074,901 from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime and Office on Violence Against Women to fund victim assistance programs and to help compensate Native American victims for crime-related losses.“We all have a responsibility to ensure that survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault receive the resources they need for their safety, wellbeing and... Continue Reading »
Houlton, ME – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representative Jared Golden today celebrated Louisiana Pacific Building Solutions’ (LP) announcement that a new siding production line will be constructed at their Houlton facility. The $400 million investment will increase LP Houlton’s capacity by 340 million square feet of SmartSide siding a year and is expected to create approximately 100 jobs at the plant. This significant investment is in addition to the $150 million SmartSide... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON D.C. – The Office of U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today released the October episode of Senator King’s “Inside Maine” podcast, in which Senator King and his guests discuss the current regulatory challenges facing Maine lobstermen and what the state and Congressional delegation are doing to support the industry. Senator King was joined by Pat Keliher, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR), and Curt Brown, a second-generation lobsterman and marine... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that 23 fire departments and organizations in Maine have received a total of $3,311,791 to upgrade equipment and support personnel. This funding was awarded through the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) and the FY 2021 Staffing for Adequate Fire Emergency Response (SAFER) Grants. As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Collins champions annual funding for... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that four Maine municipalities and Penobscot County have received a total of $726,492 to hire law enforcement officers. This funding was awarded through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program. “In Maine and throughout the country, the dedicated men and women of our nation’s law enforcement community put their lives on the line every day to keep our... Continue Reading »
