WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Angus King and a number of his Senate colleagues are pressing the White House for clarity on their shifting immigration policies for Afghans living in the United States. In a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, King and his colleagues point out that the justifications for the decisions to implement a large-scale travel ban, which applies to Afghanistan, and terminate Temporary Protected Status, conflict with one another. Many of these Afghan nationals played... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), worked with his committee colleagues this week to secure strong investments in Maine’s economy and America’s defense posture through the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This legislation will support servicemembers and their families and boost the Maine economy through support for the hundreds of businesses that serve the military’s technological and manufacturing... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and Susan Collins (R-ME) have introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to ensure our troops are wearing high quality, safe and reliable footwear as part of their uniforms. The Better Outfitting Our Troops (BOOTS) Act would expand current uniform regulations to ensure the combat boots worn by our servicemembers are entirely manufactured in America and made with U.S.-sourced... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) released the following statement in response to reports that the White House may be pausing congressionally-directed weapons shipments to Ukraine: “I am gravely concerned by the potential “pause” in the supply of crucial weapons necessary for the defense of the Ukrainian people. To slow or stop the delivery of promised weaponry (which reportedly were already in Poland on their way to Kiev) is a serious policy and humanitarian... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the United States Senate passed the so-called ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ tax and budget legislation — a bill that was passed by the Republican majority with a single tie-breaking vote by Vice President JD Vance. Maine DHHS estimates that, because of this legislation, 31,000 Mainers would be disenrolled from MaineCare in the first year and estimates suggest that 4 rural Maine hospitals could close. In addition, it is estimated that 20,000 Mainers will lose their coverage under... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, Jr., and U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden announced that they are accepting nomination applications from Maine high school students for appointments to the United States service academies operated by the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Merchant Marine. No nomination is required to apply to the United States Coast Guard Academy. Students should apply for a nomination in the spring and summer of their junior year.... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. —U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) spoke on the Senate Floor to share remarks on the so-called GOP ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ and the potential harm it would do to Maine people. In the next hour, the bill is scheduled for an extended series of votes on amendments before a final Senate vote is held. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the legislation would add $3.3 trillion dollars to the federal deficit over the next ten years, while also cutting $1.1 trillion from... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a letter to Department of Labor (DOL) Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Maine’s Congressional delegation opposed the agency’s attempt to bypass Congress and close Job Corps centers nationwide. The move, which DOL calls a “phased pause in operations,” comes just months after officials froze enrollment at the Loring and Penobscot Job Corps Centers — exacerbating rural workforce shortages in central and northern Maine. “By calling this... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), in a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), spoke with Michael Dodd, the nominee to serve as the Assistance Secretary of Defense for Critical Technologies, about the importance of developing and deploying new defense technologies. During his discussion with Dobb, Senator King highlighted that previously the United States has significantly underfunded the development of advanced weapon technologies like directed... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C.– U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) and several of his colleagues are calling on the administration to explain secret hospital guideline changes. In a letter to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins, the Senators request an explanation of why certain VA Medical Center bylaws were changed in a way that could invite discrimination against veteran patients and health care providers. Recent reporting has uncovered how the Trump Administration is secretly... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, in partnership with fellow Maine native Patrick Dempsey, U.S. Senator Angus King is calling on Maine people to speak up and share their stories of how potential cuts to MaineCare and CoverMe will impact their health and their wallets. In a new public information campaign, King and Dempsey highlight that the only way to save Medicaid (also known as MaineCare in Maine) and CoverME is to speak up, call your elected officials and share the potentially devastating consequences... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC) Ranking Member Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) are calling on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Inspector General to launch an investigation into the Trump Administration’s controversial, unilateral cancellation of VA contracts at the direction of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Despite multiple requests from Senators King and Blumenthal, VA Secretary Doug Collins... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) led a number of his Senate colleagues who previously served as state governors to communicate to Republican leadership the devastating impacts of the Senate reconciliation bill on states. In a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo and Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee Chairman John Boozman, the former governors lay out their significant concerns about how this partisan... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) called on the State Department to reinstate student visa programs for the benefit of Maine schools and the state’s local economy. In a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, King outlined the immediate impact of revoking student visas on schools in Maine like Thornton Academy, the University of New England (UNE), Foxcroft Academy, College of the Atlantic and the University of Maine (UMaine) System. Senator King began, “I write to underscore the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, in a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) blasted the Department of Defense (DoD) for not presenting the committee with a full year 2026 fiscal budget that fully reflects the department’s funding priorities and needs. In an unprecedented move, the DoD is submitting its FY2026 budget in two pieces – the core budget that reflects no increase in spending, and an additional budget via the GOP reconciliation bill to make up... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) is joining efforts to highlight the hypocrisy of White House policy slashing funding for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), resulting in diminished enforcement for “wealthy tax cheats.” In a letter to IRS Commissioner Billy Long, King and his colleagues suggest that plans to slash IRS funding would balloon the federal deficit and result in $2.4 trillion in lost revenue over the next decade. In June last year, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King, a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) and Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), is cosponsoring legislation to counter threats to U.S. national security posed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The Countering Chinese Espionage Reporting Act would direct the Attorney General to prepare a report on the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) efforts to combat threats from China and espionage in the United States, so that the federal... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) and his colleagues are urging the White House to abide by a court ruling and resume processing applications for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. In a letter to Acting Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Angelica Alfonso-Royals, the Senators highlight the popular support for providing Dreamers a pathway to citizenship and request that the administration comply with the recent Fifth Circuit Court... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bipartisan resolution introduced by U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA), both members of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee (SVAC), marking Saturday, June 14th as “Veterans Get Outside Day.” The resolution encourages veterans, especially those struggling with mental health challenges, to spend time in the great outdoors. Veterans have free lifetime access to National Parks and Maine State Parks. “From beach walks on... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that Eastport will receive a port visit during the city’s 2025 Fourth of July celebration. The U.S. Navy has committed to sending the guided missile destroyer USS Gravely (DDG-107), which has a crew complement of approximately 330 sailors. USS Gravely is a battle-tested warship and recently saw action in the Red Sea. “We are grateful to the U.S. Navy for honoring the State of Maine with this port visit during... Continue Reading »
