WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), co-chair of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, questioned General Paul Nakasone, Commander of the United States Cyber Command on current policies in place to focus on “defending forward” through cyberdeterrence strategies that aim to prevent attacks by imposing a clear cost to adversaries. In response, General Nakasone agreed with Senator King and laid out the importance of preventive measures by implementing a cyberstrategy to alter... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) joined 41 of his Senate colleagues in a letter to the Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee urging them to provide at least $185 million in funding for the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation (NeighborWorks America) in order to address the nation’s affordable housing crisis, which has grown worse due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the letter, the Senators state... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) emphasized the anti-democratic impacts of gerrymandering on American elections during a hearing of the Rules and Administration Committee earlier today, which was convened to consider S.1, the For the People Act, a package of legislative reforms co-sponsored by Senator King, aiming to strengthen voting rights and enact federal standards to increase transparency in federal elections. After discussing the dangers of gerrymandering with Michael... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho) have introduced bipartisan legislation to digitize public land mapping records to enable greater outdoor recreation and improve hunting and fishing access for sportsmen and women. The Modernizing Access to our Public Land (MAPLand) Act will enhance access to the nation’s outdoor recreational opportunities by digitizing and standardizing mapping information like access points and permissible uses on federal public... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) cosponsored the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act, bipartisan legislation that would ensure legal cannabis businesses can access the same banking services utilized by all other legal businesses. The bill would solve a key logistical and public safety problem in states like Maine that recently have legalized medicinal or recreational cannabis. Senator King also cosponsored the SAFE Banking Act during the 116th... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), co-chair of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, pressed U.S. Navy Admiral John Aquilino, nominee to be Commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, on the importance of cyberpreparedness as foreign adversaries continue hacking U.S. networks and critical infrastructure. In response to Senator King’s questioning during a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Admiral Aquilino acknowledged that he shares Senator King’s urgency and... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) today introduced legislation aiming to lower energy expenses for consumers while also reducing the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. The Air Source Heat Pump Act will allow consumers to receive a refundable federal tax credit for costs associated with installation of an eligible new heat pump. This credit will encourage the use of heat pumps—which can heat and cool homes more efficiently than fossil... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Angus King (I-Maine) have joined a bipartisan group of their colleagues to introduce the Jumpstart Our Businesses By Supporting Students (JOBS) Act. This legislation would better support today’s students by making high-quality, shorter-term education and training programs eligible for federal Pell Grants. By expanding Pell Grant eligibility, the JOBS Act would help close the skills gap so... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) announced that he has cosponsored the Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act. This legislation would encourage more physical activity in the United States and incentivize healthier living by allowing Americans to use a portion of the money saved in their pre-tax health savings account (HSA) and/or flexible spending account (FSA) toward qualified sports and fitness purchases – such as gym memberships, fitness equipment, and... Continue Reading »
BRUNSWICK, ME –– U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) joined Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) in urging President Joe Biden to rescind former-President Donald Trump’s ban on seasonal, employer-sponsored, and cultural exchange visas under Proclamation 10052. In June 2020, former President Trump instituted Proclamation 10052, halting the processing of non-immigrant H-1B, L-1, H-2B, and J-1 visas, based on alleged potential... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – During Sunshine Week, a national effort to strengthen an open government agenda, Senator Angus King (I-Maine) has renewed his support for two legislative pushes that aim to address the influence of money on our political system. Senator King, a member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, has reintroduced the Real Time Transparency Act, which would require that all political contributions of $1,000 or more be filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC)... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that ASP2 Rural LLC has been awarded a loan of $7,739,000 to develop three solar energy facilities across the state. This financing was awarded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Electric Infrastructure Loan and Loan Guarantee Program. “Investing in renewable energy is key to effectively reducing pollution and protecting our environment,” said Senators Collins and King in a joint... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senators Angus King (I-Maine), and Richard Burr (R-N.C.) reintroduced the Repay Act, bipartisan legislation to reform federal student loan repayment programs. This legislation simplifies and streamlines the current repayment programs by establishing two, easy-to-navigate repayment plans: a fixed, 10-year repayment plan and a single, simplified income-driven repayment option. Senators Burr and King previously introduced this legislation in 2015 and 2017.“The coronavirus... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins, a member of the Senate Health Committee, and Angus King announced that the Maine Department of Health and Human Services has been awarded a total of $9,772,660 to support mental health and substance use programs throughout the state. This funding, awarded through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), was allocated through the December COVID-19 relief package.“No community is immune from these... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) questioned U.S. Navy Admiral Craig Faller, Commander of the United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) about ongoing immigration challenges at the southern border of the U.S., stemming from instability factors in the Northern Triangle of Central America (Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador). During his questioning which came during a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator King and Admiral Faller discussed the “push... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and Chairman of the Subcommittee on National Parks, voted to confirm Representative Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) to serve as Secretary of the Interior.“America’s public lands are both national treasures and economic assets, and it is vital that the Department of the Interior is led by a dedicated public servant who is committed to protecting our environment. I am confident that Deb... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C.—Members of Maine’s and Mississippi’s congressional delegations today sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks urging them to provide unequivocal support to the long-standing and congressionally mandated requirement for a larger Navy fleet. More ships—and a strong shipbuilding industrial base—are vital to the United States’ national security as well as the nation’s ability to conduct maritime security patrols, perform... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King is applauding the American Rescue Plan’s inclusion of a $28.6 billion fund specifically designed to support restaurants struggling due to the pandemic. The historic COVID relief bill includes a vital provision that mirrors the fund created in the King-backed RESTAURANTS Act. Grants from this fund will allow independent restaurants and small franchisees across Maine and the nation to address the long-term challenges brought on by the coronavirus... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King joined a bipartisan group in introducing the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act. This comprehensive, bipartisan legislation would help to reduce and prevent suicide, burnout, and mental and behavioral health conditions among health care professionals.Health care professionals have long experienced high levels of stress and burnout, and throughout the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has only further exacerbated... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that Ocean Renewable Power Company (ORPC) in Portland has been awarded a total of $3,615,260 to build, test, and operate a modular current energy converter to improve the next generation of river-powered turbines. This competitive funding was awarded through the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office.“Supporting research on innovative clean energy technologies will unlock the vast... Continue Reading »
