WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is awarding a total of $120,400 in Rural Business Enterprise Grants to two Maine snowmobile clubs to support the state’s snowmobile industry and help promote the development of small and emerging businesses in rural areas. Moosehead Riders, Inc. in Greenville will receive $75,000 and the Portage Lakers Snow-Mobile Club, Inc. in Portage Lake will receive... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) attended a House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee Hearing on the outbreak of Ebola and the government’s continuing preparedness and response efforts, after which he released the following statement: “First, it should be understood that there are no direct flights from the affected countries to the United States. Mr. Duncan, the only known case to have entered this country, flew from Brussels. In light of this fact, the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, today released the following statement after returning from a nine-day trip to South Asia and the Middle East that included stops in India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Qatar: “The trip I just returned from to India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Qatar was informative and challenging. I learned a great deal about the region, our interests there, and how best to further... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced that the Department of Health and Human Services has released an initial $3.05 billion in Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funds for the first quarter of fiscal year 2015 – $35,328,047 of which will go to Maine. Last week, in an effort to help millions of Americans who are struggling with their energy bills as winter approaches, Senators Collins and King were among a bipartisan... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) recognized Disability Mentoring Day, a nationwide initiative led by the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) with the support of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) that promotes career development for students with disabilities. The program matches students with workplace mentors to spend a day on the job learning about how they can prepare to enter the workforce. Participants in Maine include students from... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Capping a nine-day visit across the region that included stops in India, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) traveled to Qatar, where they met with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani and visited Al Udeid Air Base, home of the Combined Air and Space Operations Center (CAOC) which functions as the “nerve center” for the ongoing air campaign against ISIL in Iraq and Syria and for... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, and Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs, and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, were in Pakistan October 12-14 to meet with U.S. Embassy officials as well as high-level Pakistani officials. The Senators met with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Chief of Army Staff General... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, and Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs, and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, were in Afghanistan the past two days visiting with U.S. troops and U.S. Embassy personnel, as well as meeting the leaders of the new Afghan government. The Senators were the first members of... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Angus King, a member of the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, and Tim Kaine, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs, wrapped a four-day visit to India that included stops in New Delhi and Mumbai. In New Delhi, the senators met with senior Indian defense and foreign affairs officials, including National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Members of Parliament and leading... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today joined a bipartisan group of their colleagues in expressing their concern to the Administration that federal rules for health care facilities do not adequately consider the impact these decisions have on rural communities. In a letter to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Director Marilyn Tavenner, the senators pressed for details about how the agency is incorporating rural health care experts earlier... Continue Reading »
ALBUQUERQUE, NM – Today, U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), members of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces which has oversight of the country’s nuclear weapons enterprise, toured the Los Alamos National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratory in New Mexico. The national laboratories are responsible for maintaining a safe, secure, and effective nuclear deterrent for the United States and for other science-related functions in support... Continue Reading »
SANFORD, ME – In honor of National Manufacturing Day, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today attended a celebration sponsored by the Manufacturers Association of Maine (MAMe) at ODAT Machine, toured the newly-expanded Jøtul heating stove production plant in Gorham, and visited Evonik, a global leader in specialty chemicals that employs 120 people at its facility in Sanford. The event at ODAT Machine brought together more than 75 students and teachers who, along with Senator King,... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In an effort to help millions of low-income families and seniors on fixed incomes afford their energy bills this coming winter, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, along with a bipartisan group of 46 of their colleagues, are calling on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to quickly release as much federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) heating aid as possible. “The LIHEAP program is one of our most effective tools to... Continue Reading »
GORHAM, ME – In response to the September jobs report released today by the U.S. Department of Labor, which revealed that the economy added 248,000 new jobs, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement: “Today’s report provides welcome news that the economic recovery is approaching the pace we need to restore the pre-recession jobs climate. On National Manufacturing Day, the report also unfortunately shows flat manufacturing growth, demonstrating... Continue Reading »
BRUNSWICK, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, released the following statement this evening in response to news that more than 76 million JPMorgan Chase accounts have been compromised by a cyber-attack: “This terrible news only further underscores the urgent need for Congress to pass comprehensive cyber security legislation,” Senator King said. “The longer we wait to take action, the more vulnerable we become, and... Continue Reading »
ASHLAND, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a strong advocate for the American manufacturing sector, joined with state officials and local business leaders in Ashland as Ecoshel, a manufacturer of premium exterior shingles; ReEnergy, a biomass electricity production facility; and Irving Woodlands Sawmill, a wood supply company, launched a new era of job creation and economic innovation in Aroostook County. All together, the new facilities are expected to directly support... Continue Reading »
BANGOR, ME – U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Angus King (I-Maine) today released this statement following the announcement that Verso will close its Bucksport paper mill later this year: “This is absolutely devastating news for these dedicated employees and their families, as well as for Bucksport and the surrounding communities. Many of these workers have spent much of their lives working at the mill and have poured their hearts into the work there. “As these... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States this week, U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, and Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs, will travel to India October 6-11, stopping in New Delhi and Mumbai. In New Delhi, the senators will meet with senior Indian defense and foreign... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins, the Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development, and U.S. Senator Angus King today announced that the City of Lewiston will receive from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development $2,995,159 in Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control Program grant program funding, and an additional $400,000 in healthy homes funding. The City of Lewiston will address lead hazards in 225... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced that the National Park Service has designated two new national historic landmarks in Maine, recognized as places that possess exceptional value and quality in illustrating or interpreting the heritage of the United States. The Frances Perkins Homestead in Newcastle and Eagle Island in Harpswell were designated along with seven other sites from across the country, joining the more than 2,500 national... Continue Reading »
