WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine), co-chair of the Senate Broadband Caucus, Patty Murray (D-Wash), and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) are introducing new bipartisan legislation aimed at closing the growing digital divide in communities across the country. The Digital Equity Act of 2021 would create new federal investments targeted toward a diverse array of projects at the state and local level that promote “digital equity”— a concept defined by the National Digital Inclusion... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) are introducing legislation to make it easier for small farms and ranches to provide locally-produced meats to consumers. The Processing Revival and Intrastate Meat Exemption (PRIME) Act would give individual states the option to permit intrastate distribution of custom-slaughtered meat such as beef, pork, goat or lamb to consumers, restaurants, hotels, boarding houses, and grocery stores. The legislation comes... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today pressed Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on the decision to include only one DDG-51 Flight III destroyer in President Joe Biden’s budget request for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022, contradicting previous budget plans that planned for at least two and threatening Bath Iron Works’ production schedule. During this morning’s hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee focusing on the Department of Defense budget posture, Senator King... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), co-chair of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission (CSC), today introduced fellow CSC commissioner Chris Inglis before his nomination hearing in the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) to become the country’s first-ever National Cyber Director (NCD). The newly-created National Cyber Director position was a key recommendation of the Cyber Solarium Commission, and was one of the 25 CSC recommendations included in the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) are introducing bipartisan legislation to reform tax laws that cover charitable donations, so that philanthropic funds are made available to working charities within a reasonable time period. The Accelerating Charitable Efforts (ACE) Act would establish a timeline for donations to working charities from donor-advised funds (DAFs), which currently have more than $140 billion set aside for future charitable gifts,... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today questioned Christine Abizaid, nominee to serve as Director of National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), on the danger of domestic violent extremism and the NCTC’s role in confronting violence stemming from this demonstrated threat. The exchange occurred during an open hearing of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. During his questioning, Senator King highlighted the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), co-chair of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, today applauded the Senate’s 68 to 32 vote to pass the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, bipartisan legislation that strengthens America’s competitive advantage against China by investing in American technological innovation, strengthening U.S. leadership in scientific research, and supporting the nation’s continued economic prosperity. The bipartisan legislation creates a new Directorate for... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today voted to advance the Paycheck Fairness Act, legislation that would strengthen the Equal Pay Act of 1963 in order to help eliminate the gender wage gap, and guarantee that women can challenge pay discrimination and hold employers accountable. Despite Senator King’s vote, the motion to file cloture on the legislation failed to by a vote of 49 to 50. In response to today’s failed vote, Senator King – a cosponsor of the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In today’s hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) emphasized the danger of accidental conflict due to the lack of direct communication between the U.S. and Chinese governments and militaries – citing the unlearned lessons from history that the two nations need to heed. During his questioning, Senator King underscored that a line of direct communication between high level commanders on both sides could diffuse and prevent an incipient... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today questioned top Navy officials on the decision to include only one DDG-51 Flight III destroyer in President Joe Biden’s budget request for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022. During this afternoon’s hearing of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower, Senator King strongly pushed back against the move to cut the destroyers from the budget, citing negative effects of this cut on both national security and the long-term stability of the defense... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded two organizations in Maine a total of $9,650,792 for their Head Start and Early Head Start Programs.“Head Start programs are instrumental in ensuring that children cultivate new skills and receive educational opportunities that prepare them for a lifetime of success,” said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement. “We welcome this investment... Continue Reading »
BRUNSWICK, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) has joined a bipartisan group of his colleagues to introduce the Visit America Act, which would formally authorize the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board and create an assistant secretary position within the Department of Commerce specifically focused on bolstering America’s travel and tourism industry - a high-status position that every other nation in the G20 already possesses. The assistant secretary would be tasked with coordinating... Continue Reading »
Millinocket, ME – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King joined Governor Mills; community leaders; and representatives from Nautilus Data Technologies, Our Katahdin, and CapZone Analytics to celebrate Nautilus becoming the first tenant for the 1,400-acre former Great Northern Paper Mill site. Nautilus has developed the world’s most environmentally innovative, water-cooled data center. The company will use its patented water-cooling technology and 100%... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins, the founder and co-chair of the Senate Diabetes Caucus, and Senator Angus King announced that the Maine Department of Health and Human Services has received a total of $1,925,328 to support diabetes and heart disease prevention programs across the state. This funding was awarded through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.“Diabetes and heart disease are... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) joined a bipartisan group of colleagues in calling on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to set standards on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) found in bottled water, to ensure bottled water products are safe for drinking. PFAS are pervasive and persistent chemicals that accumulate in people’s bodies over time, and exposure to these chemicals has been linked to cancer, liver damage, decreased fertility,... Continue Reading »
BRUNSWICK, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) commemorated Memorial Day by releasing a video on his social media channels honoring the sacrifice of America’s fallen servicemembers. In his video, which can be viewed HERE, Senator King notes that Memorial Day is a day of remembrance, and recognizes our nation’s veterans and families who have lost loved ones in defense of the United States. “Memorial Day is just what it sounds like. It’s a day of memorial; of remembrance; of looking... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today the Office of U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the May edition of Senator King’s monthly podcast. This episode highlights the challenges that state and local governments faced during the coronavirus pandemic while maintaining vital services to care for Americans, and the much-needed assistance that came their way through Congress’ passage of the American Rescue Plan – which Senator King voted for. Senator Jon Tester (D-Mont.) joins Senator King in the first... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) and Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-ME) and Jared Golden (D-ME) expressed their opposition to the inclusion of only one DDG-51 Flight III destroyer in President Joe Biden’s budget request for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022, and committed to advocating for increased procurement of the destroyers. At least two DDG-51s were previously projected under the current multiyear procurement contract between the Navy and the two... Continue Reading »
BRUNSWICK, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Energy and Natural Resource Committee (ENR), announced that he has introduced the Battery and Critical Mineral Recycling Act of 2021, bipartisan legislation which would incentivize the recycling of single use and rechargeable batteries, to get more use from existing materials and reduce waste, creating a circular economy for batteries. These batteries contain valuable mineral resources that are needed to meet the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King issued the following statement after the majority of Senate Republicans voted to block bipartisan legislation that would create a bipartisan commission that would examine the facts surrounding the Capitol insurrection of January 6th:“On January 6th, the world watched as those who sought to interfere with and invalidate our electoral process attacked the U.S. Capitol, leaving law enforcement officers dead and injured in the wake of their... Continue Reading »
