U.S. Sen. Angus King of Maine implored his colleagues in the Senate on Thursday to provide millions of dollars in funding for the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, to help pay for treatment of Americans who have become victims of the nation’s heroin and opioid epidemic. King’s speech on the Senate floor lasted over 4 minutes and came hours after he submitted a letter to President Obama asking that the White House negotiate with Congress to make sure the $181 million... Continue Reading »
This August marks the 20th anniversary of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, the $16.5 billion federal program theoretically devoted to helping low-income families with children escape poverty. Nationally, the number of people on assistance has dropped drastically in the past 20 years, from more than 12 million in August 1996 to 2.9 million at the end of 2015. In Maine, TANF rolls have dropped by more than 60 percent in the past four years. The problem is, it’s become... Continue Reading »
TOPSHAM, Maine — The tragic experience of a Topsham couple facing a huge tax bill after the death of their 22-year-old son, for whom they co-signed student loans, is now the subject of federal legislation brought by Sen. Angus King. Donald and Nora Brennen’s son, Keegan Brennen, was a 2008 graduate of Mt. Ararat High School in Topsham. He was born with an immunodeficiency and underwent IV therapy every four to six weeks for most of his life. But when he turned 17, Nora Brennen said... Continue Reading »
BANGOR, Maine — More than 400 people from all walks of life gathered at the Cross Insurance Center on Wednesday for a brainstorming session about a problem that has been claiming a rapidly growing number of Maine lives: opiate addiction. The One Life Project was inspired by Garrett Brown, a young man from the state’s capital, who let Erin Rhoda, editor of Bangor Daily News’ Maine Focus, chronicle his life for 2½ years. He died in November 2015 after... Continue Reading »
U.S. Sen. Angus King met Wednesday with Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland and said he was glad to have the opportunity, but worries that the American people are being shut out of the process. King said he was impressed with Garland and believes he deserves a public hearing. “I don’t understand this non-hearing position. I understand it as a political matter … but not as a policy matter,” King said in a news conference with reporters outside his office. “Are... Continue Reading »
