LEWISTON, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) visited the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) in Lewiston. At the facility, Senator King met with administrators and staff and learned more about their work to care for Maine veterans in their communities, and he participated in a demonstration of the telehealth technology the CBOC is using to treat Maine veterans in their homes across the State. Senator King’s visit comes less than a week after the Senate passed the VA MISSION Act with Senator King’s support. At the time of the vote, Senator King hailed the legislation’s efforts to increase the availability of local care for veterans.

“Maine veterans have served their country honorably, with many having traveled around the globe to defend our nation – but the same type of travel shouldn’t be necessary to see a doctor through the VA,” said Senator King. “CBOCs like the one in Lewiston are vital resources that allow our veterans to receive the care they’ve earned right in their communities, and their innovative use of telehealth opens up new possibilities for veterans who are confined to their homes or living in remote parts of Maine. No matter where veterans live – be it in Machias, Wytopitlock or Oquossoc – they deserve access to high-quality care, and the telehealth technology at the Lewiston CBOC has exciting potential to help the VA make this access easier.”

Senator King has been a strong advocate for veterans issues since arriving in Washington. Last week, his bill to strengthen accountability of senior executives at the VA passed the Senate unanimously, and earlier this month he held a listening session with Maine veterans on the qualities and values they are looking for in a new VA Secretary. Also this month, Senator King visited the Travis Mills Foundation Veterans Retreat in Rome, which brings injured veterans and their families to Maine in order to help the veterans overcome physical obstacles with the support of family members. The Senator also highlighted the important place of veterans in Maine by devoting his November and December podcasts to the subject, with Travis Mills as one of the guests on the latter show. In December, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced it will fund three new positions in Maine to better serve justice-involved Maine veterans confronting homelessness, mental health or substance abuse issues – a move which follows a February letter from Senator King to the VA urging additional resources on the topic. Senator King was a cosponsor of the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017, which passed the Senate in June 2017 and has since been signed into law. While at the Lewiston CBOC, Senator King also discussed the planning progress for a new CBOC facility in Portland. Last August, Senator King worked to include authorization for the lease in emergency legislation for the Choice program.

Following Senator King’s visit to the CBOC, he ate lunch at Simones’ Hot Dog Stand, which was recently named by People magazine as the best hot dog stand in Maine. At Simones’, he met with the Police and Fire Chiefs from Lewiston and Auburn to discuss the challenges they face in Maine, particularly regarding the strain that the ongoing opioid epidemic is placing on their operations. After lunch, he toured Geiger Brothers Distribution Center in Lewiston, where he viewed the company’s newly installed solar display, met with members of company management to discuss challenges and opportunities the business faces, and held a question and answer period with Geiger Associates, both in Maine and across the country.

Senator King will end his day by attending the Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce’s 56^th Annual Community Awards Dinner, where he will give remarks and assist with presenting awards.