BRUNSWICK, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) hosted a listening session with Maine veterans in Brunswick to discuss issues facing veterans in our state, and the qualities and values they are looking for in a new VA Secretary.

“America’s veterans have made huge contributions to our national security through their service and sacrifices, and have earned our nation’s undying gratitude,” said Senator King. “Our veterans deserve the best care and support the United States has to offer. Today’s conversation provided me with the opportunity to hear firsthand from Maine veterans about the challenges they face and about potential solutions that will give them more choices in their healthcare decisions and better quality care. I’ll take their thoughts back to Washington and share them with my colleagues as a reminder of the immense debt we owe these brave men and women, and all the work we still have left to do.”

Senator King has been a strong advocate for veterans issues since arriving in Washington. On Sunday, 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 is a cosponsor of the Military and Veteran Caregiver Services Improvement Act of 2017, which would expand the VA’s family caregiver program to veterans of all eras – including those who served in Vietnam – so that their families can have the resources they need to provide care at home. 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.

Senator King began his day by giving remarks at the Maine National Guard’s Annual Interfaith Prayer Breakfast in Augusta, where he shared his experiences at the weekly Senate Prayer Breakfasts and highlighted the importance of finding a non-partisan moment in the midst of the often polarized Senate. He will end his schedule by speaking at the University of Southern Maine’s Veterans Graduation Recognition Ceremony in Portland this evening.