WASHINGTON D.C. – The Office of U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today released the February episode of the Senator’s “Inside Maine” podcast. Senator King, who was recently appointed to the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC), was joined by committee Chairman Jon Tester (D-Montana), and David Richmond, Director of the Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Services. Together, Senator King and his guests discussed the challenges facing our veterans, oversight of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and the Committee’s legislative priorities for the 118th Congress.

“America’s veterans made selfless sacrifices to protect our country, our freedoms, and our values,” said Senator King. “Now, we have an obligation to make sure the men and women who served receive the quality care and support that they deserve. We’ve made a lot of progress over the last few years, like passing the PACT Act to support veterans exposed to burn pits, but I’ve been hearing directly from Maine veterans that there’s still a whole lot of work to be done. I’m looking forward to working with my dear friend, Chairman Jon Tester, on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee to make sure that our military community can to live healthy, happy lives both in the service and in the years that follow.”

Jon Tester, the senior U.S. Senator from Montana has been on SVAC since 2007 and Chairman/Ranking Member since 2017. He has authored and passed laws increasing veterans’ access to health care, reducing red tape in the benefits process, and creating more job opportunities for veterans.

David Richmond is the Director of the Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Services. An Army veteran, David served as an Armor Officer on active duty at Ft. Riley in Kansas as a Tank Platoon Leader, a Heavy Mortar Platoon Leader, and a Battalion Adjutant. After leaving active service in 1997, David served in the Maine Army National Guard as an Infantry Officer until 2004. David began working for the Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Services in 1998, and he was appointed as Bureau Director in 2019.

Senator King is also a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and has repeatedly pressed for action from top DoD officials on the issue of servicemember suicide. Additionally, he recently spearheaded the passage of legislation to better track and study servicemember suicides by job assignment. Senator King has also worked to properly honor and recognize the sacrifices of Purple Heart medal recipients, protect veterans from fraud, and expand veteran assisted living services.

As a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Senator King looks forward to overseeing the VA and ensuring the proper implementation of various programs, such as the PACT Act and the John Scott Hannon Act. Senator King hopes to help improve the bureau’s capacity by investing in its workforce, facilities, and other modernization efforts.

Last year, Senator King conducted nine interviews with Maine veterans as part of the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project, an effort by the Library to collect, preserve and distribute the personal accounts of American war veterans so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war. You can find or watch all nine of Senator King’s interviews HERE. 

The “Inside Maine Podcast with Senator Angus King” is a 30-minute program that aims to help keep Maine people informed about issues of the day, how they affect life in the state, and how they factor into Senator King’s work as one of two independents in the U.S. Senate. Senator King’s podcast builds on his existing radio show that airs on Newsradio WGAN in Portland, Maine between 10 and 11 a.m. typically on the last Saturday of the month.

To listen to the February edition of Senator King’s podcast, click here, or find it on Apple Podcasts.

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