BRUNSWICK, ME – Today, U.S Senator Angus King (I-Maine) attended the 6th Annual Women Veterans’ Luncheon in Rumford. At the celebration, Senator King recognized and commended the attendees, who represented all branches of military service.  

“In Maine, we’re lucky that so many incredible veterans call our state home,” said Senator King. “What a privilege it is to celebrate and honor the sacrifice of Maine’s women veterans. Your service kept our country safe and strong when we needed you and your contributions to our communities have made Maine a special place. We owe you more than the thanks we can offer you today, but it is my hope you know how grateful we are for your service.”  

Senator King has been a strong advocate for veterans issues since arriving in Washington. Earlier this month, he joined Maine veterans at the 21st Annual Homeless Veterans Stand Down at Togus VA Medical Center to highlight services and resources for veterans who are homeless or in transitional housing. Last month, he joined a panel featuring veterans’ healthcare experts and caregivers at the Portland Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC), to discuss common suicide risk factors and warning signs for suicide and provide information about VA mental health and suicide prevention resources. Also in September, he applauded the House and Senate’s passage of the MilCon-VA Conference Report, which aims to consolidate and improve VA community care programs and reform the VA’s existing facilities to best serve veterans. In June, his bill to strengthen accountability of senior executives at the VA was signed into law. In May, he held a listening session with Maine veterans on the qualities and values they are looking for in a new VA Secretary, and in April, 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.  Senator King also highlighted the important place of veterans in Maine by dedicating his November 2017 and December 2017 podcasts to the subject, with Travis Mills as one of the guests on the latter show. In December 2017, 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 followed a February 2017 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. After the celebration, Senator King spoke at the 35th Anniversary Open House at Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program in Brunswick. During his time in Washington, Senator King has fought to reduce food insecurity for Maine’s most vulnerable; he’s visited several food banks and nutrition centers throughout Maine, most recently the Good Shepherd Food Bank in September, to discuss the challenges facing Maine people who are struggling with the lack consistent access to heathy food due to lack of financial resources, often referred to as “food insecurity.”