ORONO, ME – During a joint press conference at the University of Maine at Orono today, U.S. Senators Angus King and Susan Collins and Representative Bruce Poliquin announced that the Economic Development Assessment Team, known as an EDAT, will deploy to Maine from August 17th-19th. The multiagency EDAT, announced by the Department of Commerce earlier this summer, will be beginning its work with the forest products industry to create economic development... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin announced the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) plans to purchase an additional 3.8 million pounds of Maine wild blueberries to distribute to food banks and other charitable organizations across the country. Along with an earlier purchase made this year at the Delegation’s request, that would bring the total to 11.7 million pounds, amounting to an... Continue Reading »
BANGOR, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today convened a roundtable with nurse practitioners in Bangor that focused on the importance of working to expand medication-assisted treatment, also known as MAT, which can be a critical tool in helping people overcome opioid or heroin addiction. The discussion builds on reforms enacted by the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), which provides a community-based response to the addiction crisis facing America. The legislation... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senators Susan Collins, the Chairman of the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations Subcommittee, and Angus King announced today that the City of Portland will be awarded $1,568,592 in Lead Based Paint Hazard Control grant program funding and $246,275 in Healthy Homes Supplemental funding. The city will use the funding to help address lead hazards in 80 housing units, providing safer homes for low and very low-income families with... Continue Reading »
BRUNSWICK, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today released a letter he sent to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) calling on the agency to use its power to more aggressively combat the opioid epidemic ravaging communities from Maine and the nation. Under current law, the DEA is responsible for setting annual quotas for manufacturers’ production of schedule I and II controlled substances, including opioids, which means the DEA effectively serves as a gatekeeper for... Continue Reading »
FALMOUTH, ME – During a visit to the Stewart Adult Day Center in Falmouth today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) announced his support for the Credit for Caring Act, bipartisan legislation that would help make caring for an aging loved one easier and more affordable by providing up to a $3,000 nonrefundable tax credit to working family caregivers. Senator King announced his support for the bill during a tour of the Stewart Center, a facility that provides day care support services for... Continue Reading »
BRUNSWICK, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the followings statement on Baton Rouge: “This is truly terrible news; awful for the families of those so senselessly slain and terrible for our country. There are too many families across this country, of all colors and of all backgrounds, whose hearts are filled with grief and pain. While none of us knows what the answer to this problem is, I think we do know that this pain will not healed by further violence. It... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded a total of $1,644,596 in grant funding to four Maine school districts and a rural health care provider through the Distance Learning and Telemedicine Loan and Grant program. The funding will help connect rural communities with medical and educational experts in other parts of the country, increasing access to health care, substance misuse treatment and advanced... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) announced today that the U.S. Senate has passed the Waterfront Community Revitalization and Resiliency Act, legislation he has cosponsored to boost efforts to revitalize waterfront communities and stimulate coastal economic development. “Waterfront communities across Maine are a critical pillar of our state’s economy that help generate millions of dollars... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Senate is honoring the courage and sacrifice of the men and women of the U.S. intelligence community by designating July 26, 2016 as “United States Intelligence Professionals Day.” U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, who both serve on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, cosponsored the resolution that was unanimously approved by the Senate to acknowledge intelligence officers, past and present, for their service and professionalism... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Richard Burr (R-N.C.) joined forces to introduce the Promoting Affordable Childcare for Everyone (PACE) Act, legislation that merges two previous bills they introduced that would improve the major federal tax policies that help make childcare more affordable for families across the country. “Childcare is becomingly increasingly more difficult for families to afford, and that’s not only bad for them, it’s bad... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin joined with a bicameral, bipartisan group of their colleagues today to send a letter expressing support for continued public engagement on the draft Northeast Ocean Plan – a framework to facilitate the management of the region’s ocean and coastal ecosystems. In the letter addressed to President Barack Obama, the Maine delegation and other members of... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – As more Mainers are choosing to grow older in their own homes, U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and his colleague Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) today introduced legislation that will help make independent living less burdensome. The Senior Home Modification Assistance Initiative Act would establish a process to better coordinate the many existing federal home modification programs and provide more consumer-friendly information on how those programs can benefit older Americans.... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – With the support of U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), the U.S. Senate today passed the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), legislation that will help fight back against the opioid and heroin crisis raging across Maine and the nation. The legislation, which passed the House last week and includes several provisions backed by Senator King, now heads to the President’s desk for his signature to become law. In a statement following the vote, Senator King... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), along with several of his colleagues, today sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) urging him to schedule a vote on the emergency supplemental legislation he offered with Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) to provide substantial funding to address the opioid and heroin epidemic in the United States. The letter comes as the Senate is expected to pass the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), which... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, 91-year-old veteran William Schnorr of Dixfield finally received a long-overdue medal that he had earned, but never received, for his service during World War II. During a ceremony held in the Augusta office of U.S. Senator Angus King, Mr. Schnorr was awarded the World War II Victory Medal in recognition of his service to America. Senator King’s staff worked with Mr. Schnorr and his family to acquire the medal, and Senator King, who was in Washington today,... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chairman of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, and Senator Angus King, announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded a total of $3,930,515 to the Portland International Jetport and the Bangor International Airport. “The Portland International Jetport and the Bangor International Airport are important pieces of our transportation infrastructure that help connect Maine to... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – After introducing the EMPOWER Act last month, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) is continuing his push to tackle poverty in Maine by introducing two pieces of legislation today that would help make it easier for people to find and keep jobs. Senator King today introduced the Access to Childcare Expansion (ACE) Act and the Leveling Access to Demonstrated Drivers of Employment Results (LADDER) Act. The ACE Act would make childcare more affordable and accessible for working... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King and Susan Collins announced that the Senate last night unanimously passed a resolution designating September 25, 2016 as “National Lobster Day.” The Maine Senators led the “National Lobster Day” resolution, which was introduced on June 28, to recognize the economic and cultural importance of the lobster industry in Maine and around the country. “Up and down the Maine coast, lobstering remains an inseparable part... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) urged the Senate to move forward with his Securing Energy Infrastructure Act of 2016, legislation that seeks to protect critical U.S. energy infrastructure, like the electric grid, from potentially catastrophic cyber-attacks. Senator King spoke in support of his legislation during a hearing held by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources’ Subcommittee on Energy to receive testimony on the bill. “This is a... Continue Reading »
