WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), Chairman of the Senate National Parks Subcommittee, has joined his colleagues to lead the introduction of a bipartisan bill to preserve and manage America’s public lands. More specifically, the bipartisan American the Beautiful Act would reauthorize the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF) and increase its funding to ensure that America’s public lands can be enjoyed for generations to come. The bill is cosponsored by... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Following last week’s overwhelming passage of the bipartisan, bicameral Social Security Fairness Act in the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senator Angus King, a co-sponsor of the legislation, is urging Senate leadership to follow suit and bring the legislation up for a vote as swiftly as possible. The bill would eliminate the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO). These two provisions, which were added to the Social Security Act in... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) released the following statement following votes on three resolutions to restrict the sale of certain weapons systems to Israel: “It is easy to disagree with one’s adversaries, but difficult to disagree with a friend and ally. Today, I voted my conscience on three resolutions that seek to restrict the sale of certain American-made offensive weapons systems to Israel. Over the course of the last several months, I have grown increasingly... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, and U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden, are announcing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Sea Grant Office’s decision to award seven Maine projects with $1,941,692 in funding for the American Lobster Research Program. The grant program supports projects that address critical knowledge gaps about American lobster and its fishery in a dynamic and changing environment. “Maine’s lobstermen... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), is cosponsoring legislation to ensure military families have access to critical health care during pregnancy, rather than waiting until after childbirth to increase their coverage. The Improving Access to Prenatal Care for Military Families Act would create a Department of Defense (DOD) pilot program to designate pregnancy as a Qualifying Life Event (QLE) under TRICARE, the uniformed... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resource Committee (ENR) and Chairman of the National Parks Subcommittee, welcomed the bipartisan passage out of the ENR Committee a legislative package as the 118th Congressional session winds down. The package includes King-backed provisions to expand access to Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument and the renaming of an Acadia Visitors Center to honor former U.S. Senator George Mitchell, as well... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) is pressing Congressional appropriators to preserve funding for an advertising campaign promoting the paid family and medical leave (PMFL) tax credit. In a letter to Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Susan Collins (R-ME), the Chair and Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations respectively, King writes in support of the $1 million approved in the FY 2025 Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) appropriations bill for the Small... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Department of Labor (DOL) Acting Secretary Julie Su are expected to make an additional 64,716 H-2B temporary nonagricultural worker visas available for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY 25), on top of the congressionally mandated 66,000 H-2B visas that are available each fiscal year. “The release of over 64,000 additional H-2B visas is a welcome relief for small... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), Chair of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, is working with a group of bipartisan colleagues to streamline cybersecurity regulations across the federal government. The Streamlining Federal Cybersecurity Regulations Act would address the challenges associated with the current patchwork of inconsistent cybersecurity policies between agencies by establishing an interagency Harmonization Committee at the Office of the National Cyber Director... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Angus King, a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs and Armed Services Committees, released the following statement in observance of Veterans Day: “In 1919, one year after the conclusion of World War I, President Wilson proclaimed the first observance of Armistice Day on November 11, a day for our nation to remember and honor the over 9 million — including 116,000 American — lives lost during that bloody four-year conflict. Nearly a decade after the end of... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden today released the following statement on the first anniversary of the Lewiston shooting that took place on October 25th, taking the lives of 18 innocent people: “One year ago, the unthinkable happened in Lewiston when a gunman opened fire at a bowling alley and restaurant — shaking the community and Maine to its core,” said the Delegation. “For days, families sheltered in their... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), alongside a bipartisan group of their colleagues, have written to the Department of Labor (DOL) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to release the maximum allowable number of additional H-2B visas for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025. H-2B visas fill needs for American small businesses when there are not enough able and willing American workers to fill the temporary, seasonal positions. As required by law, employers... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Angus King (I-Maine) today are recognizing the lifelong impact childhood literacy programs have on the success of Maine children and their communities. In a bipartisan resolution unanimously agreed to by the Senate, October 20th, 2024, has been designated as National Early Childhood Literacy Day. Senators Joe Manchin (I-W.V.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.) are also co-sponsors of the resolution. “Fostering literacy in early... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), along with a number of Senate colleagues, is requesting the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) examine the impact of ageism on quality and equity of care, patient safety and health outcomes. Ageism in health care is associated with a decreased likelihood that older adults will receive care that meets medical guidelines, as well as an increased likelihood that they are not properly reimbursed for care, and exclusion from... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Angus King (I-Maine) announced today that the cities of Portland and Lewiston have been awarded grant funding to help protect children from lead poisoning. The Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction (LHR) grant program awards, totaling $11,117,960, will help improve the health of Maine communities by fixing older housing and preserving affordable housing units that pose a lead hazard —... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), has written a letter to Comptroller General Gene Dodaro urging the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to begin work on a report that reviews suicide prevention matters of the reserve component of the Department of Defense (DOD). The Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) requires the GAO to conduct a review of suicide prevention and response policies for... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden, in response to Northern Light Health terminating its contract with Humana, have written a letter urging the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to create a special enrollment period for Humana Medicare Advantage beneficiaries impacted by this decision. On September 30, 2024 Northern Light Health terminated its contract with Humana, citing administrative issues. It... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Bob Casey (D-Penn), Chair of the Senate Committee on Aging, have introduced three bills to better support Direct Support Professionals (DSPs), the workforce responsible for providing homecare and assistance to seniors and people with disabilities who frequently rely on long-term service and support. The three bills would strengthen and support this workforce by creating new programs and modifying current federal funding to support home... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) have introduced legislation that helps cut costs for volunteers driving meals to older Maine people and Americans across the country. The Delivering Elderly Lunches and Increasing Volunteer Engagement and Reimbursement (DELIVER) Act would increase the charitable mileage tax deduction rate of 14 cents per mile to match the standard business rate of 67 cents per mile. By doing so, the legislation would bring equity and... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Shelly Moore-Capito (R-WV) have introduced a bipartisan resolution recognizing substance use disorder and the recovery efforts needed to overcome this disease. The challenges posed by substance use disorder have continued to wreak havoc across Maine and the nation. This has been exacerbated in recent years due to limited access to treatment programs and increased isolation. However, there have been positive trends with the Centers for... Continue Reading »
