WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) is joining colleagues to cosponsor legislation cracking down on the enforcement of illegal robocalls. The Deter Obnoxious, Nefarious, and Outrageous Telephone (DO NOT) Call Act cracks down on illegal robocalls and robotexts, improves enforcement, and increases penalties for robocallers who violate the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). The TCPA restricts the use of automated telemarketing calls. In 2022, Americans received 78 billion... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a joint hearing of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC) and the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee (HVAC), U.S. Senator Angus King received confirmation of the value of several of his policy initiatives with the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). In an exchange with VFW Commander-in-Chief Duane Sarmiento, King detailed three specific pieces of legislation he’s co-sponsored that would ease the paperwork process for those transitioning to civilian life, in order to make... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King, a member of the Senate Armed Services (SASC) and the Senate Veterans’ Affairs (SVAC) Committees, is cosponsoring legislation to protect and enhance the fertility services offered by the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA). Senator King’s support of this legislation comes on the heels of the recent Alabama Supreme Court decision equating frozen embryos to children. The Veterans Families Health Services Act would... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) is co-sponsoring bipartisan legislation that would allow workers to use their tax-free educational savings plans to pay for credentialing and training. The Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act would change existing policy and allow tax-free 529 plan education funds to pay for the expenses of a post-secondary credential, such as a commercial driver’s license. The bill also grants the Department of Labor authority to determine what... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, has introduced legislation banning energy exports to China and other foreign adversaries. Having long warned of America “exporting our principal advantage in the world economy,” Senator King joined with colleagues to introduce the Protecting American Households From Rising Energy Costs Act. The legislation would ban the export of crude oil or liquefied natural gas (LNG) to China,... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND), members of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, have introduced a bill that would require the VA to study the risks to elderly veterans of a proposed rule by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that would unsustainably change staffing ratios at nursing homes. The bill requires an assessment of the VA’s ability to continue meeting the long-term care (LTC) needs of veterans at VA and VA affiliated... Continue Reading »
Sanford, ME – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree, and Governor Janet Mills announced the Maine Defense Industry Alliance (MDIA), a newly established non-profit coalition of Maine defense companies, state agencies, community colleges and universities, and other vocational training organizations. Based at the York County Community College (YCCC) Instructional Site in Sanford, this partnership was created to attract and train thousands of new... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King today encouraged United States Space Command (USSPACECOM) leadership to assess threats to America’s significant private and public satellite fleet. In a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), King questioned General Stephen Whiting, USSPACECOM Commander, about what the United States is doing to mitigate existing risks in space and what the country can do to keep American assets and infrastructure safe from foreign adversaries. The... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Angus King (I-ME), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), and SASC Chairman Jack Reed (D-RI) are urging the Biden Administration to deploy a U.S. Navy hospital ship to the region. Sending a hospital ship would help to alleviate suffering and treat the injuries of Gazans hurt in the current conflict between Israel and Hamas terrorists embedded in the civilian population. In a letter to the White House, the Senators make the case that supplying a... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a hearing of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC), U.S. Senator Angus King raised the importance of honoring fallen servicemembers at national cemeteries. Under the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA), servicemembers are entitled to burial benefits, which include a final resting place in any VA national cemetery with available space — at no cost to the family. Unfortunately only 35-percent of veterans are aware of this benefit, according to a poll conducted... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Maine’s Congressional Delegation wrote to President Joe Biden in support of Governor Janet Mills’ request for a Major Disaster Declaration to help address the estimated $70.3 million in damage that occurred across eight Maine counties during the January 10 and January 13 storms. U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden asked the President to fully grant the Governor’s request to make federal assistance available for... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND), members of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC) and Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), are urging the Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) to better support veterans seeking the benefits and resources they’ve earned. In a letter to the Co-Chairs of the DOD-VA Joint Executive Committee, the Senators are suggesting the DOD change a question in the pre-separation transition form... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins, Angus King, Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) introduced bipartisan legislation to address PFAS contamination in private wells. The Technical Fix for the State Response to Contaminants Program bill would ensure that states have flexibility to use funding from the $5 billion provided in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for PFAS and other emerging contaminants in small and disadvantaged communities to help assist private well owners... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME), a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, and Ted Cruz (R-TX) have introduced legislation to modernize information on public oceans to improve public safety and provide navigation guidance. The bipartisan Modernizing Access to Our Public Oceans (MAPOceans) Act would require the federal government to standardize and digitize information about ocean recreation and navigation. This would create a one-stop shop that would... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, was featured in a “CBS Sunday Morning” segment focused on Ukraine’s war against Russia’s bloody invasion entering its third year in the upcoming days. King, one of the most outspoken members of Congress supporting Ukraine’s defense of its sovereignty and freedom, sat down with CBS National Security Correspondent David Martin and spelled out how the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King joined 60 of their Senate colleagues in cosponsoring the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act. This legislation would provide kids and parents with better tools to protect minors online, hold Big Tech accountable for harm to kids, and provide transparency into these companies’ proprietary algorithms. “Far too many children across the nation are at risk online. We must ensure that our laws keep up with constantly evolving technology and... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND), members of the Senate Veterans Affairs and Armed Services Committee, introduced legislation to improve healthcare access for rural veterans. The Supporting Rural Veterans Access to Healthcare Services Act would provide travel assistance for veterans living in highly rural areas to VA-authorized health care appointments. Specifically, the bill would reauthorize the VA Highly Rural Transportation Grant (HRTG) Program for... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) has joined a group of his colleagues urging the Department of Education to quickly address issues with the new simplified Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). In a letter to Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, the members expressed their support for the continued implementation of the FAFSA Simplification Act, bipartisan legislation passed in Congress in 2020 to make the federal student financial aid process more efficient. The... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King is urging the Department of Transportation (DOT) to take all necessary steps to value highway messaging that breaks through the traffic jam of information. In a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, King calls on the DOT to prioritize safety over speed, distracted and impaired driving, and manufacturers charging premiums for basic safety features instead of curbing clever highway messaging. According to the Maine DOT, in 2022 (the latest... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), a member of the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, today voted in support of the National Security Act – legislation that will provide aid to allies defending American interests abroad, boost efforts to fight the fentanyl crisis harming communities nationwide, and support American manufacturing to restock the American reserve of ammunition and other materials. The bill passed the Senate in a 70-29 vote. “A vote for The National... Continue Reading »
