Washington, D.C. – Today, Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that four Maine organizations will receive a combined total of $1,196,000 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service to help restore habitats for endangered Atlantic salmon in Maine. Maine is home to the only remaining populations of wild Atlantic salmon, a species listed as endangered since 2000 due to threats from dams, pollution, and historic overfishing. “The... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, U.S. Senator Angus King is calling on the Biden administration to continue working to seek ways to lower prescription drug costs for more Americans. In a letter with Senator Elizabeth Warren and Congressman Lloyd Doggett, King urges Department of Commerce (DOC) Secretary Gina Raimondo and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra to release its Interagency Working Group draft framework for public comment. In March of this year, DOC and HHS... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, on National Voter Registration Day, U.S. Senator Angus King is introducing a resolution to recognize September as “National Voting Rights Month.” The resolution encourages voter registration in the month of September and pushes Congress to restore the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to preserve the right to vote. “In the face of state-level threats that undercut the fundamental right to vote for millions of Americans, we must act to protect our democracy,” said Senator King.... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King spoke with an AI scientist about the need for regulation and liability of computer-generated or -altered content. In an open Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, King asked Dr. Yann LeCun – a New York University Professor of Computer Science and Data Science at New York University – about what is technologically feasible in terms of implementing watermarks (a small icon or caption) for users to discern between real and artificially created... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) and Representative Mike Gallagher (R-Wisc.), Co-Chairs of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission (CSC), today released the following statement prior to their Capitol Hill event discussing the successes of CSC efforts since its implementation in April 2019 and what the commission hopes to accomplish in the near future. Since its launch, the commission has seen about 70 percent of its recommendations fully or partially implemented. Joining King and... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King joined a bipartisan group of colleagues in advocating for American dairy farmers and calling out the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for letting non-dairy lab-grown products illegally label their products with dairy terms. The bipartisan group highlighted the proliferation of imitation products, specifically the new cell-based, lab-grown imitators that are using dairy terms like milk, cheese and yogurt. “For decades FDA has allowed... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden announced that $19 million in federal funding is now available to combat marine debris in coastal communities through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Sea Grant Program. This grant program, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will support healthy marine ecosystems nationwide. The funding opportunities are part of nearly $3 billion in... Continue Reading »
BRUNSWICK, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Armed Services and Veterans Affairs Committees, released the following statement in observance of National POW/MIA Recognition Day. The day recognizes America’s servicemembers who have been Prisoners of War, those still Missing in Action, and their families. “On National Prisoners of War and Missing in Action Recognition Day, we join together to honor the brave men and women of our Armed Forces who have been... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and James Lankford (R-Okla.) have introduced bipartisan legislation to strengthen civics education resources for school children across the United States. Introduced ahead of Constitution Day on September 17, the Constitution education Is Valuable In Community Schools (CIVICS) Act would require higher education federal grant recipients to include Constitution education as a condition for the funding. The bill recognizes the importance... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Concerned over the “waning” of America’s military deterrence capabilities, Senator Angus King today pressed the nominee for Chief of Naval Operations Lisa Franchetti to reassess the fleet’s readiness and abilities. In a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), Senator King asked Admiral Franchetti about the Navy’s ability to deter foreign adversaries from threats and attacks against American interests and allies. King also discussed the need to invest in the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) has introduced legislation to address the maintenance backlog at agricultural research facilities in Maine and across the country. The AuGmenting Research and Educational Sites to Ensure Agriculture Remains Cutting-edge and Helpful (AG RESEARCH) Act would address deferred maintenance at U.S. schools of agriculture, including agricultural research facilities at the University of Maine and USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) facilities.... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, today questioned General David Allvin – nominee for the Chief of Staff of the Air Force – about the government’s financial responsibility to taxpayers. “I will give you a lot of assignments — the first is on availability. You and I have talked about the range of availability for Air Force airplanes in the... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that The Jackson Laboratory is receiving $480,536 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The grant will fund an innovative research project aimed at developing new treatments for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRDs). "The work being done at The Jackson Laboratory is making tremendous strides in addressing the challenges posed by cognitive decline,” said Senators Collins and King. "This investment... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Senator Angus King has introduced a bill to expand tax deductions for teachers that pay out-of-pocket for school supplies. The Educators Expense Deduction Modernization Act of 2023 would more than triple the amount educators can deduct from their taxes for out-of-pocket classroom expenses – from notebooks to pencils to paper products. The current deduction for teachers is $300 – far less than most teachers report spending out of their own pocket each year. The legislation... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. —U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today released the following statement on the 22nd anniversary of the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks: “On September 11th, 2001, Americans across the country faced one of the toughest days in our nation’s history. As terrorists sought to instill fear and challenge our values, in those darkest moments, Americans proved that no enemy — foreign or domestic — would be able to destroy America’s principles of democracy and liberty. “Today, we... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Following calls from Maine’s Congressional Delegation to reform policy, U.S. Senators Angus King, a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, and Susan Collins and U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden announced that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) proposed new regulations that would reimburse Maine Veterans’ Homes (MVH) for the costs of nursing home care for veterans with dementia. The VA’s proposed rule would expands the current eligibility for... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the Maine Department of Health and Human Services will receive $1,170,233 through the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) State Maternal Health Innovation (MHI) program. The goal of the State Maternal Health Innovation Program is to expand on and improve resources for maternal health in Maine and the United States. The State MHI program awards provide funding for five years, supporting the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King today shared a productive exchange with a top scientist about the urgent need for consistent labeling on AI generated content to help Americans assess the authenticity of the information they are consuming. In a hearing of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, King asked Dr. Rick L. Stevens, Associate Laboratory Director at Argonne National Laboratory, about what both Congress and private companies need to do to combat the threat of fake... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded Community Concepts in Oxford and Franklin Counties a total of $6,597,254 for their Community Concepts, Head Start and Early Head Start Programs. The grants are being awarded through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families. "Head Start not only lays a solid educational foundation for children but also... Continue Reading »
Augusta, MAINE – Governor Janet Mills and U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden today applauded President Joe Biden’s approval of the State of Maine’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration for a June 29 storm in Franklin County that caused more than $6.5 million in infrastructure damage. Last month, Governor Mills requested that President Biden issue Major Disaster Declarations for storms that brought heavy rainfall and flooding on... Continue Reading »
