WASHINGTON, D.C —U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), a member of the Senate Armed Services (SASC) and Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC) has joined bipartisan legislation to award Navy Commander Everett Alvarez, Jr. with the Congressional Gold Medal in honor of his service in the Vietnam War. On August 5, 1964, while flying Operation Pierce Arrow, Commander Alvarez’s A-4 Skyhawk was shot down, and he became the first aviator captured in Vietnam. He spent eight years and six months in captivity,... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C.— As fraudsters prey on Medicare recipients nationwide, U.S. Senator Angus King is calling on the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to better protect fraud victims from losing access to Medicare subsidies. In a letter to SSA Administrator Martin O’Malley and CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, King calls on the two agencies to change existing Medicare regulations so that fraud victims can substantiate fraud claims... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) has joined legislation to protect access to fertility treatments, such as in vitro fertilization (IVF). The Right to IVF Act would guarantee access to Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART), which is most frequently used via IVF. Each year, roughly 2% of all infants born in the United States are conceived through ART treatments. “In-vitro fertilization (IVF), and other common fertility treatments, have given hope to women across Maine who want to... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI), Armed Services Committee (SASC), and Senate NATO Observer Group (SNOG), has joined a bipartisan resolution to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It comes in anticipation of the 2024 NATO Summit which will take place July 9-11 in Washington, D.C. The resolution expresses support for the NATO Alliance, recognizes its accomplishments over... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC), has joined legislation that will close an existing loophole and allow Purple Heart recipients who receive this distinction after their discharge to transfer their GI bill benefits to their dependents. In 2017, Congress passed the Forever GI Bill, which incentivized servicemembers to continue serving in the military by allowing them to transfer GI bill benefits to their dependents after... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) today announced that the Passamaquoddy Tribe has been awarded $3.4 million from the Indigenous Animals Harvesting and Meat Processing (IAG) grant program — part of the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Development program — to build an eel farm. The IAG program was designed to support the priorities of Tribal Nations that utilize traditional harvesting methods and indigenous animals such as bison, reindeer, salmon and eels.... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) has introduced a bipartisan resolution to establish “Vets Get Outside Day”—a day to encourage veterans who may be struggling to take a moment or two outdoors as they cope with mental health challenges. The resolution calls on veterans battling post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury, depression, anxiety, or other mental health challenges to walk, run, hike, bike ride, or simply spend time outside on June 9, 2024 as part of an... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On the 80th anniversary of D-Day, Senators Susan Collins and Angus King cosponsored a resolution commemorating the historic operation and expressing gratitude and appreciation to the members of the U.S. Armed Forces and Allied troops responsible for carrying out this unprecedented battle. This bipartisan resolution was introduced by U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Chris Coons (D-DE) and unanimously passed the Senate. In the early morning hours of June 6, 1944, 73,000... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King is co-sponsoring legislation to boost the availability of mental health providers in public schools across Maine and the nation. The Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Act would establish a five-year renewable grant program to help elementary and secondary schools hire additional school-based mental health providers such as counselors, psychologists and social workers. According to the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), 15% of... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a joint hearing of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC) and Senate Special Committee on Aging, U.S. Senator Angus King pressed Fred Sganga, the Legislative Director of the National Association of State Veterans Home, about the potential harmful impacts that proposed staffing mandates could have on nursing homes, especially those homes caring for veterans. The hearing comes just days after Senator King was joined by Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) in requesting the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Nearly 50 years after the Supreme Court’s Griswold v. Connecticut decision protecting access to contraception, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) has joined legislation to codify this right in federal law. The Right to Contraception Act would guarantee the right for people to obtain and use contraceptives and for health care providers to prescribe contraceptives and make available information related to contraception, free from government interference. Contraception includes... 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) — are requesting the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) produce a report on the impact of the recently finalized Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) rule on staffing levels. This rule will require increased minimum staffing levels at long term care (LTC) facilities that receive funding from CMS, including facilities that serve veterans. In a letter... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, U.S. Senator Angus King announced that Aroostook County native, Sharon Campbell, has been promoted to State Director. Campbell, who began her Senate career working for then U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME), recently celebrated her 25th anniversary serving the people of Maine. “I could not be more pleased to promote Sharon Campbell to State Director, a well-deserved honor that truly recognizes her selfless commitment to Aroostook County and the entirety of Maine,” said... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the United States Border Patrol (USBP). Last week, they cosponsored a bipartisan Senate resolution with their colleagues to recognize today, May 28, 2024, as the 100th anniversary of USBP. “The United States is nation of immigrants and also a nation of laws,” said Senators Collins and King. “The U.S. Border Patrol is responsible for protecting the American way of life, stopping... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On this Memorial Day, U.S. Senator Angus King, a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs (SVAC) and Armed Services Committees (SASC), released his latest episode of “Answering the Call: Maine’s Veteran Voices.” In the 14th interview of the series, produced in partnership with the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project, Senator King spoke with Leslie Brown of Presque Isle. Brown was a U.S. Army jet engine mechanic who served for nearly three decades and faced two... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Office of U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) today released the May episode of his “Inside Maine” podcast, in which he discussed the importance of paid family and medical leave. During the podcast, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) joined Senator King to discuss how they are working together to extend existing federal paid family and medical leave policies. Later in the podcast, Drew Wyman, Executive Director of the Maine Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, joined Senator... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME), the Co-Chair of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission (CSC), is introducing bipartisan legislation to impose criminal penalties on individuals who create and share non-consensual, intimate deepfake images online—often referred to as deepfake porn. The Preventing Deepfakes of Intimate Images Act would not only establish a new criminal offense for distributing these images, but it would also allow victims to file a lawsuit against someone who... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) is leading a group of his colleagues in urging the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to consider briefly pausing student loan payments for borrowers in Maine who are nearing their final payment. Their letter to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona comes as the Department announced in April that it would be transferring the sole administration of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program from the Missouri Higher Education Loan... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a hearing of the Senate Strategic Forces Subcommittee, Chairman Angus King made clear to Admiral William Houston, the Deputy Administrator for Office of Naval Nuclear Reactors for the National Nuclear Security Administration, his support for utilizing 3-dimensional (3D) printing within the Department of Defense in order to be more cost-efficient and flexible with maintenance. During the exchange, King highlighted the Advanced Structures and Composite Center at the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C.—After a successful pilot program used during the 2023 tax filing season was reported to have saved Americans in 12 states $5.6 million in fees, U.S. Senator Angus King is encouraging the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to offer its new free filing services to more taxpayers. In a bicameral letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel, King and his colleagues are encouraging the IRS, in consultation with the Department of Treasury, to expand the... Continue Reading »
