WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME), are cosponsoring bipartisan legislation to make child care more affordable and accessible for Maine families. The Child Care Availability and Affordability Act would strengthen existing tax credits to lower child care costs and increase the supply of child care providers. Since 1990, the cost of child care and preschool has increased by 263%, forcing many families in Maine and nationwide to make difficult decisions... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) released the following statement following the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) decision – and reversal – to end two contracts for people in Maine. The first contract allows parents to request a Social Security number before leaving the hospital and the second contract shares recorded deaths with Social Security: "Adding costly, time-consuming steps to the Social Security number registration process right after the birth of an infant... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), today applauded the passage of the bipartisan U.S. Coast Guard Reauthorization Act of 2025 that would invest $30.45 billion into the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) for Fiscal Years 2025 and 2026. This legislation has key King-backed provisions that will directly assist Coast Guard members in Maine and across the nation, including efforts to bolster mental health services for military members... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), U.S. Senator Angus King questioned three witnesses about the adverse impact of the Republican-led House and Senate not passing annual federal spending bills on military capability and production. During the hearing, Senator King spoke with David Berteau, the President and Chief Executive Office of the Professional Services Council; Dr. Christine Michienzi, the former Senior Technology Advisor to the Under... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), members of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC) and Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), are introducing legislation aiming to help veterans in rural areas get transportation to health care appointments. The Supporting Rural Veterans Access to Healthcare Services Act, would reauthorize the Highly Rural Transportation Grant (HRTG) Program, a service that provides roughly 2.7... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), members of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC), are raising concern over a proposed spending limit of $1 on Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) purchasing cards — the cards used to pay for gas to transport disabled veterans to appointments, buy medical supplies, and more. The drastically reduced spending limit proposed by Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) would... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) released the following statement after the conclusion of President Trump’s first joint address to Congress of his second White House term: “Prices are rising, government services are declining, and Putin is smiling — all as the results of the President’s recent actions with tariff threats, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and Ukraine. Nothing said or claimed tonight changes any of that. I stand ready to work with any of my... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) and Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) today sent a letter to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Douglas Collins demanding accountability for recent mass layoffs at the agency and calling on the administration to uphold its commitment to veterans’ health and well-being. A recent series of indiscriminate VA layoffs “will harm our nation’s veterans…” Golden and King wrote. “... Across-the-board layoffs exacerbate an already tenuous... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) discussed the latest Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffing cuts throughout the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) with leadership from the Veterans of Foreign Wars. In a discussion with Alfred J. “Al” Lipphardt, King asked about the denial of benefits resulting from these DOGE cuts and how those cuts are also affecting employment of veterans who put their life on the line for our country. The conversation comes as the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), U.S. Senator Angus King challenged Elbridge Colby, the nominee to serve as Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, to answer if Russia was responsible for starting the war in Ukraine. Over the course of King’s time in the Senate, he has consistently asked nominees whether they will tell the truth to the President despite the political pressures of any moment in time. Today’s exchange was consistent with the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME), a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (ENR), and Ted Cruz (R-TX) have introduced bipartisan legislation to modernize mapping information on public oceans in an effort to improve public safety and provide navigation guidance through a user-friendly smartphone app. The bipartisan Modernizing Access to Our Public Oceans (MAPOceans) Act would require the federal government to standardize and digitize information about... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) released the following statement after the Senate voted on the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which did not reach the 60-vote cloture threshold, failing to advance by a count of 51-45: “This afternoon, the Senate voted on the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, federal ban on transgender women from participating in school and college athletic programs. This bill was introduced in response to an issue that has become... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, co-chair of the Senate American-Canadian Economy and Security (ACES) Caucus, and U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree, are calling on the Trump Administration to avoid a catastrophic trade war with Canada that would have huge and immediate impacts on Maine’s people and economy. In a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Ambassador Jamieson Greer, the U.S. Trade Representative, the Maine delegation request that the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — To mark the third anniversary of Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today joined CBS’s 60 Minutes to discuss the ongoing war, as well as the threat of America possibly withdrawing its support to the democratic nation and Ukrainian people in their fight for survival. During the nationally-broadcast interview with Scott Pelley, King highlighted the will of the Ukrainian people to protect their homeland, and how America’s identity in the free... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS) – chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs – and Angus King (I-ME) – member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs – introduced legislation to direct the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and other research partners to comprehensively study the impacts of repetitive low-level blast injuries on veterans’ mental health. The Precision Brain Health Research Act of 2025 would require VA to work with the National Academies of... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) has introduced bicameral legislation to make college textbooks more affordable. The Affordable College Textbook Act would authorize a competitive grant program to support the creation and expansion of open college textbooks — textbooks that are available under an open license — which would allow professors, students, researchers and others to freely access the materials. Textbook costs are one of the most overlooked costs of going to college, but... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today joined Morning Joe to stress the urgency of the unprecedented, unconstitutional overstep from President Trump’s Administration and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). During the interview — which comes in the midst of another round of reckless federal layoffs — King made clear the dangers of Congress further ceding it’s power to the President, noting that doing so is a “fundamental misunderstanding” of what is... Continue Reading »
To watch or download the exchange, click here WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) and the nominee for Secretary of the Navy discussed utilizing lessons from the private sector to maintain best practices for ship designing, building, and maintenance. In a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), King pressed the Trump Administration’s nominee, John Phelan, on his plans to benchmark Navy ships against private sector companies. To make the armed services more... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Mike Rounds (R-SD) are introducing bipartisan legislation to help veterans “Stand Strong” and avoid injuries from costly, dangerous falls. The SAFE STEPS for Veterans Act would establish an Office of Falls Prevention within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). The legislation would also establish the position of a ‘falls prevention coordinator’ role, create a pilot program for incorporating falls prevention programs into Department of... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today released the following statement following the termination of seven employees at Togus Medical Center; five of whom are veterans themselves: “I am deeply troubled by the news from Togus that seven Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Maine probationary staffers were terminated yesterday — five of whom are veterans themselves. These firings appear arbitrary and without any strategic thinking; these men and women were fired simply because... Continue Reading »
