WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today are celebrating Maine’s world renowned lobster industry after the Senate unanimously passed their bipartisan resolution recognizing September 25, 2024 as “National Lobster Day.” The resolution recognizes the cultural, economic and environmental impacts and importance of the iconic crustacean. Since 2015, the senators have introduced and sponsored legislation in recognition of National Lobster Day. “There are hundreds of small... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), co-chair of the Senate Arctic Caucus, today cast his vote for Michael Sfraga — currently serving as U.S. Arctic Research Commission Chair — to become the country’s first Ambassador at Large for Arctic Affairs, in a Senate vote of 55-36. Until Sfraga’s confirmation, the U.S. has been the only Arctic Nation that did not have a high-level official to represent the county in Arctic negotiations. With America now having formal diplomatic... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) is cosponsoring bipartisan legislation to help college graduates reduce the burden of student loans through a tax-free employer contribution. The Employer Participation in Repayment Act would permanently extend a provision of the Internal Revenue Code allowing employees to exempt up to $5,250 from tax annually in student loan repayments that employers contribute on their behalf. The original provision was included in the bipartisan CARES Act and... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) are urging the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to clarify its approval process for pharmaceutical companies considering advanced manufacturing technologies (AMTs) — such as continuous manufacturing, a means of production that involves a more uninterrupted process. In a letter to FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf, the senators encouraged the FDA to incentivize the pharmaceutical industry to invest in AMTs to help address... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Steve Daines (R-MT), chairman and ranking member of the Subcommittee on National Parks respectively, and John Barrasso (R-WY), ranking member of the Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee, have introduced bipartisan legislation to help combat the housing shortage that the National Park Service (NPS), U.S. Forest Service and other land management agency employees are facing across the country. The Land Manager Housing and Workforce... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND), co-chairs of the American-Canadian Economy and Security (ACES) Caucus, are introducing legislation to address a dog importation rule from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that has made traveling worldwide more difficult for military and diplomatic families, and those with service animals, living abroad to bring their dog back to the United States. While the rule is intended to lessen the risk of the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) are introducing legislation to address the housing shortage and make it easier for rural workers to live in the communities they serve. The Farmhouse-to-Workforce Housing Act would expand the existing Housing Preservation Grants (HPG) program so rural home owners can create more housing on their property — such as an attached apartment unit or a small home nearby — to be available for rent. Currently, HPGs are underused... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King, a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, is urging the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) to take additional steps to help reduce veteran suicide. In a letter to VA Secretary Denis McDonough, King highlights the devasting veteran suicide rate by firearm and outlines his Lethal Means Safe Storage for Veteran Suicide Prevention Act, a bill that would provide free firearm lockboxes at the request of any veteran and require VA providers to... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King, questioned U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Alvin Holsey, nominee to be Admiral and Commander of U.S. Southern Command, about the illicit drug trade and the deadly toll it is taking on Maine people and Americans across the country. In the exchange during a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), King called the failure to apprehend the illegal drug shipments “inexcusable,” and called on Admiral Holsey to identify what resources are needed for the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Mike Rounds (R-SD) are introducing bipartisan legislation to help prevent painful — and costly — household accidents. The Stand Strong Falls Prevention Act would create an Advisory Committee on Falls Prevention within the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), which would develop a National Falls Prevention Plan to evaluate falls prevention efforts under the federal government and make recommendations for improving federal policies.... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) today released the following statement on the 23rd anniversary of the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks: “Today, we remember those who perished on September 11th, 2001, and all Americans who have since been killed from those wishing to inflict terror across the globe. It is also an occasion to recall the incredible unity that Americans demonstrated in the aftermath of that horror — so I urge everyone to focus on what unites us, not divides... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee and the Senate Armed Services Committee, has been recognized as the 2024 “Legislator of the Year” by Wounded Warrior Project (WWP). The prestigious annual award recognizes outstanding legislative efforts and achievements by a member of Congress in improving the lives of post-9/11 wounded, ill and injured veterans. Senator King was selected for this award due to his advocacy for bills to promote... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden today announced more than $33.8 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for hydroelectric projects in Maine. The Department of Energy announced $430 million for hydropower infrastructure upgrades across 33 states, including a total of $33,801,291 for 21 projects in Maine. Administered by the Grid Deployment Office (GDO) and funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences has received $7 million to build the Maine Algal Research Infrastructure and Accelerator. The award will assist with building state-of-the-art research infrastructure which will streamline algae innovation in the agricultural, aquaculture and pharmaceutical industries. Collaborating with Bigelow Laboratory on this effort are Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory,... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) today celebrated the White House completing the first round of Medicare negotiations to lower the price of 10 prescription drugs, which will lower out of pocket costs for Medicare beneficiaries on eligible drugs and save Medicare — and American taxpayers — billions. The announcement comes nearly two years after the Inflation Reduction Act, which King supported, was signed into law. In addition to the negotiation provisions, the bill also included... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), a member of the Senate Armed Services and Veterans Affairs Committees, released the following statement after the Department of Defense (DoD) unveiled a new policy to better monitor servicemembers’ exposure to blast overpressure and subsequent risk of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). The policy comes after Senator King wrote a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in July suggesting that the DoD take immediate actions to conduct... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is being awarded grant funding to help improve rural healthcare. The Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program award, totaling $504,176, will support Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in quality improvement and establish or expand rural health emergency medical services. The program is funded through the Health Resources and Services Administration... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King is introducing legislation to provide firearm storage to American veterans in an effort to reduce suicides among the veteran population. The Lethal Means Safe Storage for Veteran Suicide Prevention Act would create a grant program to provide free firearm lock boxes or gun safes on request to any veteran. The legislation would also require providers from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and the Veterans’ Affairs (VA) Community Care Network to... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King is introducing legislation to ensure Maine people have access to affordable and preventative mental health and behavioral healthcare services. The Primary and Behavioral Healthcare Access Act would require private insurance plans to cover three annual primary care visits and three annual outpatient mental health or outpatient substance use disorder treatment visits, without charging a copayment, coinsurance, or deductible-related fee. This common sense... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, U.S. Senator Angus King released the following statement after Bowdoin College graduate, Evan Gershkovich, and former United States Marine, Paul Whelan, were released from Russian custody in a historic prisoner swap involving seven countries: “I am ecstatic to hear the news that Americans, among them Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, have been released from Russia and are on their way home. For far too long, they have both been imprisoned arbitrarily as part of Putin’s... Continue Reading »
