WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) and eighteen of his Senate colleagues are urging President Biden to request robust funding and increase the federal investment in our nation’s response to the ongoing opioid and substance use disorder (SUD) epidemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically altered the opioid and SUD prevention, treatment and recovery landscape in this country. The nature of this pandemic has increased social isolation and stress, while... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Office of U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) announced that Senator King has joined 32 of his colleagues in a letter pressing Postmaster General Louis DeJoy on widespread, troubling mail delays and on what action he is taking to restore on-time mail delivery. The Senators’ letter comes as recent reports suggest DeJoy intends to implement additional changes that would further slow down the mail and unacceptably decrease service for millions of Americans who rely on... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that two organizations in Maine have been awarded a total of $6,133,048 to support mental health and substance use programs. This funding was awarded through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Center for Mental Health Services.“No community is immune from these heartbreaking disorders that have taken a toll on far too many of our peers, friends, and neighbors,” said Senators Collins and King in a joint... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Office of U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) announced that Senator King, a founding member of the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus, has joined a group of colleagues to urge the Biden Administration to adopt forward-looking proposals aimed at ramping up the electrification of the federal vehicle fleet. President Biden recently directed his administration to develop a comprehensive plan to create good jobs and stimulate domestic clean energy industries by... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) voted to convict former President Donald Trump for his part in fomenting the violent insurrection at the Capitol on January 6th. In his full statement, which can be read below, Senator King highlights President Trump’s role in inciting the insurrection, his lack of intervention once the insurrection began, and the long-term implications of allowing America’s top leaders to undermine democratic values without consequences:“During his... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement honoring the life of noted Maine outdoorsman George Smith, who passed away last night following a battle with ALS:“I loved George Smith. He spent his life exploring the Maine outdoors – and if you asked him, there was no better way to live. That is why George used every tool at his disposal to share these natural treasures with millions. As a prolific and talented writer, George’s tales of adventure... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today announced that he has cosponsored the Spotlight Act, which aims to identify the dark money political donors that seek to influence political debate anonymously. The Spotlight Act would require certain political non-profit organizations to disclose their donors to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), reversing a rule that eliminated the requirement and allowed such organizations to keep their donors secret.“Our government was created of... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) have introduced the Reinforcing American-Made Products Act, a bill that strengthens American manufacturing by creating one national “Made in USA” labeling standard. Under current conditions, businesses that make their products in the United States face a patchwork of different state laws – making compliance costs burdensome in order to ensure products can be sold across the country with the designation. The... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) has cosponsored legislation to incentivize Medicaid expansion nationwide, bring needed federal dollars to states, and promote healthcare access for low-income Americans amid the current health and economic crisis. The States Achieve Medicaid Expansion (SAME) Act of 2021 would allow states that expanded Medicaid after 2014, or who expand Medicaid in the years ahead, to receive the same full federal matching funds as states... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) issued the following statement ahead of the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump: “In the days ahead, the Senate is about to embark on an unorthodox set of proceedings – this is the first impeachment case in American history where the jurors are also eyewitnesses to the alleged crime,” said Senator King. “I’ve made clear that I feel the President acted irresponsibly in the weeks following the November election, but I have... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On the 28th anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) being enacted into law, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) joined a bicameral group to introduce the Family and Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act to create a permanent, national paid family and medical leave program. The FAMILY Act would ensure that every worker, no matter the size of their employer or if they are self-employed or part-time, has access to paid leave when serious medical issues arise.“No... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement after he voted to confirm Denis McDonough as Secretary of Veterans Affairs:“Maine has one of the highest percentages of veterans per capita in the nation – they’re our family, our friends, and our neighbors,” said Senator King. “These veterans have shown great courage and sacrifice in service to our country, and continue to play a vital role in communities across our state; we owe them the timely,... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) has sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) with 34 of his Senate colleagues, urging the agency’s new leadership to take long overdue action and utilize the E-Rate Program to help close the “homework gap” during the coronavirus pandemic. With increased reliance on digital services during the pandemic, many school-aged children who lack reliable internet access are falling through the cracks. Since the E-Rate Program... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), co-chair of the Senate Arctic Caucus, participated in a video conference with nearly 60 students at Edward Little High School in Auburn and others connecting statewide to discuss Maine’s strategic importance in U.S./Arctic relations and answer questions about his work on the topic in the Senate. Over the past semester, the students have been studying “Geopolitics of the Arctic” as they relate to U.S. national security, economic... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. —U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) and 28 of his Senate colleagues are calling on the Department of the Treasury to ensure that Americans experiencing homelessness can access the Economic Impact Payments they are entitled to receive. The bipartisan COVID-19 relief package enacted into law on December 27, 2020 provided a round of direct payments worth up to $600 per adult, and efforts are currently underway to provide additional direct payments in future relief legislation. An... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Early this morning, during the Senate’s 15-hour marathon vote session to consider amendments to the budget resolution, Senator Angus King (I-Maine) spoke on the floor of the Senate to express his support for an amendment proposed by Senator Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and cosponsored by Senator King, which allows the bipartisan Time to Rescue United States’ Trusts (TRUST) Act to be added to the budget resolution. The TRUST Act, which was introduced by Senators Romney, King, and a... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) and a bipartisan group of his Senate colleagues called on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to prioritize and quickly distribute the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund to rural and underserved communities hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund, which received funding in the recent year-end spending package, is intended to support testing, contact tracing,... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) and over 40 of his Senate colleagues urged Congressional leaders to boost funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) in the next pandemic relief package. LIHEAP is a federally funded program that helps low-income households with their home energy bills by providing payment and energy crisis assistance. With temperatures dropping, gas and electricity bills mounting, and COVID-19... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S Senator Angus King (I-Maine) laid out the consequences of delaying the nation’s transition from fossil fuels to cleaner energy during a hearing of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on climate change. During his questioning, Senator King showcased three charts to emphasize the stakes, which exhibited the rise of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere over 800,000 years, the rise in sea level over a 24,000 year period, and the drastic decline of Arctic... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement after voting for the motion to proceed with the Senate’s budget resolution:“In the past year, the coronavirus pandemic has killed more than 440,000 Americans and left tens of millions to struggle with financial uncertainty as small businesses closed and unemployment soared. It’s clear that this is a devastating, once-in-a-generation threat that requires immediate and aggressive action. “I have... Continue Reading »
