BRUNSWICK, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) joined Protect Our Care and Maine parents and patients for a virtual conversation to discuss the harm that a repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) could have on hundreds of thousands of Maine people. The conversation comes as the Supreme Court is set to hear arguments one week after the election – in a case rooted in provisions in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 – that could eliminate healthcare protections for families that rely on... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Angus King (I-Maine) announced that the Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding $2,166,719 to the Governor’s Energy Office, to further advance a comprehensive economic roadmap for establishing Maine as a leader in the offshore wind power industry. This investment will build on Maine’s national leadership on floating offshore wind and substantial work and research in the state and the Gulf of... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the coronavirus pandemic demonstrates the need for increased healthcare vigilance, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) introduced the Primary and Behavioral Health Care Access Act. Senator King’s legislation 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. In doing so, this... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Angus King (I-ME), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) called on President Trump to reevaluate the ongoing restrictions currently placed on non-essential travel across the U.S.-Canada border. At this time, the risks of significant cross-border transmission of COVID-19 in numerous border jurisdictions appear to be low.“The protracted closure of the world’s longest international land border to all but essential travel has put... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) announced his support for the Small Business Debt Relief Extension Act, which would provide continued coronavirus emergency debt relief distributed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) into 2021.The King-backed Small Business Debt Relief Act, which was passed into law as a part of the CARES Act in March, provided six months of vital debt relief that, before it expired on September 27, helped 320,000 small businesses keep their... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the Maine Department of Health and Human Services has received a total of $727,991 to support the distribution of any future COVID-19 vaccines. This funding was awarded through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.“In the midst of this unprecedented public health and economic crisis, it’s critical that individuals, families, and communities throughout the State of Maine are able to access... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) announced that he is launching a portal on his website seeking feedback from Maine people on their experiences with the Affordable Care Act, in an effort to inform his work in Congress to protect the law from legal threats. Senator King’s effort comes as the Supreme Court is just weeks away from hearing oral arguments on the future of the Affordable Care Act, in which the Trump Administration will argue that the law should be... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that Sebago Clean Waters has been awarded a total of $8,000,000 to support conservation efforts and protect the clean, safe drinking water from the Sebago Lake watershed by improving fish passage, restoring wetlands, and improving forest management throughout the region. The funding was provided through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Regional Conservation... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Office of U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the September edition of Senator King’s “Inside Maine” podcast, focusing on recovery from substance use disorders (SUDs) amid the coronavirus pandemic. First, Melissa Skahan, Vice President of Mission Integration for Northern Light Mercy Hospital in Portland joins Senator King to discuss the McAuley Residence Center’s approach to combatting the substance use epidemic amid the coronavirus crisis. Then,... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement in response to President Donald Trump’s nomination of Federal Appeals Court Judge Amy Coney Barrett to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States:“In the 244-year history of our nation, the latest a Supreme Court nominee has ever been confirmed during an election year was July 26th. The nominee was put forward by President Benjamin Harrison, in the year 1892 – having been nominated in... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) led a bipartisan group of their Senate colleagues to introduce the Providing Resources for Emergency Preparedness and Resilient Enterprises (PREPARE) Act. The legislation would reauthorize the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Pre-Disaster Mitigation Pilot Program to give small businesses the opportunity to take out low-interest loans for the purpose of proactively implementing mitigation measures to protect their... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that today, September 25th, marks “National Lobster Day.” The designation was established through a resolution the Senators authored that passed the Senate unanimously. National Lobster Day seeks to recognize the economic and cultural importance of the species, which is a major economic driver for Maine. Every year since 2015, Senators Collins and King have authored this resolution.“For generations, Maine’s lobster fishery... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) joined their colleagues in cosponsoring a bipartisan resolution designating September 19th through September 26th as National Estuaries Week. The legislation recognizes the importance of coastal and estuarine regions to the national economy and reaffirms the Senate’s commitment to protecting and restoring these important natural resources. The Senate passed the resolution unanimously.“The waters off Maine’s... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) joined eight of his Senate colleagues to raise concerns surfacing in reports that insured individuals are receiving unexpected bills for diagnostic coronavirus testing. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act and the CARES Act, both signed into law earlier this year, require health insurance plans to cover costs associated with coronavirus testing in order to maximize the nation’s effort to identify individuals carrying the virus and... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Angus King (I-Maine) joined a bipartisan group of their colleagues in calling for enforcement action to address practices of pharmaceutical companies that threaten to undermine the 340B Drug Pricing Program during the COVID-19 public health emergency. In their letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar, the Senators urge the administration to take immediate enforcement action to halt these tactics and ensure... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON — Cyberspace Solarium Commission co-chairs Senator Angus King (I-ME) and Congressman Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Commissioners Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE) and Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI) renewed their call for strong cyber leadership in the White House – a sentiment reinforced today by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) report 20-629, entitled: “Cybersecurity: Clarity of Leadership Urgently Needed to Fully Implement the National Strategy.” The GAO report includes a... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that $1,412,525 has been awarded to support the growth and revitalization of industries in Kennebec and Cumberland counties that have suffered financial harm as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding was awarded through the Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) CARES Act Recovery Assistance Program.“The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on many industries throughout Maine, including bioscience,... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement on the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg:“Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a giant. A brilliant jurist, who spent her life making our country a fairer, more equitable place for all its citizens. Her unparalleled mind, her unbending backbone, and her unfailing determination were formidable, making her not only one of the nation’s foremost legal minds but also a cultural icon who inspired... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) and 41 of his Senate colleagues today called on the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general to expeditiously investigate a whistleblower complaint alleging forced hysterectomies at the Irwin County Detention Center (ICDC) in Ocilla, Georgia.“Forced sterilizations infringe on reproductive rights and autonomy,” the senators wrote. “To understand whether such violations may have been committed against immigrants in our... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) announced they have introduced the Social-Emotional Learning for Families (SELF) Act to provide additional resources to support the mental health and safety of children and improve educational outcomes for students. Specifically under the legislation, the Department of Education would establish a competitive grant program to support the development, implementation, and evaluation of successful teacher... Continue Reading »
