WASHINGTON, D.C. — Following reports from whistleblowers and former employees at OpenAI voicing safety and security concerns, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) joined four of his colleagues in calling on artificial intelligence (AI) research company OpenAI to honor its “public promises and mission” regarding essential safety standards. Since its founding in 2015, OpenAI has branded itself as a safety-conscious and responsible research organization. In the letter to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, U.S. Senator Angus King, a senior member of the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, released the following statement ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to a joint session of Congress: “While I am and always have been an unwavering supporter of Israel — and Israel’s right to defend itself and defeat Hamas after October 7 — I strongly disagree with the Netanyahu government’s initial conduct of the war and, especially, its current... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden are urging the Department of Defense (DoD) to immediately implement the actions recommended as a result of the Army Reserve and Army Inspector General investigations following the Lewiston shooting. For instance, in the letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, the Delegation calls on the DoD to update its Psychological Health Program Standard Operating Procedures,... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), co-chair of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, is leading the introduction of a bipartisan bill to improve cybersecurity in health care. The Healthcare Cybersecurity Act would direct the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to collaborate on improving cybersecurity and make resources available to non-federal entities relating to cyber threat indicators and appropriate... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, U.S. Senator Angus King released the following statement in response to President Biden’s announcement ending his presidential campaign: “In his farewell address, George Washington said, ‘that, in withdrawing the tender of service which silence in my situation might imply, I am influenced by no diminution of zeal for your future interest, no deficiency of grateful respect.’ Like our first president, Joe Biden recognizes that the presidency is not about one person, or one... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Angus King has announced that Presque Isle native, Jordyn Madore, has been promoted to Regional Representative for Aroostook County. Madore, who has been working with Senator King for seven years, will also continue to serve as a Constituent Services Representative in Aroostook County. “I am excited to announce the promotion of Jordyn Madore to Regional Representative for Aroostook County, a hard-earned and well-deserved reward for her tireless commitment... Continue Reading »
Washington D.C.— U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King joined 16 of their Senate colleagues in sending a bipartisan letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack expressing their serious concerns about the potential of potato wart spreading from potato imports originating from Canada’s Prince Edward Island (PEI). In the letter, the Senators urged for the implementation of additional mitigation measures to prevent introduction into the United States. Potato wart is a... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that Presque Isle International Airport is being awarded grant funding for infrastructure upgrades. The Department of Transportation awards, totaling $611,647, will support the construction of a new 15,000 square yard terminal apron to accommodate increased use of larger scheduled passenger aircrafts. The funding will also support updates to the existing pavement management plan, which includes the pavement condition... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Angus King is introducing bipartisan legislation to protect and secure the supply chain of critical minerals. The Global Strategy for Securing Critical Minerals Act of 2024 would ensure that the United States, its allies, and global partners can count on a diverse and secure end-to-end supply of critical minerals. Specifically, the legislation would enhance diplomatic and financial tools to support the procurement and processing of these minerals. Critical... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), U.S. Senator Angus King, Co-Chair of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, pressed top Defense officials on the most pressing challenges for America’s cyber defense capabilities. In a conversation with Dr. Michael Sulmeyer, the nominee to serve as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy, King asked about the U.S. government’s ability to identify the sources of cyber attack — where a hack can originate in a... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Senator Angus King has joined in the introduction of critical legislation to protect the affordable housing market in Maine and across the country. The Manufactured Housing Community Sustainability Act would encourage manufactured home park owners interested in selling their properties to sell the land to their residents, rather than another landlord or a developer. If passed by Congress, this would allow more Americans to stay in their homes and protect them from... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins, Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Angus King, Co-Chair of the Senate Broadband Caucus, today applauded news that the remainder of the previously announced $271,977,723 in funding for the Maine Connectivity Authority (MCA) has been approved through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. In November 2022, Senator Collins and King announced... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On this Independence 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 15th interview of the series, produced in partnership with the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project, Senator King spoke with Angela Baker of Pittsfield. Baker served with the Army National Guard for 20 years, during which she deployed to Iraq to... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator Angus King, a senior member of the Senate Armed Services (SASC) and Veterans Affairs (SVAC) Committees, is urging the Department of Defense (DOD) to protect servicemembers from traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and the after effects on mental health. In a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, King suggests that the DOD must take immediate actions to conduct baseline screenings of servicemembers for brain injuries. The letter comes in response to continued Maine... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Office of U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) today released the June episode of his “Inside Maine” podcast, in which he highlighted June as ‘Maine Dairy Month’ and discussed the importance of the industry to the state economy. During the podcast, Jenni Tilton-Flood, a dairy advocate and farmer, joined Senator King to share her experiences with dairy farming and how it supports rural communities across the state. Later in the podcast, Patricia Henderson, the Farm Superintendent... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today announced Downeast Transportation Inc. (DTI) is being awarded $23,529,000 to fund the acquisition of 23 electric buses and charging infrastructure — after they wrote a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg expressing their support for the project. Supported by the Department of Transportation (DOT) Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grants, the award would replace... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), joined his colleagues in urging the Pentagon to implement policies ensuring access to contraception for service members and their dependents. In a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, the Senators call on DOD to comply with the FY 2016 NDAA by revising its pre-deployment form to allow service members to indicate if they would like to receive contraception counseling on the full... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today announced the Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) is being awarded $25 million to fund community infrastructure projects in the East Deering neighborhood in Portland — months after they expressed support for the project in a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Supported by the Department of Transportation (DOT) Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE)... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) and a bipartisan group of his colleagues are urging the President of Panama to close an essential information-sharing gap critical to preventing Iran from transporting its oil under the Panamanian flag — a clear violation of U.S. sanctions. Iranian oil sanctions imposed in 2018 and 2019 cut off a significant source of revenue the regime uses to fund terrorist organizations like Hezbollah and Hamas, cartels, nuclear proliferation and other... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden announced that the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance (MMSA) has been awarded $1,299,377 in funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to launch the Rural Energy Futures (REF) project. Through the REF program, 8th-grade students in rural communities across the state will learn math while exploring local energy issues. “This funding will help prepare the next generation... Continue Reading »