{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where party = \"Independent\" and year = 2013 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/dartmouth-alumni-magazine-profiles-king-as-man-in-the-middle", "Dartmouth Alumni Magazine Profiles King as “Man In The Middle”", "2013-12-31", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Dartmouth Alumni Magazine Profiles King as \u201cMan In The Middle\u201d\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, December 31, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 In case you missed it, the Dartmouth Alumni Magazine last Friday published a profile of U.S. Senator Angus King (Class of \u201966) entitled \u201cMan In The Middle\u201d in which author Matthew Mosk captures King\u2019s role in resolving the student loan crises, his thoughts on the October government shutdown, and his broader efforts at tackling partisanship in the U.S. Senate.\r\nIn addition to Senator King, Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), John Hoeven (R-ND), and Rob Portman (R-OH) are also graduates of Dartmouth College.\r\nThe profile is below and can also be read by clicking here.\r\n+++\r\nMan In The Middle\u00a0\r\nIndependent Maine Sen. Angus King \u201966 went to Washington, D.C., hoping to help opposing parties find common ground. Frustration has set in.\r\nIt is the morning of September 11, 2013, and on this day, for a change, no one on Capitol Hill is talking about the looming impasse on the federal budget. Syria has been accused of using chemical weapons, and a fierce debate over the correct response is under way. On one side of Congress are the hawks who, like President Obama, say a red line has been crossed in a manner that demands a military response. On the other side, a sizable coalition that is weary of war and uneasy about the fallout of a strike in the Middle East. Then there is Sen. Angus King, an independent from Maine who finds himself in a familiar posture\u2014standing in the middle.\r\nKing arrived in Washington, D.C., last January as the newest of four U.S. senators from Dartmouth. After eight years as governor of Maine and an almost 10-year hiatus from public office, he won handily a tumultuous three-way Senate campaign with 53 percent of the vote, becoming only the second member of the chamber not affiliated with a major political party. (He caucuses with the Democrats.) King assumed the seat vacated by three-term moderate Republican Olympia Snowe, who left, she said, because Congress had become an impossible place from which to govern effectively.\r\nKing\u2019s campaign promised not just a moderate, business-friendly agenda that was left-leaning on social issues but also to do what Snowe considered impossible: provide a bridge between the increasingly factionalized parties to get things done. \u201cHe\u2019s independent and a problem solver,\u201d actor Sam Waterston of Law & Order said in a television ad for King that aired in the closing weeks of the campaign. \u201cI think they\u2019re afraid of Angus in Washington, which might be the best reason to send him there.\u201d\r\nToday King is in his office suite for a weekly open house. Tall and lean, with the ruddy, stiff-jawed look of a Maine lobsterman, King smiles warmly as a staff member snaps photographs of the senator with organic dairy producers and members of the New England Farmers Union. A Los Angeles Times reporter briefly corners King in his conference room. The Syria question was the first one keeping him up at night since he took office, King says. \u201cI am trying to learn as much as I can to understand the ramifications of this question, which are enormous,\u201d he says. \u201cIs there more risk to the national interest in doing nothing, or is there more risk to the national interest in acting?\u201d\r\nWith the help of his staff King ends the interview quickly and returns his attention to the dairy farmers. The Syria question would resolve itself before King was forced to take a firm stance, and in a matter of days focus would be back on the issue that has most stymied Washington in recent times: the budget. Across the Capitol complex in the House, the first rumblings are emerging that a government shutdown is looming. In part because of the deep divisions it would emphasize, the shutdown would present an enormous opportunity for King. It could become the first test of his desire to snuff out gridlock and dysfunction.\r\nThe Real Thing\r\nKing\u2019s childhood in the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington offers few clues to his political leanings. He describes his parents as Roosevelt Democrats but says he grew up a fan of President Eisenhower. King applied to Dartmouth, sight unseen, because between his junior and senior years in high school his sister married Dartmouth alum Jim Neff\u00a0 \u201959, \u201cand I liked the guys at the wedding,\u201d he says. King\u2019s interest in politics was immediate. He recalls, in detail, the lectures of longtime Dartmouth government professor Vincent Starzinger. \u201cI remember him using the movie The African Queen to explain the two different views of natural law,\u201d King says. \u201cHumphrey Bogart wakes up in the boat to see Katharine Hepburn dumping his gin out into the river, and he\u2019s very upset. He says to Hepburn, \u2018It\u2019s only natural, ma\u2019am, that a man should want to drink every now and then.\u2019 That\u2019s one view of natural law. Hepburn said, \u2018Nature, Mr. Allnut, is what we are here to rise above.\u2019 That\u2019s the other view of natural law. It has been 50 years and I remember every word of that lecture.\u201d\r\nLarry K. Smith, a former Dartmouth history professor now retired after a career in Washington, remembers \u201cGus\u201d in \u201cHistory 56,\u201d the political history of the United States since 1864. The class, which was a study in power and how it\u2019s used politically, Smith says, attracted ambitious students. When political discussions would get going, \u201cyou could feel the heat in the room,\u201d he recalls. King stood out: \u201cFor all of his prestige on campus, you never got the sense that he was a politician of any sort. And yet he was clearly recognized to be the class of his class. He carried himself with such ease and grace.\u201d\r\nDespite his clear interest in politics, King\u2019s involvement was largely as an observer. He worked at WDCR and traveled in 1964 to New York City to broadcast results from the Goldwater-Johnson election. \u201cWe were part of a national college radio election-night program, and it was like our own NBC,\u201d King says. \u201cWe got results. I was a commentator, talking about who was winning and who was losing and what it meant.\u201d A year earlier, Dartmouth students had learned of the Kennedy assassination listening to WDCR. They heard the news from King, who broke into a music program to report as the day\u2019s events came over a teletype machine. (King says he carried the printout announcing Kennedy\u2019s death in his wallet for decades until it finally crumbled into pieces.)\r\nThe radio job helped prepare King for the career he forged after law school and a brief stint on Capitol Hill with Maine\u2019s Democratic Sen. William Hathaway\u2014as a television interviewer and commentator on the public broadcast affiliate in Maine. He moved from there into the alternative energy industry. It was from this business perch that King followed a path into politics as an independent. Throughout his tenure as governor King\u2019s approval numbers in statewide polls never dipped below 50 percent. Still, competing views formed about him. One Maine Republican\u2014a Dartmouth alum who previously worked in government\u2014agreed to provide his view of King in a series of emails on the condition he not be identified. He says, \u201cKing seems the ultimate \u2018hail fellow well met\u2019 with the balm of an aphorism for every situation, even if he has never seen it before\u2026and really knows little about it.\u201d The GOP critic says he considers King \u201ca faux independent,\u201d a Democrat who does not want to admit his leanings.\r\nOthers, including his early mentor Smith, say the politician\u2019s independence comes from deep within. \u201cPeople will use the rhetoric of being a moderate and it\u2019s crap,\u201d says Smith. \u201cWith Gus it\u2019s a real thing. There are phony moderates or phony independents who are often unwilling to take positions. Gus takes positions and does so as a matter of conviction. It just happens that his convictions don\u2019t fit neatly into either party. Fortunately for him, he comes from a state that enables him to run as that person.\u201d\r\nKing says that when he arrived in Washington he knew there would be doubts about him on both sides of the aisle. When he first approached Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) to talk about his ideas on regulatory reform, King says he expected skepticism. At that point he was known only as the man the National Republican Senatorial Committee spent $1.2 million trying to defeat in 2012. \u201cI\u2019m sitting with Roy telling him my views on regulatory reform,\u201d King says, \u201cand I could see his expression change, like, \u2018This isn\u2019t the guy I thought he was. Why did we spend a million dollars to kill this guy?\u2019 \u201d\r\nAn Issue That Resonates\r\nKing\u2019s first real foray into the murky political waters of the U.S. Senate came almost by accident. It was May of 2013 and a member of his staff had flagged one of the Senate\u2019s many looming deadlines: Without congressional action the interest rate on federally subsidized Stafford student loans was poised to double on July 1 from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent. \u201cIt seemed to fit philosophically with some of the things that the senator has taken issue with down here, these sort of artificial deadlines, lurching from year to year, without really coming up with long-term, sustainable solutions,\u201d one King staffer explains.\r\nIn many ways the student loan issue presented an ideal political opportunity for King. On one side were liberal Democrats led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who believed the government should support a subsidized loan program that would greatly relieve the financial burden facing college students, even if it came with a hefty price tag. On the other side were Republicans whose proposal, very similar to Obama\u2019s, was for a market-based loan program that operated much like traditional loans, giving students competitive borrowing rates while possibly turning a profit. King and a small coalition of senators including Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) decided they would try to create a revenue-neutral program that fell somewhere between the rival versions.\r\nIn June, when senators were presented with votes on the Democratic and Republican versions of the student loan bill, King and Manchin broke ranks and voted against both of them. King released a statement to the press saying he believed \u201cthat we can bridge the differences between the competing proposals to reach a compromise solution that can acquire wide support. We just need to set the politics aside and do the work.\u201d\r\nThe rogue group of senators drafted its proposal and introduced it in late June, just days before the loan rates would double. At first their attempts to bring more senators on board met with resistance. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), the powerful committee chairman who oversaw education issues, was not happy with their proposal. A number of Republicans were also skeptical that rates could be brought down without costing the federal government. As the deadline passed, a second attempt was made to bring the Democratic plan to the floor for a vote, but it again fell short. Once that failed, the president got involved.\r\nKing, along with Manchin and Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) were summoned to the White House, where they found Harkin and Burr waiting with Obama. The goal was to broker a compromise bill. \u201cThe president wanted this off his plate,\u201d King\u2019s staffer explains. After the meeting the number of senators willing to vote for the King-Manchin bill started to rise. During the course of several weeks King tried to keep an accurate count of his bill\u2019s support, but it was tough. Every time he would shave off a section to bring more Democrats on board, he risked losing support from Republicans.\r\nWhen the date for the vote finally came, King\u2019s staff had calculated they had just barely enough support for the measure to pass. When the vote got under way, Durbin, whose job as Senate majority whip is to muster and keep count of votes, walked up to King on the floor and handed him a small scrap of paper. It had a number on it: \u201c74\u201d\u2014a projected tally of \u201caye\u201d votes. The bill, King realized then, was going to pass.\r\nKing was near the center of a group of Republicans and Democrats hovering over Obama on August 9 as the president prepared to sign the bill into law. The president praised the \u201cextraordinary coalition\u201d that had led to the passage of the compromise bill, then noted wryly, \u201cIt feels good signing bills. I haven\u2019t done this in a while. Hint, hint. Hint, hint.\u201d\r\nShutdown\r\nThe government shutdown has been under way for two days and back in a plush Senate conference room King is speaking to representatives from a group of Maine credit unions who stopped in to visit him that day. He is offering his take on the Tea Party\u2019s budget maneuvers: \u201cI remember in college we heard a great way to make money. Do you know the story about how to make money with a cocker spaniel and a gun? You put a picture up that says, send $10 or I shoot the dog,\u201d King smiles. \u201cI didn\u2019t say that, did I?\u201d\r\nBack in his office King explains that he has given deep thought to this impasse and its causes. Because of the way congressional districts have been drawn, members of Congress for the most part occupy safe seats\u2014until they are threatened by primary opponents from the most orthodox wings of their parties. \u201cWe can have broad national consensus that this shutdown is a bad idea, and it\u2019s not going to affect an individual member as he or she looks to their district in Louisiana or Tennessee or Idaho or wherever it is. If that Republican electorate is fired up and wants to kill Obamacare or shut down the government, there\u2019s no political incentive for that person to sit down and talk,\u201d King says. \u201cThat\u2019s dangerous.\u201d\r\nMore than that, King has fixed his concern on what he sees as a new and dangerous approach to legislating that he believes Tea Party Republicans are employing. He pulls out a paper that he says contains a list of demands House Republicans have made in order to get them to pass a budget and reopen the government. He rattles them off, growing increasingly incredulous with each alleged demand.\r\n\u201cThis small group in the House is trying to create a new way of legislating that\u2019s not in the Constitution,\u201d King protests. \u201cYou legislate by passing a bill through the House, passing it through the Senate and sending it to the president. They\u2019re saying, \u2018We don\u2019t have the votes to do that, therefore we\u2019re going to grab the entire U.S. government or the credit of the entire U.S. government and say we won\u2019t do anything unless you legislate what we want\u2014unless you agree to what we want.\u2019 That\u2019s not the way the system was designed.\u201d\r\nKing insists he is not ready to give up. He has, for instance, joined a group of moderate House and Senate members who began meeting in hopes of cobbling together a budget document both sides could live with. He has also joined a group of 14 senators formed by his Maine colleague, Republican Sen. Susan Collins, to try to piece together a deal.\r\n\u201cRight now is a moment of maximum frustration,\u201d he says. \u201cMy whole deal is trying to find common ground and find solutions. What\u2019s holding me up is that I don\u2019t know if you want to find common ground in a situation where you\u2019re being held hostage. If you do, this will be the routine way we\u2019ll do business around here.\r\n\u201cIt goes against my basic orientation of trying to find solutions,\u201d he says. It is inescapable, King realizes now, that the nation\u2019s capital is different than it was 40 years ago, when he first came to town as a Senate staffer. In 1973, he says, there were probably 20 senators who overlapped ideologically\u2014moderate Republicans who were arguably more liberal than conservative Democrats. \u201cNow there are literally none,\u201d King says.\r\nThe 2013 federal government shutdown lasts for 16 days and, according to the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, it is expected to have cost the U.S. economy between $2 and $6 billion in economic output. It is resolved not by diplomacy from moderate politicians looking to broker an agreement, but by wrenching public pressure and a short-term fix of the sort King has publicly protested.\r\nA month has passed when King, brimming with good cheer, arrives in the sleek television studio that is hidden away in the basement of the Capitol Visitor Center. Bright theater lights hang from the ceiling and a variety of sets include a fireplace, a Christmas tree with wrapped presents and a modern-looking TV news desk. King takes a seat in front of what appear to be French doors and an American flag. He is about to hold a 45-minute Skype conversation with social studies students at Mt. Ararat High School back home in Maine. The father of five is jovial and at ease. Such talks, which he calls \u201cCapitol Class with Angus,\u201d are a staple of King\u2019s tenure.\r\nHe explains to the students that, as a member of a committee tasked with finding solutions to the problems that led to the shutdown, he sits at the center of negotiations to develop a budget. \u201cWe had our first meeting last week,\u201d he says. \u201cThere are a lot of behind-the-scenes negotiations going on now as we try to arrive at an agreement that will make everyone equally unhappy, I guess is the best way to put it.\u201d\r\nStudents then rotate into a seat in front of the camera to ask how he juggles his work and personal life, whether he plans to seek reelection and what he considers his greatest challenges. A student named Emma takes the seat and asks King what it means for him to be an independent in Washington.\r\n\u201cIt gives me the opportunity to work across the aisle and try to find solutions,\u201d he continues. \u201cIt was amazing when I first got here and I went around meeting senators. A number of them said, sort of almost under their breath, \u2018Boy, you\u2019re in just the right place.\u2019 They really liked the idea that I could try to build bridges, and in fact that\u2019s what we\u2019ve tried to do.\u201d\r\nKing tempered that sunny view from the center shortly after the Skype conversation ended and he headed back to business. \u201cI\u2019m very optimistic that the partisanship can be overcome when the challenge is a small- or intermediate-sized issue,\u201d he says, hearkening back to his experience with the student loan legislation. \u201cBut on the big issues\u2026,\u201d he pauses. \u201cI\u2019ll be honest with you, on the big issues I\u2019m just not so optimistic.\u201d\r\nMatthew Mosk, an Emmy-winning investigative reporter for ABC News in Washington, D.C., lives in Annapolis, Maryland.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/press-release/kilili-congratulates-alejandro-mayorkas-new-dhs-deputy-secretary", "Kilili congratulates Alejandro Mayorkas, new DHS Deputy Secretary", "2013-12-30", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan says he applauds the recent promotion of Alejandro Mayorkas to be Deputy Secretary at the Department of Homeland Security.\u00a0 Mayorkas previously served as Director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and has had a critical, decision-making role in the transition to federal management of immigration in the Northern Marianas. He was sworn in as Deputy Secretary on December 23.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI congratulate Mr. Mayorkas on his nomination by the President and applaud the Senate for agreeing to fill this top leadership position at the Department of Homeland Security with someone who understands the challenges facing the Northern Mariana Islands,\u201d said Congressman Sablan.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI also extend my deepest appreciation to Mr. Mayorkas for all he has done as USCIS Director over the last five years to help make the immigration transition as least difficult as possible.\u201d\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mayorkas played a critical role in the decision to extend humanitarian parole to persons who were born in the Northern Marianas between 1974 and 1978 but who did not have U.S. citizenship, to persons with Northern Marianas Permanent Resident status and their immediate relatives, and to the immediate relatives of U.S. citizens. People in these situations previously had legal status under Commonwealth immigration law.\nThe parole policy Mayorkas approved allowed these individuals the opportunity to remain and work in the Northern Marianas legally. Without parole they would have been forced to leave the after November 28, 2011.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cDirector Mayorkas called me personally on Thanksgiving Day in 2011 to tell me about that decision,\u201d Sablan said.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI thought of all the families I had knew, who were facing separation until that moment. It is a Thanksgiving Day I will always remember.\u201d\nOriginally, the parole for these people was to be available through the end of 2012.\u00a0 At Congressman Sablan\u2019s request, however, Mayorkas later provided a two-year extension of the parole eligibility.\nProtection for caregivers\nMayorkas can also be credited for the parole policy for caregivers in the Northern Marianas.\nUnder local immigration law, families had been able to employ in-house caregivers to tend to older parents or to younger family members with disabilities. But the federal regulations on foreign workers issued in September 2011 did not provide any immigration status for these caregivers.\nCongressman Sablan arranged for USCIS officials from Washington and from the Honolulu regional office to meet with him and some of the caregiver families in the Saipan congressional office in September.\nThat face-to-face meeting had an impact. One month later Mayorkas announced that caregivers, too, would be eligible for humanitarian parole.\n\u201cThe Northern Mariana Islands could not ask for anyone more knowledgeable about our immigration issues or more compassionate in executing the law of the land to serve as second in command at Homeland Security than Alejandro Mayorkas. I wish him every success in his new role.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/dod-budget-has-293m-divert-airfield-nmi", "DoD budget has $29.3M for divert airfield in NMI", "2013-12-29", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "President Barack Obama signed into law on Thursday (Friday, CNMI time) the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2014 that provides $29.3 million for the development of a U.S. Air Force divert airfield in the CNMI. The new law also requires the Pentagon to report to Congress by June 25 the feasibility of having a National Guard in the CNMI and American Samoa. The defense bill also includes almost $495 million in spending for military construction projects in Guam. \u201cOur economy could definitely use that money,\u201d Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (Ind-MP) told Saipan Tribune, referring to the $29.3 million for the development of a divert airfield in the CNMI. The divert airfield is intended to be an alternative landing base for Air Force planes if Andersen Air Force Base in Guam becomes unavailable because of weather or war.\u00a0 Sablan worked with the U.S. House Armed Services Committee to place some limits on the Air Force, because there is still a question about where to put this facility: on Tinian or Saipan.\u00a0 \u201cI think that Northern Marians officials decided long ago that Tinian would be the preferred location for military expansion in the Northern Marianas, but the Air Force has other ideas. So, at my request, the Committee report directs the Air Force to work with the governor to find a mutually agreeable resolution to this siting issue,\u201d Sablan said. The delegate added that the Air Force is also barred from spending any of the $29.3 million until it reports to Congress on all the alternatives that have been considered, the overall construction requirements, and the cost/benefits of options for the land needed. Gov. Eloy S. Inos said last week that the CNMI remains unified in its voice to have a divert airfield on Tinian where two-thirds of lands are already leased to the U.S. Department of Defense, instead of Saipan where the U.S. military had planned on placing it. The governor told the Air Force that its request to lease 33 acres of land on Saipan for the next 50 years \u201cis quite an undesirable conclusion as it would impede future commercial development in the area.\u201d H.R. 3304 or the 2014 NDAA also moves the Commonwealth toward possibly having its own National Guard.\u00a0 DoD now has 180 days to report to Congress on the feasibility of having the CNMI\u2019s own National Guard, just like Guam and all of the other states and territories, except American Samoa.\u00a0 \u201cWe have 16 of our people deployed with the Guam National Guard\u2014and returning safely home soon. So, clearly, there is an interest. But do we have enough people for a full Guard unit? Do we have the needed infrastructure? Will our local legislature support establishing a Northern Marianas National Guard? These are the questions the report will answer. And we should know by June 25,\u201d Sablan said. Sablan introduced legislation in 2011 to set up a CNMI unit of the National Guard. Besides the CNMI-specific provisions, the annual Defense authorization makes some other changes worth noting. Sablan said military personnel will be getting a 1-percent raise.\u00a0 \u201cAnd the new law addresses the issue of sexual assault in the military, which is a problem that seems to be increasing and puts anyone in the armed service\u2014men and women\u2014including our people from the Northern Marianas, at risk. The new law bars commanders from overturning jury convictions in assault cases; and it mandates dishonorable discharge for anyone convicted\u2014all steps in the right direction,\u201d he said. Obama, in a statement, said the defense measure is a \u201cwelcome step\u201d toward closing Guantanamo Bay prison. \u201cThe detention facility at Guantanamo continues to impose significant costs on the American people. I am encouraged that this Act provides the Executive greater flexibility to transfer Guantanamo detainees abroad, and look forward to working with Congress to take the additional steps needed to close the facility,\u201d the president said.\nhttps://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?newsID=152580&cat=1", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/press-release/divert-field-nmi-national-guard-pay-raise-sexual-assault-all-part-new-defense-law", "Divert field, NMI National Guard, pay raise, sexual assault all part of new defense law", "2013-12-27", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "On Thursday, the President signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014, which contains important provisions specific to the Northern Mariana Islands. $29.3 million will be available for a divert airfield in the NMI to use if Guam\u2019s Andersen Air Force Base is closed by weather or war. But I also worked with the House Armed Services Committee to place limits on the money because of the question of siting: Tinian or Saipan? I think we decided long ago that Tinian is the preferred location for military expansion in our islands, but the Air Force has other ideas. So, at my request the Committee report directs the Air Force to work with the Governor to find a mutually agreeable resolution to this siting issue; and the law bars any expenditure of the $29.3 million until Congress gets a look at all the alternatives that have been considered. The NDAA also gives the Defense Department 180 days to report to Congress on the feasibility of a Northern Marianas National Guard, just like Guam and all of the other states and territories, except American Samoa, have. We have 16 of our people deployed with the Guam National Guard \u2013 and returning safely home soon. So, clearly, there is an interest. But do we have enough people for a full Guard unit? Do we have the needed infrastructure? Will our local legislature support establishing a Northern Marianas National Guard? These are the questions the report will answer. I introduced legislation in 2011 to set up an NMI unit. If the feasibility study comes back positive, we could push towards that goal. We should know by June 25. Besides these Northern Marianas specific provisions the annual defense authorization makes some other changes worth noting: Our military personnel will be getting a 1 percent raise. And the new law addresses the issue of sexual assault in the military, which is a problem that seems to be increasing and puts anyone in the armed service \u2013 men and women, including our people from the Northern Marianas \u2013 at risk. The new law bars commanders from overturning jury convictions in assault cases; and it mandates dishonorable discharge for anyone convicted \u2013 all steps in the right direction.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/article/man-in-the-middle", "Man In The Middle", "2013-12-27", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Man In The Middle\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n                \r\n                Independent Maine Sen. Angus King \u201966 went to Washington, D.C., hoping to help opposing parties find common ground. Frustration has set in.\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                    By:\u00a0\r\n                    Matthew Mosk\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                \r\n                \r\n            Friday, December 27, 2013\r\n            \n\t\n\r\n            \r\n            It is the morning of September 11, 2013, and on this day, for a change, no one on Capitol Hill is talking about the looming impasse on the federal budget. Syria has been accused of using chemical weapons, and a fierce debate over the correct response is under way. On one side of Congress are the hawks who, like President Obama, say a red line has been crossed in a manner that demands a military response. On the other side, a sizable coalition that is weary of war and uneasy about the fallout of a strike in the Middle East. Then there is Sen. Angus King, an independent from Maine who finds himself in a familiar posture\u2014standing in the middle.\r\nKing arrived in Washington, D.C., last January as the newest of four U.S. senators from Dartmouth. After eight years as governor of Maine and an almost 10-year hiatus from public office, he won handily a tumultuous three-way Senate campaign with 53 percent of the vote, becoming only the second member of the chamber not affiliated with a major political party. (He caucuses with the Democrats.) King assumed the seat vacated by three-term moderate Republican Olympia Snowe, who left, she said, because Congress had become an impossible place from which to govern effectively.\r\nKing\u2019s campaign promised not just a moderate, business-friendly agenda that was left-leaning on social issues but also to do what Snowe considered impossible: provide a bridge between the increasingly factionalized parties to get things done. \u201cHe\u2019s independent and a problem solver,\u201d actor Sam Waterston of\u00a0Law & Order\u00a0said in a television ad for King that aired in the closing weeks of the campaign. \u201cI think they\u2019re afraid of Angus in Washington, which might be the best reason to send him there.\u201d\r\nToday King is in his office suite for a weekly open house. Tall and lean, with the ruddy, stiff-jawed look of a Maine lobsterman, King smiles warmly as a staff member snaps photographs of the senator with organic dairy producers and members of the New England Farmers Union. A\u00a0Los Angeles Times\u00a0reporter briefly corners King in his conference room. The Syria question was the first one keeping him up at night since he took office, King says. \u201cI am trying to learn as much as I can to understand the ramifications of this question, which are enormous,\u201d he says. \u201cIs there more risk to the national interest in doing nothing, or is there more risk to the national interest in acting?\u201d\r\nWith the help of his staff King ends the interview quickly and returns his attention to the dairy farmers. The Syria question would resolve itself before King was forced to take a firm stance, and in a matter of days focus would be back on the issue that has most stymied Washington in recent times: the budget. Across the Capitol complex in the House, the first rumblings are emerging that a government shutdown is looming. In part because of the deep divisions it would emphasize, the shutdown would present an enormous opportunity for King. It could become the first test of his desire to snuff out gridlock and dysfunction.\r\nThe Real Thing\r\nKing\u2019s childhood in the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington offers few clues to his political leanings. He describes his parents as Roosevelt Democrats but says he grew up a fan of President Eisenhower. King applied to Dartmouth, sight unseen, because between his junior and senior years in high school his sister married Dartmouth alum Jim Neff\u00a0 \u201959, \u201cand I liked the guys at the wedding,\u201d he says. King\u2019s interest in politics was immediate. He recalls, in detail, the lectures of longtime Dartmouth government professor Vincent Starzinger. \u201cI remember him using the movie\u00a0The African Queen\u00a0to explain the two different views of natural law,\u201d King says. \u201cHumphrey Bogart wakes up in the boat to see Katharine Hepburn dumping his gin out into the river, and he\u2019s very upset. He says to Hepburn, \u2018It\u2019s only natural, ma\u2019am, that a man should want to drink every now and then.\u2019 That\u2019s one view of natural law. Hepburn said, \u2018Nature, Mr. Allnut, is what we are here to rise above.\u2019 That\u2019s the other view of natural law. It has been 50 years and I remember every word of that lecture.\u201d\r\nLarry K. Smith, a former Dartmouth history professor now retired after a career in Washington, remembers \u201cGus\u201d in \u201cHistory 56,\u201d the political history of the United States since 1864. The class, which was a study in power and how it\u2019s used politically, Smith says, attracted ambitious students. When political discussions would get going, \u201cyou could feel the heat in the room,\u201d he recalls. King stood out: \u201cFor all of his prestige on campus, you never got the sense that he was a politician of any sort. And yet he was clearly recognized to be the class of his class. He carried himself with such ease and grace.\u201d\r\nDespite his clear interest in politics, King\u2019s involvement was largely as an observer. He worked at WDCR and traveled in 1964 to New York City to broadcast results from the Goldwater-Johnson election. \u201cWe were part of a national college radio election-night program, and it was like our own NBC,\u201d King says. \u201cWe got results. I was a commentator, talking about who was winning and who was losing and what it meant.\u201d A year earlier, Dartmouth students had learned of the Kennedy assassination listening to WDCR. They heard the news from King, who broke into a music program to report as the day\u2019s events came over a teletype machine. (King says he carried the printout announcing Kennedy\u2019s death in his wallet for decades until it finally crumbled into pieces.)\r\nThe radio job helped prepare King for the career he forged after law school and a brief stint on Capitol Hill with Maine\u2019s Democratic Sen. William Hathaway\u2014as a television interviewer and commentator on the public broadcast affiliate in Maine. He moved from there into the alternative energy industry. It was from this business perch that King followed a path into politics as an independent. Throughout his tenure as governor King\u2019s approval numbers in statewide polls never dipped below 50 percent. Still, competing views formed about him. One Maine Republican\u2014a Dartmouth alum who previously worked in government\u2014agreed to provide his view of King in a series of emails on the condition he not be identified. He says, \u201cKing seems the ultimate \u2018hail fellow well met\u2019 with the balm of an aphorism for every situation, even if he has never seen it before\u2026and really knows little about it.\u201d The GOP critic says he considers King \u201ca faux independent,\u201d a Democrat who does not want to admit his leanings.\r\nOthers, including his early mentor Smith, say the politician\u2019s independence comes from deep within. \u201cPeople will use the rhetoric of being a moderate and it\u2019s crap,\u201d says Smith. \u201cWith Gus it\u2019s a real thing. There are phony moderates or phony independents who are often unwilling to take positions. Gus takes positions and does so as a matter of conviction. It just happens that his convictions don\u2019t fit neatly into either party. Fortunately for him, he comes from a state that enables him to run as that person.\u201d\r\nKing says that when he arrived in Washington he knew there would be doubts about him on both sides of the aisle. When he first approached Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) to talk about his ideas on regulatory reform, King says he expected skepticism. At that point he was known only as the man the National Republican Senatorial Committee spent $1.2 million trying to defeat in 2012. \u201cI\u2019m sitting with Roy telling him my views on regulatory reform,\u201d King says, \u201cand I could see his expression change, like, \u2018This isn\u2019t the guy I thought he was. Why did we spend a million dollars to kill this guy?\u2019 \u201d\r\nAn Issue That Resonates\r\nKing\u2019s first real foray into the murky political waters of the U.S. Senate came almost by accident. It was May of 2013 and a member of his staff had flagged one of the Senate\u2019s many looming deadlines: Without congressional action the interest rate on federally subsidized Stafford student loans was poised to double on July 1 from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent. \u201cIt seemed to fit philosophically with some of the things that the senator has taken issue with down here, these sort of artificial deadlines, lurching from year to year, without really coming up with long-term, sustainable solutions,\u201d one King staffer explains.\r\nIn many ways the student loan issue presented an ideal political opportunity for King. On one side were liberal Democrats led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who believed the government should support a subsidized loan program that would greatly relieve the financial burden facing college students, even if it came with a hefty price tag. On the other side were Republicans whose proposal, very similar to Obama\u2019s, was for a market-based loan program that operated much like traditional loans, giving students competitive borrowing rates while possibly turning a profit. King and a small coalition of senators including Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) decided they would try to create a revenue-neutral program that fell somewhere between the rival versions.\r\nIn June, when senators were presented with votes on the Democratic and Republican versions of the student loan bill, King and Manchin broke ranks and voted against both of them. King released a statement to the press saying he believed \u201cthat we can bridge the differences between the competing proposals to reach a compromise solution that can acquire wide support. We just need to set the politics aside and do the work.\u201d\r\nThe rogue group of senators drafted its proposal and introduced it in late June, just days before the loan rates would double. At first their attempts to bring more senators on board met with resistance. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), the powerful committee chairman who oversaw education issues, was not happy with their proposal. A number of Republicans were also skeptical that rates could be brought down without costing the federal government. As the deadline passed, a second attempt was made to bring the Democratic plan to the floor for a vote, but it again fell short. Once that failed, the president got involved.\r\nKing, along with Manchin and Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) were summoned to the White House, where they found Harkin and Burr waiting with Obama. The goal was to broker a compromise bill. \u201cThe president wanted this off his plate,\u201d King\u2019s staffer explains. After the meeting the number of senators willing to vote for the King-Manchin bill started to rise. During the course of several weeks King tried to keep an accurate count of his bill\u2019s support, but it was tough. Every time he would shave off a section to bring more Democrats on board, he risked losing support from Republicans.\r\nWhen the date for the vote finally came, King\u2019s staff had calculated they had just barely enough support for the measure to pass. When the vote got under way, Durbin, whose job as Senate majority whip is to muster and keep count of votes, walked up to King on the floor and handed him a small scrap of paper. It had a number on it: \u201c74\u201d\u2014a projected tally of \u201caye\u201d votes. The bill, King realized then, was going to pass.\r\nKing was near the center of a group of Republicans and Democrats hovering over Obama on August 9 as the president prepared to sign the bill into law. The president praised the \u201cextraordinary coalition\u201d that had led to the passage of the compromise bill, then noted wryly, \u201cIt feels good signing bills. I haven\u2019t done this in a while. Hint, hint. Hint, hint.\u201d\r\nShutdown\r\nThe government shutdown has been under way for two days and back in a plush Senate conference room King is speaking to representatives from a group of Maine credit unions who stopped in to visit him that day. He is offering his take on the Tea Party\u2019s budget maneuvers: \u201cI remember in college we heard a great way to make money. Do you know the story about how to make money with a cocker spaniel and a gun? You put a picture up that says, send $10 or I shoot the dog,\u201d King smiles. \u201cI didn\u2019t say that, did I?\u201d\r\nBack in his office King explains that he has given deep thought to this impasse and its causes. Because of the way congressional districts have been drawn, members of Congress for the most part occupy safe seats\u2014until they are threatened by primary opponents from the most orthodox wings of their parties. \u201cWe can have broad national consensus that this shutdown is a bad idea, and it\u2019s not going to affect an individual member as he or she looks to their district in Louisiana or Tennessee or Idaho or wherever it is. If that Republican electorate is fired up and wants to kill Obamacare or shut down the government, there\u2019s no political incentive for that person to sit down and talk,\u201d King says. \u201cThat\u2019s dangerous.\u201d\r\nMore than that, King has fixed his concern on what he sees as a new and dangerous approach to legislating that he believes Tea Party Republicans are employing. He pulls out a paper that he says contains a list of demands House Republicans have made in order to get them to pass a budget and reopen the government. He rattles them off, growing increasingly incredulous with each alleged demand.\r\n\u201cThis small group in the House is trying to create a new way of legislating that\u2019s not in the Constitution,\u201d King protests. \u201cYou legislate by passing a bill through the House, passing it through the Senate and sending it to the president. They\u2019re saying, \u2018We don\u2019t have the votes to do that, therefore we\u2019re going to grab the entire U.S. government or the credit of the entire U.S. government and say we won\u2019t do anything unless you legislate what we want\u2014unless you agree to what we want.\u2019 That\u2019s not the way the system was designed.\u201d\r\nKing insists he is not ready to give up. He has, for instance, joined a group of moderate House and Senate members who began meeting in hopes of cobbling together a budget document both sides could live with. He has also joined a group of 14 senators formed by his Maine colleague, Republican Sen. Susan Collins, to try to piece together a deal.\r\n\u201cRight now is a moment of maximum frustration,\u201d he says. \u201cMy whole deal is trying to find common ground and find solutions. What\u2019s holding me up is that I don\u2019t know if you want to find common ground in a situation where you\u2019re being held hostage. If you do, this will be the routine way we\u2019ll do business around here.\r\n\u201cIt goes against my basic orientation of trying to find solutions,\u201d he says. It is inescapable, King realizes now, that the nation\u2019s capital is different than it was 40 years ago, when he first came to town as a Senate staffer. In 1973, he says, there were probably 20 senators who overlapped ideologically\u2014moderate Republicans who were arguably more liberal than conservative Democrats. \u201cNow there are literally none,\u201d King says.\r\nThe 2013 federal government shutdown lasts for 16 days and, according to the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, it is expected to have cost the U.S. economy between $2 and\u00a0$6 billion in economic output. It is resolved\u00a0not by diplomacy from moderate politicians looking to broker an agreement, but by wrenching public pressure and a short-term fix of the sort King has publicly protested.\r\nA month has passed when King, brimming with good cheer, arrives in the sleek television studio that is hidden away in the basement of the Capitol Visitor Center. Bright theater lights hang from the ceiling and a variety of sets include a fireplace, a Christmas tree with wrapped presents and a modern-looking TV news desk. King takes a seat in front of what appear to be French doors and an American flag. He is about to hold a 45-minute Skype conversation with social studies students at Mt. Ararat High School back home in Maine. The father of five is jovial and at ease. Such talks, which he calls \u201cCapitol Class with Angus,\u201d are a staple of King\u2019s tenure.\r\nHe explains to the students that, as a member of a committee tasked with finding solutions to the problems that led to the shutdown, he sits at the center of negotiations to develop a budget. \u201cWe had our first meeting last week,\u201d he says. \u201cThere are a lot of behind-the-scenes negotiations going on now as we try to arrive at an agreement that will make everyone equally unhappy, I guess is the best way to put it.\u201d\r\nStudents then rotate into a seat in front of the camera to ask how he juggles his work and personal life, whether he plans to seek reelection and what he considers his greatest challenges. A student named Emma takes the seat and asks King what it means for him to be an independent in Washington.\r\n\u201cIt gives me the opportunity to work across the aisle and try to find solutions,\u201d he continues. \u201cIt was amazing when I first got here and I went around meeting senators. A number of them said, sort of almost under their breath, \u2018Boy, you\u2019re in just the right place.\u2019 They really liked the idea that I could try to build bridges, and in fact that\u2019s what we\u2019ve tried to do.\u201d\r\nKing tempered that sunny view from the center shortly after the Skype conversation ended and he headed back to business. \u201cI\u2019m very optimistic that the partisanship can be overcome when the challenge is a small- or intermediate-sized issue,\u201d he says, hearkening back to his experience with the student loan legislation. \u201cBut on the big issues\u2026,\u201d he pauses. \u201cI\u2019ll be honest with you, on the big issues I\u2019m just not so optimistic.\u201d\r\nMatthew Mosk, an Emmy-winning investigative reporter for ABC News in Washington, D.C., lives in Annapolis, Maryland.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senators-collins-king-introduce-legislation-to-assist-maine-veterans-who-trained-at-cfb-gagetown", "Senators Collins, King Introduce Legislation to Assist Maine Veterans Who Trained at CFB Gagetown", "2013-12-27", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senators Collins, King Introduce Legislation to Assist Maine Veterans Who Trained at CFB Gagetown\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFriday, December 27, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King have introduced legislation that would help Maine veterans with claims made to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) contending they have suffered from health problems as a result of being exposed to the herbicide Agent Orange during military training at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Gagetown.\u00a0 For years, veterans who trained at Gagetown have attempted to gain recognition from the VA that their health problems stem from exposure to Agent Orange, which was previously sprayed there in 1966 and 1967.\u00a0    \u00a0   The bill would direct the VA to establish a registry of U.S. veterans who have served or trained at CFB Gagetown and who have subsequently experienced health problems, which may be related to this chemical exposure.\u00a0\u00a0 The establishment of a registry will provide veterans with a way to make their claims known to the VA and to identify commonalities among their shared experiences.\u00a0 It also provides the VA with a mechanism to reach out to veterans concerned with this specific issue.   \u00a0   In addition, the Collins-King bill requires the VA to commission an independent study tasked with investigating the linkage between service at Gagetown and the development of health problems and disease associated with exposure to Agent Orange.\u00a0 Unfortunately, a previous study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention relied exclusively on previous Canadian studies and included no new research, such as interviews with those who trained at CFB Gagetown.   \u00a0   \u201cProtecting the health of those who have served our nation is a solemn responsibility, and I have raised this issue directly with Secretary of the VA Eric Shinseki,\u201d said Senator Collins.\u00a0 \u201cJust as the Government of Canada found a way to offer compensation to service members exposed to toxic herbicides at Gagetown, the VA should likewise be able to find a way to recognize the similar concerns voiced by Maine veterans.\u201d   \u00a0   \u201cThrough their service, our veterans have demonstrated an unyielding commitment to our nation, and in return, our country has a duty to protect their health and well-being,\u201d Senator King said.\u00a0\u201cI am hopeful that this piece of legislation will bring us a step closer to providing more robust answers for Maine\u2019s veterans who served at Gagetown, and I am proud to join Senator Collins in that effort.\u201d\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/kilili-expresses-concern-over-allegations-misconduct-against-fishery-council", "Kilili expresses concern over allegations of misconduct against fishery council", "2013-12-26", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "THE Western Pacific Fishery Management Council has not acted on recommendations made by the Government Accountability Office and U.S. Congressmen Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan and Henry A. Waxman have expressed concern over allegations of misconduct.\nIn a letter to National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration acting administrator Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, and acting administrator for fisheries Samuel D. Rauch III, Kilili and Waxman wrote:\n\u201cWe understand that the Council has taken some positive steps, such as clarifying its record-access policy in their Statement of Organization and Practices and Procedures guidelines. Unfortunately, in the four years since the GAO report, the Western Pacific Council has failed to comply with all the GAO recommendations.\u201d\nThey said they are troubled by reports that WESPAC is not adequately fulfilling its responsibilities to the people of the territories.\nIn 2009, GAO issued a report that looked into the allegations and made the following recommendations: (1) GAO recommended that NOAA direct the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council or WESPAC to maintain documentation of all requests for information from federal and state legislators. This was to help ensure compliance with OMB Circular A-122 requirements governing federal grant recipients.\nGAO also stated that to reduce the risk of loss or unauthorized use associated with reimbursing meeting participant expenses with cash, it asked that NOAA direct WESPAC to pay per-diem costs for meeting participants by check to the extent practicable.\nIt also called for WESPAC to implement actions such as (1) notifying NOAA regional counsel before meeting with federal or state legislators or testifying before one of their committees; (2) asking NOAA regional counsel to provide an annual briefing to council members and staff on the rules governing their conduct, including limits on contacts with legislators; (3) adopting procedures that require council meeting minutes to include not only a council member\u2019s statement of recusal from voting, but also the nature of the financial interest that would be affected; (4) maintaining current and archived copies of the council\u2019s administrative records, including council meeting minutes, on the council\u2019s Web site; (5) developing and making available the council\u2019s policy regarding the types of records that are available to the public at the council office, the types of records that are available through a Freedom of Information Act or FOIA request, and the procedures for reviewing or requesting these records; (6) communicating directly with a council member who has requested council information and, if necessary, negotiating a timely response so that council members needing information do not have to file FOIA requests; and (7) clarifying the council\u2019s advisory role by not describing itself as a policy-making body.\nIn their letter to NOAA, Sablan and Waxman cited the council\u2019s failure to make available on its website the briefing materials used by Council members to make decisions.\n\u201cThis is a notable deficiency, as all seven of the other Regional Fisheries Management Councils have extensive documentation online,\u201d Sablan and Waxman said.\nTheir letter also said the lack of documentation \u201cis a particular concern in the case of the Western Pacific, where currently a concerned citizen of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands or Guam would have to spend $2,000 and travel 4,000 miles to Hawaii to review documents in person.\u201d\nThe U.S. congressmen said the council should follow the lead of other fishery management councils and make their documents accessible on the website.\n\u201cThe Western Pacific Council\u2019s lack of transparency has led to continued allegations of financial and ethical misconduct, most notably from the nonprofit group Environmental Hawaii,\u201d said Sablan and Waxman.\nThey said the GAO report in 2009 did not examine the council\u2019s activities in the Northern Marianas, Guam or American Samoa.\nThey said allegations of misconduct that may have occurred in the CNMI have never been investigated.\n\u201cWe urge NOAA to conduct a thorough analysis of the Western Pacific Council\u2019s conduct and to require that the council immediately comply with the GAO recommendations,\u201d the letter said.\nThey asked that WESPAC respond to their questions.\nThey asked if there is an itemized account of how federal funds allocated to the Western Pacific Council are spent.\nThey asked what oversight NOAA has over grants and contracts let by WESPAC.\nThey asked if there are accountability and performance standards in place.\nThey also raised the issue of conflicts of interest by council members and whether NOAA reviews the decisions.\nThey also asked if NOAA has investigated WESPAC executive director\u2019s role in developing and promoting the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs\u2019 petition to remove the green sea turtle from the endangered species list.\nVariety was unable to get a comment from WESPAC.\n- See more at: https://www.mvariety.com/cnmi/cnmi-news/local/61599-kilili-expresses-concern-over-allegations-of-misconduct-against-fishery-council#sthash.qexBPpfY.dpuf", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/kilili-old-moe-formula-remains-intact-pss", "Kilili: Old MOE formula remains intact for PSS", "2013-12-26", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Delegate Gregorio Kilili Sablan says the central government is still required to give the Public School System $7 million in unremitted maintenance-of-effort funds, pursuant to the mandates of the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. This comes after Sablan confirmed that the U.S. Department of Education issued no response or action to the proposal of the CNMI government to change the formula in calculating the MOE award.\u00a0 The CNMI received in 2009 $44 million in SFSF funds, of which $32.3 million is for public education. When the CNMI was awarded the SFSF grant, one of the conditions was that PSS must be given a specific amount of the overall budget of the CNMI government\u2014at the time equivalent to 40 cents to $1 dollar or 25 percent of the overall CNMI government budget. The issue over the MOE formula came to light after the CNMI government filed a waiver application for it in 2012. The USDOE has not issued a response up to now. \u201cThe fact that there\u2019s no decision [by USDOE] means we have to live with the first decision, which is good for PSS. The MOE\u2019s first formula remains and that has not changed,\u201d Sablan told Saipan Tribune. Saipan Tribune learned that in PSS books, the central government owes it $7 million in unremitted MOE for fiscal years 2010 and 2011. Education Commissioner Dr. Rita A. Sablan just wants the whole matter done and over with. \u201cFor me, I wanted it resolved. I just want that MOE issue out of the way. The whole issue here is that the central government owes us millions of money that is badly needed in our classrooms. It\u2019s the government\u2019s responsibility to pay us,\u201d she said.\u00a0 Once they receive the funds, it will all be utilized for the classroom and instructional needs of schools. She is firm that there\u2019s no way all or a portion of this unremitted MOE will be used to pay CUC arrears. \u201cWhatever federal money we get from MOE will go to the classrooms where it belongs,\u201d she added. As to when this money will go to PSS is uncertain up to this time. Saipan Tribune learned that the original amount of unremitted MOE for PSS was $11 million. However, in the late part of school year 2010-2011, the central government remitted some $2.6 million to pay for personnel salary.\nhttps://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?cat=1&newsID=152550", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/press-release/26677-awarded-diesel-emission-reduction", "$26,677 awarded for diesel emission reduction", "2013-12-24", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "$26,677 awarded for diesel emission reduction                                            \n              Dec 24, 2013      \t\t        \t    \n      \t            \n                    \n                                            \n          \n        \n        \n            \n    \n  \n    \n    \n    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation $26,677 to reduce unsafe diesel emissions in the Northern Marianas Islands. CUC will use the money to help retrofit its generators, improving efficiency and cutting pollution. Congratulations to CUC.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/press-release/228458-awarded-historic-preservation-office", "$228,458 awarded to Historic Preservation Office", "2013-12-23", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "$228,458 awarded to Historic Preservation Office                                           \n              Dec 23, 2013      \t\t        \t    \n      \t            \n                    \n                                            \n          \n        \n        \n            \n    \n  \n    \n    \n    The National Park Service announced the award of $228,458 to the Commonwealth government this week. The historic preservation grant will be used to preserve and protect our islands\u2019 historic sites. The formula grant only provides funding up to January 2014, but should be augmented when Congress finalizes appropriations for the rest of the year. Congratulations HPO!", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/transition-period-may-be-extended-2019", "Transition period may be extended up to 2019", "2013-12-23", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "THERE could be a stop-gap measure that will prevent the exodus of nonresident workers next year as the U.S. Congress considers extending the transitional period up to 2019.\nU.S. Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan on Friday announced that the transition extension, which is included in S. 1237 or the omnibus territories bill, could be granted until 2019 with the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee approving the bill.\n\u201cThe current Commonwealth-only worker and investor programs would be extended until the end of 2019 under the terms of an omnibus territories bill approved by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee in Washington today. The number of foreign workers in the Northern Mariana Islands would still have to be reduced every year, however, and zeroed-out by December 31, 2019. The 184 foreign investors, who established businesses in the Northern Marianas prior to 2009 and who now hold Commonwealth-only visas, would be allowed to stay in business, also until the end of 2019. Both the worker and investor programs are presently scheduled to end completely in twelve months,\u201d according to Sablan\u2019s newsletter.\nHe said U.S. Senate bill was introduced by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, on June 27, 2013.\nSablan expressed concern about the potential impact to the CNMI economy if extension were not granted next year following the expiration of the transitional worker program on Dec. 31, 2014.\n\u201cForeign workers now hold about 10,000 jobs in the NMI, but only 1,742 local workers are registered with the\u00a0Commonwealth employment services office as looking for work. Even if every local worker took a job, we would still be 8,000 short. Businesses would close. Investors would take their money elsewhere. The cost of electricity and other basics would rise, because we would have fewer consumers in our economy. And tax revenues would drop, making it harder for the Commonwealth to pay government employees and retirees,\u201d his e-newsletter also stated.\nSablan conveyed his gratitude to Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Oregon and his Republican counterpart Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.\n\u201cI very much appreciate this bipartisan recognition that it is impossible to fill the 10,000 jobs now held by foreign workers with U.S. workers by the end of next year,\u201d Sablan said.\nIt was at Sablan\u2019s request that Wyden and Murkowski introduced S 1237.\nIn July, Sablan, co-sponsors Congresswomen Madeleine Z. Bordallo, D-Guam, and Donna M. Christensen, D-Virgin Islands, and Congressman Eni F.V. Faleomavaega, D-American Samoa, introduced a companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives, H.R. 2200.\nSablan said the omnibus bill is an effort to get territorial issues considered outside of partisan political concerns and enacted without being dependent on larger legislation.\nHe said, \u201cHaving a bill dealing solely and specifically with insular area issues is a pattern I want to establish and maintain in every Congress.\u201d\nSablan is hopeful that the bill will be passed by the Senate in early 2014 so they can move the bill through their process.\nIn the Northern Marianas, the business community has been looking to the announcement of the extension period so they can make critical business decisions.\nBased on the last available statistics, from Oct. 7, 2011 through Nov. 19, there were 10,594 workers whose I-129CW petitions were approved by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.\nIn an earlier interview with Variety, Hyatt Regency Saipan director of finance Yosh Gabaldon and HR director Josephine Mesta said they are in favor of the extension \u201cat this point.\u201d\nHyatt, a preferred employer by many applicants in the tourism industry, admitted that the transition period to federal control of labor and immigration has been difficult as it has been for other companies in the private sector.\nMesta said it has been tough for both the management and the employees.\nGabaldon said there is not enough labor on the island to sustain all the companies.\nCurrent economic activity needs more workers\nTan Holdings President Jerry Tan, whose company owns Asia Pacific Hotels Inc. including Fiesta Resort Saipan, Kanoa Resort and Century Hotel, told Variety in a recent interview, \u201cThe local workforce is not enough to fill the void if we were to lose 12,000 skilled workers.\u201d\nThe current economic activity, he said, dictates that the Northern Marianas keeps the skilled nonresident workers and continue to hire U.S. workers.\n\u201cThere is still a need for some of the skilled workforce that is not available right now on the island,\u201d he said.\nTan said his company joins all jobs fairs on the island in their pursuit of hiring local workers.\n\u201cIn every job fair that the government sets up, we try to recruit as many local workers as possible.\u201d\nEven then, he said, they still find a need for some skilled workers not available on island right now.\nTan told Variety that they renew workers based on the need of the operation and not just for the sake of renewing.\nHe also said it is not only based on how many local workers they are able to hire.\n\u201cWe are doing both. We join every job fair. We try to recruit as many local workers as possible. Whatever void the local workers cannot fulfill then we have to rely on the CW workers.\u201d\u2028he said.\nBut the decision to retain these workers is based on the economic activity and projected growth in tourist arrivals.\n\u201cSo if we want to maintain today\u2019s [economic] activity, if we want to keep up and grow the tourism industry, the need for labor pool is going to be greater,\u201d he said.\nOf late, the Marianas Visitors Authority stated there is shortage of hotel rooms in the Northern Marianas, touting resurgent tourist arrivals.\nRiding on the heels of this uptick in tourist arrivals, Tan said he sees more hotels opening up.\n\u201cBased on today\u2019s economic activity and based on the expected growth, we also expect and hope that more hotels will open up,\u201d he said.\nThe shortage of rooms is choking the growth of the tourism industry at this time.\nTan said the hotel shortage is \u201climiting how much growth you can have in tourism.\u201d\nHe said there is a need to open up Palms Resort which has been closed since 2010.\n\u201cThere is a need for more hotels,\u201d he added.\nIf Palms Resort were to open, it will need around 200 workers.\n\u201cWe are hoping the existing hotels will expand,\u201d he said in response to the need for more rooms.\nWith the projected growth in tourism, Tan said, hotels are a labor intensive operatiosn.\nHe said this is not just about the labor pool of today.\n\u201cEverybody agrees that we want to see more tourists to come in. In order for more tourists come in, we need more flights. For more flights, we need more rooms. When you have more rooms, you need more workers,\u201d he said.\nHe also said, \u201cIf you want to grow and for the economic growth to continue, then the need for workers will only increase.\u201d\nFor Tan, policy decisions \u201care not only based on today\u2019s activity.\u201d\nHe said it goes well into the future.\n\u201cIf you are looking at how to grow this economy, how to expand the tourism industry we are looking at the next three to five years,\u201d he said.\nhttps://www.mvariety.com/cnmi/cnmi-news/local/61534-transition-period-may-be-extended-up-to-2019", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/press-release/jim-richardson-selected-superintendent-american-memorial-park", "Jim Richardson selected as Superintendent of American Memorial Park", "2013-12-22", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Jim Richardson selected as Superintendent of American Memorial Park                                           \n              Dec 22, 2013      \t\t        \t    \n      \t            \n                    \n                                            \n          \n        \n        \n            \n    \n  \n    \n    \n    The National Park Service has announced that Jim Richardson will be the new Superintendent of the American Memorial Park on Saipan. Richardson is no stranger to our islands. He was assigned on detail in 2011 to the War in the Pacific Historical Park on Guam and American Memorial Park. More recently, Richardson served as Acting Superintendent at the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in Arizona. He has 31 years of law enforcement and emergency service duties, including six years as the Chief Ranger at the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area in California. Richardson replaces Barbara Alberti, who has transferred to the Pacific Regional Office in San Francisco. Congratulations to Superintendent Richardson; and thank you to Ms. Alberti for all of her work over the last several years at American Memorial Park.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/press-release/magnuson-stevens-fisheries-act-added-2014-agenda", "Magnuson-Stevens fisheries act added to 2014 agenda", "2013-12-21", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Magnuson-Stevens fisheries act added to 2014 agenda                                           \n              Dec 21, 2013      \t\t        \t    \n      \t            \n                    \n                                            \n          \n        \n        \n            \n    \n  \n    \n    \n    Chairman Doc Hastings (R-Washington) released a draft bill that would reauthorize the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and asked for public comment. As Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans, and Insular Affairs, I will be working closely with Natural Resources Ranking Member Peter DeFazio (D-Oregon) to shape this important reauthorization. I am also looking into how the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council, one of the regional councils set up by Magnuson-Stevens to regulate fishing and manage stocks, is responding to recommendations made by the Government Accountability Office in 2009. Together with Rep. Henry Waxman (D-California), who asked GAO to study the Council\u2019s expenditures in 2008, I asked the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for an update on the Council\u2019s compliance with the changes in contracting practices and other problem areas GAO identified. Reauthorization of Magnuson-Stevens provides an opportunity to improve management of the councils, if needed, as well as to provide further protection for the dwindling fish stocks in the Pacific. I encourage all stakeholders to submit comments to your congressional office at kilili@mail.house.gov and/or to the Natural Resources Committee Majority at magnusonstevens@mail.house.gov.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/icymi-roll-call-names-student-loan-deal-as-one-of-top-8-congressional-accomplishments-for-2013", "ICYMI: Roll Call Names Student Loan Deal as One of Top 8 Congressional Accomplishments for 2013", "2013-12-21", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "ICYMI: Roll Call Names Student Loan Deal as One of Top 8 Congressional Accomplishments for 2013\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tSaturday, December 21, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 In case you missed it, last Tuesday Roll Call columnist David Hawkings penned an article outlining the major accomplishments and shortcomings of the 113th Congress. In his piece, \u201cLackluster Final Score for Congress This Year: 8 to 22, Hawkings names this summer\u2019s student loan compromise as one of the top eight \u201cmost important things the 113th Congress did.\u201d The agreement to revamp the student loan system was brokered in large part by Senator King along with Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Tom Carper (D-DE), Tom Coburn (R-OK), Richard Burr (R-NC), and Lamar Alexander (R-TN).\r\nThe article can be read by clicking here and is below:\r\nEvery lawmaker and staffer who\u2019s about to head home for the holidays knows to expect to spend the break answering some version of the same dreaded and derisive question: What\u2019s it like, being a part of the least productive Congress in modern times?\r\nHere are two simple numbers for prolonging the uncomfortable conversation: 8 and 22.\r\nAssuming the Senate does everything it\u2019s expected to do this week, eight undeniably consequential things actually will have been completed at the Capitol this year. But another 22 relatively big legislative goals \u2014 some set by one party, but plenty claimed by both sides \u2014 will have been left at various points along the wayside.\r\nThe narrative\u2019s been set for months: Record gridlock will be the \u201chistoric\u201d hallmark affixed to the first session of the 113th Congress. Yes, there are the easy caveats: There are always limits to making laws in a divided government. Some of the most important issues of our time are too complex to solve quickly. Writing legislation is not necessarily the best way to address a national problem. And not all bills are created equal; renaming a post office is, of course, not as credit-worthy as mandating peace in our time.\r\nStill, the 10-year extension of the ban on plastic firearms, which President Barack Obama signed a week ago, was only the 57th public law added to the books this year. And with the House gone for the year and the post-\u201cnuclear\u201d Senate in no mood to compromise on the little things during this final week, no more than a handful more measures will become statutes before 2014.\r\nThere\u2019s no way the total will reach 90 \u2014 the figure for 2011, which was the smallest annual legislative output since before World War II. As for the apples-to-apples comparisons to years when presidents were starting their second terms dealing with a divided Congress, the 2013 number will look even more meager. Bill Clinton signed 153 laws in 1997, Ronald Reagan wielded his pen 240 times in 1985, and Richard Nixon affixed his signature to 247 measures in 1973.\r\nAdd to this numbers crunched over the weekend by the New York Times, which calculated that the House\u2019s legislative weeks lasted an average of just 28 hours this year, while the Senate is on course to have the fewest days with roll calls a non-election year since 1991 \u2014 just more than 100, depending on how this week plays out.\r\nFor all the people who will be forced to spend the next two weeks defending their role in the dysfunction \u2014 to their constituents or their in-laws \u2014 here\u2019s a clip-and-save list of prompts for boasting about or deriding what did and did not get done in 2013.\r\nThe 8 Most Important Things the 113th Congress Did\r\n \r\nThe budget deal erased $45 billion in across-the-board cuts to domestic and military programs that were set to take effect in January, and another $19 billion due a year later, while leaving in place about $140 billion of the sequester for both this fiscal year and the next one. The additional discretionary spending would be more than offset by projected savings and non-tax revenue increases worth $85 billion in the next decade.\r\nThe \u201cnuclear option,\u201d pushed by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Democrats changed the Senate rules to eliminate the supermajority requirement for limiting debate on executive branch and most judicial nominations \u2014 from three-fifths of all senators to a simple majority of those present. It\u2019s the biggest limitation on the powers of the minority party and the most fundamental alteration to the way the Senate functions since 1975.\r\nConfirmation of four new judges to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit shifts the ideological balance on the nation\u2019s second-most influential federal bench. When the year began, four active judges on the court were nominees of Republican presidents and three had been picked by Democrats.\r\nThe student loan interest rate system was revamped, principally by linking the rates to the government\u2019s own cost of borrowing before the start of every school year, while also setting new caps. The compromise did away with a fixed interest rate that Congress had been under pressure to lower.\r\nThe reach of the Violence Against Women Act was expanded so that gay and lesbian victims may benefit from the law\u2019s legal assistance, transitional housing, law enforcement training and hotline programs, and the rules were eased for using tribal courts to prosecute non-Native Americans accused of sex crimes on reservations.\r\nJanet L. Yellen will likely be confirmed as the first woman to chair the Federal Reserve, the single-most-influential economic policymaking position in government. The Fed vice chairwoman for the past three years, she will be only the 15th person to wield the gavel in the central bank\u2019s 100 year history.\r\nThe Superstorm Sandy measure provided $50.5 billion to help local governments and individuals with recovery and reconstruction. After one of the most damaging storms ever hit the nation\u2019s largest metropolitan area, the emergency aid was delayed 13 weeks because of disputes over whether the package was too generous or should be matched with offsetting cuts elsewhere in the budget.\r\nThe defense authorization bill will likely be enacted for a 53rd consecutive year, a record of consistency unmatched by any other measure that\u2019s supposed to be updated annually. The bill\u2019s most notable feature is a package of provisions designed to stanch an epidemic of sexual assault in the armed forces.\r\n \r\nThe 22 Most Important Things Congress Talked About, but Did Not Do\r\n \r\nNo money was appropriated for any programs or agencies at the start of the new budget year, leading to a suspension of nonessential federal services for the first 16 days of October, the first such partial government shutdown since early 1996.\r\nThe Affordable Care Act is still standing. House GOP efforts to repeal or make any substantive changes to the 2010 law also known as Obamacare hit a dead end in the Senate.\r\nCongress again failed to limit benefits provided by Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security, the biggest federal entitlement programs. Their projected annual growth rates pose the most substantial challenge to controlling annual federal deficits and the accumulated debt in the next two decades.\r\nCalls to simplify the federal tax code by reducing the number of exemptions, exclusions and expenditures, or extend a collection of routine and relatively non-controversial tax provisions again went unheeded.\r\nAn expansion of the national background check system for prospective gun buyers, restrictions on the size of ammunition magazines and other efforts to tighten federal gun control laws in response to a series of high-profile mass shootings never made it out of the Senate.\r\nNo substantive changes to immigration law \u2014 either by expanding border security or by creating a path to legal residency or citizenship for an estimated 11 million people living in the United States without documentation \u2014 were sent to the president.\r\nProposals to combat climate change by reducing the national carbon footprint failed to advance, even as the scientific consensus solidified that human activity has been responsible for most of the global warming in recent decades.\r\nThe No Child Left Behind law, seen by both parties as in need of a rewrite, has been due for an update since 2007.\r\nZero reductions to crop subsidies for farmers and food stamp benefits for poor people were enacted as part of an attempted rewrite of the multiyear farm bill, which lapsed in 2012.\r\nLimits on the roles of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the national housing market, either by ending or curtailing the government\u2019s role as a guarantor of mortgages, did not advance.\r\nThe National Security Agency\u2019s collection of records of civilians\u2019 telephone calls or other electronic communication remain administration policy, despite the furor over the breadth of the NSA spying programs.\r\nDespite intense debate over boosting sanctions on Iran and launching a strike on Syria to punish its use of chemical weapons, Congress did not proscribe any alterations to foreign policy.\r\nThe Senate voted to prohibit businesses with more than 15 employees from discriminating against gays and lesbians, but the House never took it up.\r\nThe Postal Service has yet to be overhauled so it can become financially viable in an era of declining mail volume.\r\nThe federal minimum wage remains at $7.25 an hour, where it has been fixed since July 2009.\r\nStates are still not allowed to require that online retailers outside their borders to collect sales taxes on goods purchased by their residents.\r\nThe 35 sometimes duplicative programs providing employment and job-training aid to the states have not been streamlined.\r\nThe formula for limiting Medicare payments to physicians, which has been routinely ignored since its 1997 creation with a series of annual \u201cdoc fix\u201d bills, has not been replaced.\r\nThe Voting Rights Act has not been updated in response to a Supreme Court decision overturning a central component.\r\nCongress has not outlawed most abortions after the 20th week of pregnancy, the new top legislative cause of the National Right to Life Committee.\r\nRegulatory and environmental reviews of federal water projects have not been expedited, nor has there been a revamp of the funding system for dredging and harbor maintenance.\r\nJobless benefits for the long-term unemployed were not extended for 28 weeks beyond the usual expiration after six months.\r\n \r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/press-release/defense-bill-divert-limitations-heads-president", "Defense bill with divert limitations heads to the President", "2013-12-20", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Defense bill with divert limitations heads to the President                                           \n              Dec 20, 2013      \t\t        \t    \n      \t            \n                    \n                                            \n          \n        \n        \n            \n    \n  \n    \n    \n    The 2014 National Defense Authorization Act, setting limits on Air Force development of divert airfield facilities in the Northern Marianas, passed the Senate Thursday and now goes to the President to sign into law. The bill bars expenditure of the $29.3 million, allotted for construction of maintenance and storage buildings and a hazardous cargo pad, until the Air Force reports on all the alternatives considered for the divert field. Congress expects \u201cthe Secretary of the Air Force to consult with the Governor of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands regarding the location of projects to support divert field operations with the goal of achieving a mutually agreeable solution.\u201d The NDAA also requires the Defense Department to report within 180 days on the feasibility of establishing a National Guard unit for the Northern Marianas, a project I have been working on since 2011. Another important component of the bill is new sexual assault policy for the military. It provides legal counsel for victims, eliminates the statute of limitation for sexual assault-related courts-martial, requires civilian review of cases not prosecuted, and stipulates dishonorable discharge or dismissal for anyone convicted of sexual assault. Military commanders are stripped of their ability to overturn jury convictions; and retaliation against victims will carry criminal penalties. I strongly support efforts to combat sexual assaults in the military and in civilian life.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/press-release/top-homeland-security-officials-confirmed-senate", "Top Homeland Security officials confirmed by Senate", "2013-12-20", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Top Homeland Security officials confirmed by Senate                                           \n              Dec 20, 2013      \t\t        \t    \n      \t            \n                    \n                                            \n          \n        \n        \n            \n    \n  \n    \n    \n    Mr. Jeh Johnson and Mr. Alejandro Mayorkas were confirmed by the U.S. Senate this week to be Secretary and Deputy Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. The agency is responsible for immigration, including the ongoing transition in the Northern Mariana Islands and the parole program that is critical to our tourist industry. Johnson is a former General Counsel at the Department of Defense, well versed in national security issues. Mayorkas is currently Director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and we have worked together on Marianas issues since day-one of the transition period. He called me on Thanksgiving Day in 2011 to announce his decision to make parole available on a case-by-case basis to persons born in the Northern Marianas between 1974 and 1978, their immediate relatives, and the immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, a policy he extended a year later. Mayorkas was also instrumental in responding to my calls for accommodation for foreign workers acting as family care-givers to our man\u2019amko and the disabled. I look forward to working with Mr. Johnson and Mr. Mayorkas to continue making the immigration transition as least difficult as possible for the people and the economy of the Northern Mariana Islands.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/press-release/transition-extension-gets-senate-committee-okay", "Transition extension gets Senate committee okay", "2013-12-20", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "The current Commonwealth-only worker and investor programs would be extended until the end of 2019 under terms of an omnibus territories bill approved by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee in Washington today. The number of foreign workers in the Northern Mariana Islands would still have to be reduced every year, however, and zeroed-out by December 31, 2019. The 184 foreign investors, who had established businesses in the Northern Marianas prior to 2009 and who now hold Commonwealth-only visas, would be allowed to stay in business, also until the end of 2019. Both the worker and investor programs are presently scheduled to end completely in twelve months.\nCongressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan thanked Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) and his Republican counterpart Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) for today\u2019s action. \u201cI very much appreciate this bipartisan recognition that it is impossible to fill the 10,000 jobs now held by foreign workers with U.S. workers by the end of next year,\u201d Sablan said.\n\u201cI understand there are only 1,742 U.S. workers now registered with our local employment services office. Even if every one of them took a job, we would still be 8,000 short. Businesses would close. Investors would take their money elsewhere. Tax revenues would drop. And the cost of electricity and other basic necessities would rise, because we would have fewer consumers in our economy.\u201d\nIn addition to adding five years to the ongoing period of transition from local to federal management of immigration in the Northern Marianas, the omnibus territories bill contains eleven other sections. They aim to cut electricity rates in the U.S. insular areas, reduce the local match island governments pay for some federal grants, and help island finance departments improve annual revenue estimates.\nS.1237 was introduced by Wyden and Murkowski at Sablan\u2019s request on June 27. Sablan authored and introduced a companion bill in the House, H.R. 2200, one month earlier. Congresswomen Madeleine Z. Bordallo (D-Guam) and Donna M. Christensen (D-Virgin Islands) and Congressman Eni F.V. Faleomavaega (D-American Samoa) are all co-sponsors.\nThe omnibus bill is an effort to get territorial issues considered outside of partisan political concerns and enacted without being dependent on larger legislation.\n\u201cHaving a bill dealing solely and specifically with insular area issues is a pattern I want to establish and maintain in every Congress,\u201d Sablan explained.\n\u201cOf course, I will keep working on Northern Marianas issues with stand-alone legislation and by inserting language that benefits us in the big policy bills, too. You have to create multiple opportunities, if you want to get things done here.\u201d\nA Northern Marianas territorial sea provision was originally part of S.1237, but Sablan was able to have it enacted as a separate, stand-alone measure in September, one of only 57 bills that have become law in all of 2013.\nFour Republican Senators \u2013 Lamar Alexander (Tennessee), John Barossa (Wyoming), Mike Lee (Utah), and Tim Scott (South Dakota) \u2013 voted today against sending S.1237 to the Senate floor for final approval. None of them stated the nature of their objection to the bill.\n\u201cWe will be working over the holiday break to address whatever concerns remain,\u201d Sablan said. \u201cI would certainly like to see the Senate pass S.1237 early in the new year and send it over to the House, so we can start moving the bill through our committee process.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/oped/-our-leaders-speak_-king-on-the-benefits-of-an-imperfect-budget", "Our leaders speak - King on the benefits of an imperfect budget", "2013-12-20", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Our leaders speak - King on the benefits of an imperfect budget\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                    By:\u00a0\r\n                    Senator Angus S. King, Jr.\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                \r\n                \r\n            Friday, December 20, 2013\r\n            \n\t\n\r\n            \r\n            This week, for the first time in four years, Congress successfully passed a budget.\r\nThe Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 is a two-year budget resolution that finally provides the American people with a measure of certainty regarding our country\u2019s financial situation. The agreement is far from perfect and contains a number of provisions that I would not have included, but despite that I believe it represents an important step forward for this institution and the country. At time when Congressional approval ratings are at an all-time low, it demonstrates that we as lawmakers still have the ability to perform the most basic functions of government.\r\nThe agreement, brokered by Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI), represents a true compromise; the type that has been absent from Congress for far too long. They both began their work on the conference committee knowing that no deal was going to make everybody happy. However, after a lengthy process of back and forth negotiations, with each side offering concessions, they were able to reach a middle ground solution that sets our country on a path towards improved economic stability.\r\nThe bill sets a spending limit for the current fiscal year\u2013 almost exactly halfway between the proposed Senate budget level and the proposed House budget level. It partially relieves the sequester over the next two years, which will alleviate the funding pressures on programs such as Meals on Wheels, Head Start, and local housing authorities that serve low-income individuals and families.\u00a0 It maintains important deficit reductions that have already begun and will now continue; over the next ten years the agreement will reduce the federal deficit by more than $20 billion. In addition, after four years of short-term, stopgap budgetary fixes, this budget provides our federal agencies, our military, and countless businesses and families across the country with the financial predictability they need and deserve to plan for the coming years.\u00a0\r\nWhile some, both on the left and the right, have criticized the agreement for falling short of a \u201cgrand bargain,\u201d those arguments ignore the substantial benefits it provides for our economy, for jobs in Maine and elsewhere, and for renewing the public\u2019s confidence in Congress. One of the most frequent questions I am asked is, \u201cwhat can Congress do to stimulate the economy?\u201d Well, this is it \u2013 simply doing our job.\r\nAlready this year partisan gridlock has left us with the sequester and pushed us into a government shutdown - both of which have hurt our economy, jeopardized our military readiness, and been an unnecessary burden on the American people. It\u2019s time to move past this and the budget resolution is an important step in doing so. For the first time since 1986 a\u00a0divided\u00a0Congress has passed a budget resolution.\u00a0 That\u2019s a significant accomplishment and the fact that it got done at all should provide a stimulus to the economy. This is what the American people elected us to do.\r\nIt is my hope that as we move into the next legislative session, my colleagues in Congress will continue to find ways to put aside their ideological differences and make decisions that are in the best interests of the country.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-king-praises-passage-of-defense-bill-with-measures-important-to-maine", "Sen. King Praises Passage of Defense Bill with Measures Important to Maine", "2013-12-20", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sen. King Praises Passage of Defense Bill with Measures Important to Maine\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFriday, December 20, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 With the support of U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), the Senate last night passed the Fiscal Year 2014 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) by a vote of 84-15. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator King helped author the legislation which authorizes funding for the Department of Defense and national security programs under the Department of Energy. In addition to provisions that support members of the military and their families, provide for national defense, and combat sexual assault in the military, the bill also contains several policy and funding measures important to Maine\u2019s defense-related industries.\r\n\u201cEnsuring that our military men and women are provided the tools, resources, and support they need to protect our country and safeguard our freedoms is one of Congress\u2019s most important responsibilities. This bill meets that fundamental obligation through cost-efficient provisions that support our servicemen and women and their families, provides for our national defense and security, and advances groundbreaking reforms to the military justice system to combat sexual assault in the military,\u201d Senator King said. \u201cThe legislation also includes measures that will benefit Maine\u2019s economy and contribute to stable jobs for people in defense-related industries across the state. As a member of the Armed Services Committee, I am proud to have played a role in crafting the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act, and I am pleased to see it receive such widespread and bipartisan support in the Senate this evening.\u201d\r\nThe following NDAA provisions are of particular importance to Maine:\r\n \r\nAUTHORIZATION OF ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR DDG-51: Senator King worked closely with Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Chairman of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower, to secure language that provides statutory authority for a $100 million funding increase to help procure the fifth option DDG-51 Arleigh Burke Class Destroyer. In August, the Navy awarded Bath Iron Works a $2.8 billion multi-year procurement contract to build four DDG-51s with the option for a fifth ship if the necessary funding could be secured by congressional appropriators under sequestration.\r\n \r\n \r\nSETTLEMENT OF A12 ISSUE: Senators King and Collins authored a provision enabling the Navy to accept the terms of a legal settlement with General Dynamics and Boeing under which General Dynamics will provide to the Navy the equivalent of $198 million in design, production, and delivery costs for components of the third Zumwalt-class destroyer to be built at Bath Iron Works.\r\n \r\n \r\nNO NEW BRAC ROUND: Senator King, along with his colleagues on the committee, rejected the President\u2019s call in his Fiscal Year 2014 budget request for additional base closures under the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process. The last BRAC process occurred in 2005 when the Pentagon's recommendation to close the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard was ultimately overturned by the BRAC Commission, but their recommendation to close Brunswick Naval Air Station was accepted.\r\n \r\n \r\nADDITIONAL AUTHORIZED FUNDING FOR DEFENSE-RELATED INDUSTRIES:\r\n \r\n \r\n$25.3 million for construction projects at military facilities in Maine, including structural shop consolidation efforts at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard\r\n \r\n \r\n$5.95 billion in Navy funds for procurement of Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, components of which are built at Pratt & Whitney in North Berwick and General Dynamics' facility in Saco\r\n \r\n \r\n$503 million in funding for research and development for the CH-53K marine helicopter, the rotor shaft for which is manufactured at Hunting Dearborn in Fryeburg\r\n \r\n \r\n$56.6 million for procurement of the Common Remotely Operated Weapons System, or CROWS, portions of which are built in Biddeford, South Paris, and Arundel\r\n \r\n \r\n$346 million for research and development of aerospace propulsion systems. The University of Maine conducts research on new propulsion and power technologies\r\n \r\nThe 2014 NDAA includes several provisions supported by Senator King that make historic reforms to the Uniform Code of Military Justice that will provide assistance to victims of sexual assault and help to establish a no-tolerance climate in the military for sexual assault or for retaliation against those who report it. Reforms include: (1) An automatic review of any sexual assault case by a civilian Service Secretary when a commander overturns the recommendation of a military legal advisor to prosecute that case; (2) requirement that, when a military legal advisor recommends and a commander agrees not to refer a sexual assault case to trial by court martial, that the next higher level commander review that decision; and (3) criminalizes retaliation against a victim who reports a sexual assault.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senators-collins-king-statement-on-time-warners-decision-to-keep-necn-on-in-maine", "Senators Collins, King Statement on Time Warner’s Decision to Keep NECN on in Maine", "2013-12-20", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senators Collins, King Statement on Time Warner\u2019s Decision to Keep NECN on in Maine\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFriday, December 20, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today released this statement following the announcement by Time Warner Cable that it is reversing its decision and will continue to carry New England Cable News (NECN) in Maine.\r\n\u201cOur offices heard from many constituents around Maine who were upset that they would lose access to the New England coverage that NECN provides.\u00a0 We are pleased that Time Warner and NECN worked together to reach an agreement that is good for the companies and their customers.\u201d\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/press-release/senate-committee-okays-kiaaina-insular-areas-assistant-secretary", "Senate committee okays Kia'aina for Insular Areas Assistant Secretary", "2013-12-19", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senate committee okays Kia'aina for Insular Areas Assistant Secretary                                           \n              Dec 19, 2013      \t\t        \t    \n      \t            \n                    \n                                            \n          \n        \n        \n            \n    \n  \n    \n    \n    Esther Kia\u2019aina has moved a step closer to becoming Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Insular Areas. On Tuesday, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources gave her the nod after both Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) and Ranking Member Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) recognized Ms. Kia\u2019aina as highly qualified and urged Members to support her nomination. President Obama picked Kia\u2019aina to be the next Assistant Secretary in September. Now, the nomination heads to the Senate floor for consideration. I look forward to working with Ms. Kia\u2019aina when she is confirmed by the U.S. Senate.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senators-collins-king-announce-taa-benefits-for-flotation-technologies-workers-in-biddeford", "Senators Collins, King Announce TAA Benefits For Flotation Technologies Workers in Biddeford", "2013-12-19", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senators Collins, King Announce TAA Benefits For Flotation Technologies Workers in Biddeford\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 19, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced that the U.S. Department of Labor has certified Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for workers at Flotation Technologies in Biddeford.\u00a0 As a result, workers who will become totally or partially separated from employment are eligible for the TAA benefits which include reemployment services and training, as well as job search allowances.\r\n\u201cIt is certainly devastating for dedicated and hard-working employees, and their families, to lose their jobs through no fault of their own,\u201d said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement.\u00a0\u201cThe news that the Department of Labor has approved this application for Trade Adjustment Assistance will be critical to helping ensure that the Flotation Technologies workers and their families get all of the resources they need in the coming months.\u201d\r\nTrade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) is a program of the Department of Labor that helps workers who have lost their jobs as a result of increased imports or a shift of production outside of the United States. TAA provides these trade-affected workers with a variety of reemployment services and benefits to help them find new jobs and get back to work.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sens-collins-king-voice-support-for-nomination-of-justice-jon-levy-to-us-district-court-for-maine", "Sens. Collins, King Voice Support for Nomination of Justice Jon Levy to U.S. District Court for Maine", "2013-12-19", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sens. Collins, King Voice Support for Nomination of Justice Jon Levy to U.S. District Court for Maine\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 19, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in support of the nomination of Judge Jon D. Levy, of Portland, to serve on the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine. Levy, who currently serves on the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, was nominated for the position by President Obama in mid-September.\r\nYou can watch Senators Collins\u2019 and King\u2019s remarks below.\r\n\r\n\u201cI am pleased to join my colleague Senator King in recommending Justice Jon David Levy to serve on the United States District Court for the State of Maine,\u201d said Senator Collins. \u201cJustice Levy\u2019s extensive experience as a state judge and in private practice makes him extremely well qualified for Maine\u2019s federal district court.\u00a0 His contributions to the Maine legal community and the juvenile justice system would give him a valuable perspective as a federal judge.\u00a0 I am confident that if confirmed, Jon Levy will serve the people of Maine and the nation with great intelligence, integrity, and impartiality.\u201d\r\n\u201cAs Governor I was proud to nominate Judge Levy to both the Maine District Court and the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, and now as Senator, I am honored to enthusiastically support his nomination to the U.S. District Court for Maine,\u201d Senator King said following the hearing. \u201cJon\u2019s strong legal credentials, his outstanding judicial temperament, and his dazzling intellectual abilities make him a supremely well-qualified candidate for Maine\u2019s federal bench, and I urge my colleagues to fully support his nomination.\u201d\r\nAs Governor, Senator King nominated Levy to the Maine District Court in 1995 and then the Maine Supreme Judicial Court in 2002.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/statement-of-sens-king-warner-shaheen-landrieu-heitkamp-and-kaine-on-white-house-response-on-hardship-exemption", "Statement of Sens. King, Warner, Shaheen, Landrieu, Heitkamp, and Kaine on White House Response on Hardship Exemption", "2013-12-19", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Statement of Sens. King, Warner, Shaheen, Landrieu, Heitkamp, and Kaine on White House Response on Hardship Exemption\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 19, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Sens. Angus King (I-ME), Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), and Tim Kaine (D-VA) released the following joint statement after Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that some individuals who had their health plans cancelled will be automatically eligible for a hardship exemption that allows them to purchase a catastrophic plan on the health insurance marketplace. The Senators raised the issue in a joint letter to Secretary Sebelius on Dec. 19th. In addition, Secretary Sebelius today announced that the Administration has established a dedicated hotline for consumers with cancelled plans at 1-866-837-0677:\r\n\u201cWe are pleased that the Administration appears to have responded to the concerns we\u2019ve raised. As a result, this clarifies an option that will help those consumers who have had their plans cancelled this year transition more smoothly into the marketplace.\u00a0 We will closely monitor how the Administration implements this option, and we remain committed to proposing responsible solutions.\u201d \u00a0\r\nThe Senators\u2019 letter to Secretary Sebelius is available here. Secretary Sebelius\u2019s response is available here.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/this-week-in-washington-king-highlights-budget-ndaa-judgeship-nomination-and-intel-hearing", "This Week in Washington: King Highlights Budget, NDAA, Judgeship Nomination, and Intel Hearing", "2013-12-19", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "This Week in Washington: King Highlights Budget, NDAA, Judgeship Nomination, and Intel Hearing\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 19, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 As part of his ongoing effort to keep people at home apprised of his work in the nation\u2019s capital, U.S. Senator Angus King took a few minutes to share this week\u2019s accomplishments in the Senate.\u00a0\r\nIn his weekly address Senator King discussed:\r\n \r\nPassage of the 2013 Bipartisan Budget Act which sets a spending limit for the current fiscal year, provides partial relief from the sequester, maintains important deficit reductions, and provides the American people with the sense of economic predictability they deserve and need.\r\n \r\n \r\nHis testimony at an open meeting of the Intelligence Committee during which he and other committee members listened to testimony from Ms. Caroline Krass, the President\u2019s nominee to be General Counsel to the CIA.\r\n \r\n \r\nComments made by Senator Collins and himself in support of Justice Jon Levy, of Portland, to\u00a0serve on the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine.\r\n \r\n \r\nHis expectations for final passage of the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act and its implications for the state of Maine.\r\n \r\nThe full video of Senator King\u2019s recap can be viewed below. Also, a broadcast quality version of the video can be downloaded here.\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/king-applauds-passage-of-budget-agreement-", "King Applauds Passage of Budget Agreement", "2013-12-18", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "King Applauds Passage of Budget Agreement \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWednesday, December 18, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Angus King, a member of the joint House-Senate Budget Conference Committee, released the following statement today after supporting the passage of a two-year budget agreement.\r\n\u201cThe passage of the budget agreement marks a major step forward for the country, for the economy, and for Congress as a whole. While I do not support every provision and would have preferred to see a larger and more comprehensive agreement like the one I offered in November, I fully recognize that compromises must be made \u2013 and should be made \u2013 in order to advance the work of the country.\r\n\u201cThe agreement, although modest in scope, makes important strides in maintaining momentum on deficit reduction, in mitigating the harmful effects of sequestration, and perhaps most importantly, in ending the governing-by-crises style of legislating. As a result, this agreement will introduce much-needed certainty and stability to the budgetary process that I believe will be of substantial benefit to the economy moving forward.\r\n\u201cLastly, in a Congress rife with partisanship, Senator Patty Murray and Congressman Paul Ryan should be praised for their good work in forging a compromise that was able to pass both houses of a divided government. Their determined efforts, coupled with our vote today, demonstrate that Congress can still work for the people. As we head into the new year, it is my hope that this agreement will serve as the foundation for additional bipartisan cooperation and negotiation on other serious issues that merit our attention.\u201d\r\nEarlier today, Senator King spoke on the Senate floor in favor of the bipartisan budget agreement.\r\n\r\nBACKGROUND: The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013, which is the first budget to pass a divided Congress since 1986, will set overall discretionary spending for the current fiscal year at $1.012 trillion \u2013 about halfway between the Senate budget level of $1.058 trillion and the House budget level of $967 billion. The agreement would provide $63 billion in sequester relief over two years, split evenly between defense and non-defense programs. In fiscal year 2014, defense discretionary spending would be set at $520.5 billion, and non-defense discretionary spending would be set at $491.8 billion. The sequester relief is fully offset by savings elsewhere in the budget. The agreement includes dozens of specific deficit-reduction provisions, with mandatory savings and non-tax revenue totaling approximately $85 billion. The agreement would reduce the deficit by between $20 and $23 billion.\r\nWith the bill\u2019s passage today, the appropriations committees are able to work on spending bills at an agreed-upon level in advance of the January 15th deadline, which is when government funding is scheduled to end.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/king-backs-legislation-to-restore-military-cola-benefits-altered-under-budget-conference-agreement", "King Backs Legislation to Restore Military COLA Benefits Altered Under Budget Conference Agreement", "2013-12-18", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "King Backs Legislation to Restore Military COLA Benefits Altered Under Budget Conference Agreement\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWednesday, December 18, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today announced his support for legislation authored by Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) that would safeguard military retirees from changes in cost of living adjustments (COLA) that were included in the bipartisan budget agreement the Senate is expected to pass today. The Military Retirement Restoration Act would replace the estimated $6 billion in expected savings from military retiree cost of living adjustments with an estimated $6.6 billion raised by eliminating a tax loophole for offshore corporations.\r\n\u201cThe budget conference agreement will go a long way in helping to provide stability and certainty for our economy, but as with any compromise measure, there are provisions in it that I do not agree with,\u201d Senator King said. \u201cI am particularly concerned with the provision to reduce the annual cost of living adjustment for military retirees of working age. The men and women of our armed forces have earned these benefits through their service to our nation, and we must do all that we can to honor their sacrifice. By reversing the provision approved in the bipartisan budget agreement, and by closing an offshore tax loophole to pay for it, this commonsense legislation will do just that.\u201d\r\nThe provision within the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 modifies the annual cost of living adjustment for working-age military retirees by making the adjustments equal to inflation minus one percent. The provision would go into effect in December 2015 and is expected to save approximately $6 billion over ten years.\u00a0\r\nAt age 62, the retired pay would be adjusted as if the COLA had been the full CPI adjustment in all previous years, and the service members would receive the full COLA from then on.\r\nThe Military Retirement Restoration Act achieves $6.6 billion in savings by prohibiting companies incorporated offshore but managed and controlled from the United States from claiming foreign status and avoiding U.S. taxes on their foreign income, instead treating them as domestic corporations for tax purposes.\r\n\u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/kilili-eyes-cw-extension-2019", "Kilili eyes CW extension to 2019", "2013-12-17", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Besides asking long-term legal aliens to help the CNMI \u201cget through the transition period,\u201d Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (Ind-MP) also said yesterday he now has reason to believe that U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez\u2019s anticipated decision would be to extend the transitional Commonwealth-only worker program beyond Dec. 31, 2014. A U.S. Senate bill that Sablan drafted will be marked up on Thursday, extending the federal immigration transition period only up to 2019. That revised version of the bipartisan S. 1237 would also extend the E2-C program for long-term foreign investors up to 2019, and ensure that the CNMI\u2019s exemption from accepting asylum applications will last until the end of the transition period. The bill that\u2019s up for the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee\u2019s markup will require the U.S. Department of the Interior to work with the CNMI to help reduce utility rates on the islands, and the U.S. Government Accountability Office to aid the CNMI in the budgeting process to help avoid annual and cumulative deficits. A revised version of S. 1237 is needed because some of its CNMI-specific provisions already became law in recent months, including a delay in the 2013 and 2015 minimum wage increase and conveying 3 miles of submerged lands to the CNMI. \u2018Values\u2019 Sablan, a guest speaker at yesterday\u2019s Rotary Club of Saipan meeting at Hyatt Regency Saipan, also put a spotlight on an ongoing petition \u201cthat calls for sending all foreign workers back to where they came from by the end of next year,\u201d which he said is just the opposite of the Rotary Club\u2019s values of unity, compassion, and caring for others. \u201cPeople are looking for ways to divide us. Instead of believing that by working together, by cooperating, by helping each other we can all do better in life\u2014the Rotary values\u2014these people are convinced that they lose when others succeed,\u201d Sablan told Rotary Club members and guests. He said some people \u201cfeed the fire of fear that we all sometimes feel that we are being taken advantage of or are in danger of having something taken from us.\u201d \u201cIronically, this fear is aimed at people who have added to the life and welfare of our community. People who have given, not taken away. People whose work and economic contribution will continue to be needed for years to come,\u201d he added. The Northern Marianas Descent Corp., which claims to represent thousands of indigenous people, is circulating a petition asking Congress to \u201creject\u201d the inclusion in national immigration reform bills of any provision that would grant improved status to long-term legal aliens in the CNMI.\u00a0 The same immigration bills\u2014S. 744 and H.R. 15\u2014provide a pathway to citizenship for some 11 million undocumented aliens in America. This NMD Corp. petition addressed to Congress is separate from another petition it addressed to CNMI lawmakers, asking them to introduce a joint resolution to also oppose the CNMI provision in S. 744 and H.R. 15. Sablan said this has produced a lively debate in the letters to the editor of local newspapers. He said in the halls of Congress, people are still debating the meaning of the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence over 200 years after the fact. It is thus not surprising that in the CNMI, there would still be debate on the meaning of the Covenant that established the Northern Marianas\u2019 political relationship with the United States approved less than 40 years ago. \u201cBut philosophical debates sometimes have to give way to practical reality. And no matter what a document signed decades ago or centuries ago may mean, we have to ask ourselves what is best for our community today,\u201d he said. Karl Reyes, a member of the NMD Corp. and a Rotary Club of Saipan member, in an interview after Sablan\u2019s presentation said that he always believes the world is \u201cround, so everybody can stay anywhere they want as long as they follow the law.\u201d When asked whether he thinks there would be 10,000 U.S. workers to fill up the jobs currently held by foreign workers, Reyes said, \u201cRight now, I can\u2019t even find a job because I\u2019m over 70 years old\u2026They don\u2019t want to hire me because of my age. As long as a person can do it, hire.\u201d \u2018Bargain with foreign workers\u2019 Sablan, who successfully inserted a provision granting pathway to improved status to long-term legal aliens in the CNMI in S. 744 and HR 15, said these bill protect people \u201cwith roots in our community.\u201d He said it also makes a bargain with foreign workers who have been in the CNMI continuously and legally for 15 or more years. \u201cHere\u2019s the bargain: If you stay and help us get through the transition period, then you can apply to get a U.S. green card. If it is determined that you are eligible, and you receive a green card, you can go wherever you want: California, Hawaii, it\u2019s up to you. Or you could choose to remain here in the Northern Marianas. Wherever you think the opportunities are best,\u201d he said. Sablan asked that these long-term legal foreign workers \u201cstay with us for another five years.\u201d \u201cHelp get the Northern Marianas through the transition period until we have trained U.S. workers to fill the jobs in our economy,\u201d he said. \u2018Storm is coming\u2019 Sablan said there is a storm coming and passing national immigration reform is inevitable, no matter how some people say it\u2019s inconceivable. \u201cAnd because the Northern Mariana Islands are part of the United States, national immigration reform will rain down on us, the same way it will rain down on California or New York,\u201d he said. The delegate said his goal is to be sure that when the storm comes, the CNMI is not standing out in the rain without any protection. \u201cPeople who say we should get rid of special provisions for the Northern Marianas in national immigration law are saying: throw away that umbrella. Let\u2019s just all stand in the rain. Let\u2019s just all get soaked. I can\u2019t agree. I think we need to do what we can to make sure that, when the storm comes, when immigration reform passes Congress, the Northern Marianas has some protection. And when the storm has passed I want\u2014what I think Rotary wants\u2014is a community that is stronger and more prosperous than ever,\u201d he said. CW extension Sablan had always refrained from saying what the U.S. Labor secretary\u2019s decision would be, except that a decision would be made in January 2014. He had earlier requested that a decision be made by August 2013 to give CNMI employers and employees time to prepare. In the past, he would only go so far to say he was not given a reason that the transition period would not be extended. But yesterday, Sablan changed his tone, saying, \u201cI actually may have reason to think that a decision would give us an extension.\u201d Without an extension of the transitional CW program, the CNMI loses immediate access to some 10,000 skilled and professional foreign workers after Dec. 31, 2014, a time when the CNMI is far from having some 10,000 U.S. workers to fill up these jobs. Sablan said even acting CNMI Labor secretary Edith DeLeon Guerrero stated that there are over 1,500 or so U.S. workers looking for jobs, compared to some 10,000 jobs currently held by some 10,000 workers. Once the transition period is extended up to 2019, that gives the CNMI additional years to train as many U.S. workers as possible. But Sablan said the CNMI cannot continue to be dependent on foreign workers forever, as he keeps pushing for training U.S. workers. In a later interview, Sablan said some members of the CNMI Legislature claim of investors interested in investing millions and billions in the CNMI which he said is \u201cgood.\u201d \u201cWhere are they going to get the workers? Do you really think those people are going to come in here, put that kind of money\u2026if they know that they won\u2019t have the workforce after 2019? Do you really think they will do this?\u201d he asked. Sablan added that sending home 10,000 foreign workers will mean 10,000 less customers for the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. and much higher rates than what customers now pay. He said the Northern Marianas College, which also has many students that are children of foreign workers, would pull out once their parents are sent home, leaving NMC with much fewer students and money to operate.\nhttps://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?newsID=152379&cat=1", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senators-collins-king-support-request-for-trade-adjustment-assistance-for-displaced-workers-from-lincoln-paper-and-tissue", "Senators Collins, King Support Request for Trade Adjustment Assistance for Displaced Workers from Lincoln Paper and Tissue", "2013-12-17", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senators Collins, King Support Request for Trade Adjustment Assistance for Displaced Workers from Lincoln Paper and Tissue\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, December 17, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C.\u2014In a letter sent today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King urged Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez to approve a Petition for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for the 200 workers at Lincoln Paper and Tissue, LLC, who have been displaced as a result of a significant drop in demand due to competition with foreign countries.\r\n\u201cTAA assistance is critical to helping workers who have been subjected to layoffs obtain the training and resources they need to pursue alternative job opportunities,\u201d said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement. \u201cThese dedicated workers, many of whom have worked at the facility throughout their entire careers, lost their jobs as a result of increased imports and foreign competition.\u00a0 In this difficult economic time, we will continue to work together to support the Mainers impacted by this layoff and ensure that they receive the assistance and resources they need.\u201d\r\nThe purpose of the TAA program is to aid workers who lose their jobs or whose hours of work and wages decrease as a result of increased imports. If the TAA petition is approved, displaced Lincoln Paper and Tissue workers will be eligible for employment training in another job or career, income support, job search allowances, and relocation services for individuals who obtain jobs outside of their normal commuting area. \r\nThe full text of the letter follows: \r\nDecember 17, 2013\r\n\r\nThe Honorable Thomas E. Perez\r\nSecretary\r\nUnited States Department of Labor\r\n200 Constitution Avenue, NW\r\nWashington, DC 20210\r\n\r\nDear Mr. Secretary:\r\nWe are writing on behalf of 200 workers at Lincoln Paper and Tissue (LPT), LLC, of Lincoln, Maine, who have been displaced as a result of a sudden and significant drop in demand for the mill\u2019s products due to competition with foreign countries.\u00a0 Specifically, we urge your careful consideration of LPT\u2019s petition for Trade Adjustment Assistance (Petition #83295).\r\nLPT has been notified that its largest customer is moving its production needs to Indonesia and will no longer purchase tissue paper from them.\u00a0 This customer purchased 50 percent of the operating capacity of the company\u2019s largest tissue machine.\r\nAs a major employer in this region of Maine, the loss of 200 well-paying jobs strikes a devastating blow to Lincoln and the surrounding communities.\u00a0 In addition, given the mill\u2019s rural location and the significant loss of jobs throughout Maine\u2019s pulp and paper industry in recent years, the likelihood of displaced workers finding comparable positions is remote.\u00a0 We believe many of these workers may require retraining for other, emerging occupations.\u00a0 It is crucial that these workers receive certification under the Trade Adjustment Assistance program.\r\nWe urge that you review this petition for Trade Adjustment Assistance in a timely manner, consistent with all applicable laws and regulations, to ensure that the workers receive the assistance they need to secure work and mitigate the negative effects this action will have on these workers\u2019 financial stability.\r\nThank you for your time and consideration on behalf of the workers at Lincoln Paper and Tissue, LLC, in Lincoln, Maine.\r\n\u00a0\r\nSincerely,\r\n\u00a0\r\nSusan M. Collins\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Angus S. King, Jr.\r\nUnited States Senator\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 United States Senator\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/press-release/pacific-coast-representatives-concerned-about-loggerhead-turtle-catch", "Pacific coast Representatives concerned about loggerhead turtle catch", "2013-12-16", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Pacific coast Representatives concerned about loggerhead turtle catch                                           \n              Dec 16, 2013      \t\t        \t    \n      \t            \n                    \n                                            \n          \n        \n        \n            \n    \n  \n    \n    \n    Led by Rep. Jared Huffman (D-California) thirteen members of the House of Representatives from the Pacific coast have asked for an update on consultations between the United States and Mexico on efforts to protect loggerhead turtles from being caught by mistake. Loggerheads begin their lives off the coast of Japan, then migrate thousands of miles across the Pacific to feed off the coast of California and Mexico. According to a 2013 report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, \u201cEach year thousands of loggerhead sea turtles die at sea or become stranded after encountering the high density of fishing gear deployed by Mexican fishermen off the West Coast.\u201d NOAA is currently using its authority under the Magnuson-Stevens Act to investigate the Mexican government\u2019s efforts to address the problem. Our letter expresses support for NOAA\u2019s work. The update will be valuable when, early next year, reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act is expected to be on the agenda of the Natural Resources Committee, where I serve as Ranking Member of the subcommittee responsible for oceans and fisheries.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/media/decembers-inside-maine-on-wgan-with-former-senator-alan-simpson-part-2", "December's Inside Maine on WGAN with former Senator Alan Simpson, part 2", "2013-12-16", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Skip to primary navigation Skip to main content\n\n\t\n\n    \n    \n        \n            \n            \n                \n\t\n    \n\t\n    \n\t\n    \n\t\n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n                \n                \n                \n                \n                \n                \n                \n            \n             December's Inside Maine on WGAN with former Senator Alan Simpson, part 2", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/media/decembers-inside-maine-on-wgan-with-senator-mark-warner-part-1", "December's Inside Maine on WGAN with Senator Mark Warner, part 1", "2013-12-16", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Skip to primary navigation Skip to main content\n\n\t\n\n    \n    \n        \n            \n            \n                \n\t\n    \n\t\n    \n\t\n    \n\t\n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n                \n                \n                \n                \n                \n                \n                \n            \n             December's Inside Maine on WGAN with Senator Mark Warner, part 1", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/newsletters/december-2013-e-newsletter-constituent-services-edition", "December 2013 e-Newsletter: Constituent Services Edition", "2013-12-16", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sen. King joins with representatives from the Maine State Society and Wreaths Across America to lay a wreath on the Capitol steps to honor and remember military service members and their families who are separated this holiday season.\r\n\r\nSen. King tours the Advanced Structures and Composites Lab at the University of Maine in Orono.\u00a0\r\n\r\nKing chairs meeting of the Senate Rules Committee.\r\n\r\nKing meets with a constituent at Capitol Coffee.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\nResources for Constituents\r\nIn an effort to help Mainers access resources offered by our federal government, I have\u00a0highlighted a few cost-saving opportunities and support services that have been made available. Please feel free to forward this information along to other agencies or individuals in need of the services described below.\u00a0\r\nIn addition, if you need to meet with a constituent services representative please stop by one of our state offices or join us at one of our\u00a0\"Your Government Your Neighborhood\" outreach locations.\r\nTaxes\r\nI\u00a0have included some\u00a0resources that will hopefully save you both money and time filing your taxes:\r\n\r\n\r\nThe Saver's Credit: Low and moderate-income employees now have an opportunity to save for retirement and earn a special tax credit in 2013 and for future years. Learn more about who is eligible here.\r\n\r\n\r\nFor employers: Hire Veterans by Dec 31 and Save on Taxes. If you plan to hire soon, consider hiring veterans. If you do, you may be able to claim the federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit worth thousands of dollars. Lear more here.\r\n\r\n\r\nFor tax-exempt\u00a0organizations:\u00a0The IRS recently produced this user-friendly online form to help folks through the process of applying for their organization's tax exempt status. Check it out here.\r\n\r\n\r\nVeterans\r\n\r\n\r\nVeterans to Receive 1.5% Cost-of-Living Increase in 2014. Veterans, their families, and survivors receiving disability compensation and pension benefits from the Dept. of Veterans Affairs will receive a 1.5% cost-of-living increase in their monthly payments beginning Jan. 1, 2014. Learn more here.\r\n\r\n\r\nMy HealtheVet: The Department of Veterans Affairs is urging all veterans and service members to start using www.myhealth.va.gov to access important VA healthcare information and services. The benefits of My HealtheVet Personal Health Record include, VA prescription refills, VA notes, VA Blue Button, and secure messaging with VA healthcare providers.\r\n\r\n\r\nHousing\r\n\r\n\r\nAre you in need of housing advice? Counselors from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) are available to help guide you through buying a home, renting, default, foreclosure avoidance, credit issues, and more. Best\u00a0of all - their services are provided\u00a0free-of-charge! For a list of the HUD-approved housing counselors in Maine click here.\r\n\r\n\r\nImmigration Services\r\n\r\n\r\nU.S.\u00a0Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently\u00a0redeveloped their website to provide a more user-friendly interface\u00a0including a better navigation\u00a0system and tool selection for visitors. Now at www.uscis.gov you can find free online tools to:\r\n\r\n\r\nCheck your case status\r\n\r\n\r\nMake an appointment at your local USCIS office\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nFind tips on what to do before you file your applications\r\n\r\n\r\nLearn about case processing times\r\n\r\n\r\nFile certain forms electronically\r\n\r\n\r\nChange your address\r\n\r\n\r\nResearch your family's immigration history\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\nPlease visit https://www.king.senate.gov\u00a0for more updates and let us hear from you. Our toll free number in Maine is 1-800-432-1599.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/oped/king-on-paying-physicians-through-medicare", "King on paying physicians through medicare", "2013-12-16", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "King on paying physicians through medicare\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                    By:\u00a0\r\n                    Senator Angus S. King, Jr.\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                \r\n                \r\n            Monday, December 16, 2013\r\n            \n\t\n\r\n            \r\n            During my first year in the Senate I have been confronted by a variety of issues that are frustrating and difficult to resolve.\u00a0 This includes the rising cost of healthcare and its impact on the federal budget.\r\nCongress has tried to manage healthcare costs for decades. As part of this effort, since 1997, payments for Medicare services provided by physicians and certain non-physician practitioners have been made on the basis of a special fee system. The formula was originally intended to rein in the growth of Medicare costs by setting boundaries on physician reimbursement.\u00a0 However, beginning in 2002 the formula has led to annual reductions in Medicare physician payments.\r\nRather than finding a permanent solution to this issue, each year Congress patched the program and postponed these cuts through a series of temporary fixes. These last minute \u201cdoc fixes\u201d have resulted in a situation of financial uncertainty for Medicare providers.\u00a0 Imagine the frustration of not knowing until the last minute what you are going to be paid for your services next year.\r\nNow the cuts have accumulated to an unsustainable level and unless Congress intervenes, Medicare physician payments will be reduced by about 25 percent on January 1, 2014.\r\nIn my meetings with physicians, other health care providers, and senior advocates I have been hearing the same request; they all want a permanent fix to this broken fee system.\r\nSo where does Congress find $140billion for the Doc Fix without cutting essential healthcare services?\r\nLast winter I joined my colleague Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Chairman of the Health Care Subcommittee of the Senate Finance Committee, to introduce the Medicare Drug Savings Act of 2013. Our bill would reinstate the rebates paid by drug manufacturers for low-income Medicare enrollees saving taxpayers $140billion over 10 years.\r\nNotice the similarities in the two numbers?\r\nPassing the Medicare Drug Savings Act represents a sensible way to pay for permanently repairing the Doc Fix. This change would not harm patients, healthcare providers or hospitals in any way. Linking these two issues solves a long standing problem by allowing us to finally move beyond this broken system and create certainty and stability for both physicians and hospitals.\r\nSometimes a common sense solution is right in front of us, in this case all we have to do it grab it.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/press-release/10000-awarded-northern-marianas-protection-and-advocacy-system", "$10,000 awarded to the Northern Marianas Protection and Advocacy System", "2013-12-15", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "$10,000 awarded to the Northern Marianas Protection and Advocacy System                                           \n              Dec 15, 2013      \t\t        \t    \n      \t            \n                    \n                                            \n          \n        \n        \n            \n    \n  \n    \n    \n    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced the award of $10,000 to NMPASI for Traumatic Brain Injury Protection and Advocacy. This grant will support services to individuals with traumatic brain injury, including (1) information, referrals, and advice, (2) individual and family advocacy, (3) legal representation, and (4) specific assistance in self-advocacy. Congratulations to NMPASI.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/oped/reform-militarys-sexual-assault-policies-but-dont-relieve-commanders-of-duty-to-get-it-right", "Reform military’s sexual assault policies, but don’t relieve commanders of duty to get it right", "2013-12-15", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Reform military\u2019s sexual assault policies, but don\u2019t relieve commanders of duty to get it right\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                    By:\u00a0\r\n                    Senator Angus S. King, Jr.\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                \r\n                \r\n            Sunday, December 15, 2013\r\n            \n\t\n\r\n            \r\n            On Dec. 6, Caroline Baldacci published\u00a0an OpEd\u00a0in which she eloquently describes the problem of sexual assault within our nation\u2019s military. Like Caroline, I agree that any incident of sexual assault in our armed services is unacceptable, that it is not only a stain upon the character of our military but upon our nation as a whole, and that it is necessary for Congress to take serious steps to address the issue.\r\nAs a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I have been immersed in this issue since entering the Senate in January and, like every member of Congress, I am committed to finding the most comprehensive and effective way to eradicate the problem. I supported the national defense bill reported by our committee that contains the strongest steps ever undertaken by Congress to address the problem of military sexual assault, and I have also spoken in favor of additional amendments that would continue to make significant changes to the military justice system.\r\nIn fact,\u00a0legislation I supported\u00a0would trigger an automatic review of any sexual assault case by the civilian service secretary \u2014 the highest ranking official in the service \u2014 when a commander overrules the recommendation of a military legal advisor to prosecute that case. Additionally, if a military legal advisor recommends and a commander agrees not to prosecute a sexual assault case, the bill would require the next higher level commander to review that decision. Perhaps most importantly, though, in an effort to protect victims and improve reporting, a provision I supported would criminalize retaliation against a victim for speaking out. No victim of sexual assault should ever live in fear of reporting it because they are concerned about retaliatory action.\r\nFurthermore, along with all of these strong provisions, which Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and I both support with a majority of our colleagues, lies the difficult question of whether to remove the commander from the decision-making process, which Gillibrand\u2019s approach seeks to do.\r\nAfter considerable thought and discussions with members of the military (principally women), I am very concerned that removing such a consequential decision from the commander\u2019s jurisdiction would have the unintended consequence of relieving the commanders of their responsibility to push forward on prosecutions. That is why I supported\u00a0an alternative approach\u00a0authored by Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo. Her legislation would remove a commander\u2019s authority to overturn jury convictions, mandate that convicted service members be dishonorably discharged, and require an independent review of a case if a commander decides not to prosecute it \u2014 but it would keep the control of court-martial proceedings within the established military chain of command.\r\nIndeed, rather than remove commanding officers from the process, I want them to be fully engaged in it. I agree with McCaskill\u00a0when she says, \u201cWe have to thoughtfully build the strongest possible reforms to protect and empower victims, crack down on commanders\u2019 ability to abuse their authority, and retain a commander\u2019s ability to do it right.\u201d\r\nI believe the only way we can confront and defeat the scourge of military sexual assault in the long-term is to fundamentally change the culture that allows too many sexual assaults to occur and discourages too many victims from reporting crimes against them \u2014 a point I have made repeatedly,\u00a0including to the joint chiefs of staff. To do so, though, we must ensure commanders are fully accountable and fully responsible for the decisions they make. Ironically, I believe Gillibrand\u2019s amendment would do just the opposite by relieving commanders of this responsibility.\r\nI also worry that putting these decisions in the hands of prosecutors may actually be detrimental to victims. Since 2011, military commanders prosecuted\u00a093 sexual assault cases\u00a0that civilian prosecutors had in their jurisdiction but refused to take on. At least 52 of those cases resulted in a conviction. In these instances, a commander\u2019s decision to prosecute resulted in bringing a perpetrator to justice, whereas if the prosecutors had the final say, the perpetrators would have escaped punishment.\r\nLastly, when other countries have taken the decision to prosecute sexual assaults out of commanders\u2019 hands, their service members have generally not benefited from increased reporting of sexual assaults or more convictions of sexual predators. The United States military, on the other hand, has seen significant increases in reporting in recent years as efforts have been undertaken to give sexual assault victims more options for reporting, better protections and better services. In fact, in many cases, the decision by other countries to take the prosecution decision away from commanders was made to increase protections for the accused, not the victims. When the ultimate goal is to increase reports, prosecutions and convictions of sexual assault, I am concerned that the approach taken by Gillibrand will produce a result opposite of what she intends.\r\nThere is no doubt, though, Caroline Baldacci is right in much of her OpEd. Our servicemen and women must be held to the highest standards, and when some sadly fail to meet the longstanding standards of service by committing sexual assault, we must ensure that justice is appropriately served and that the victim is provided with the support and care they rightfully deserve. I strongly believe the legislation we reported from the committee will give the military the tools and resources it needs to do just that.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/press-release/conferees-get-more-time-finish-farm-bill", "Conferees get more time to finish farm bill", "2013-12-14", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Conferees get more time to finish farm bill                                           \n              Dec 14, 2013      \t\t        \t    \n      \t            \n                    \n                                            \n          \n        \n        \n            \n    \n  \n    \n    \n    We will have to wait until January to see if the $33 million SNAP pilot program for the Northern Mariana Islands and the rest of the 2013 farm bill are enacted into law. As the holiday recess neared without conference committee agreement on the farm bill, H.R. 2642, House Agriculture Committee Chair Frank Lucas (R-Oklahoma) convinced the House to pass an extension of the 2008 farm policies effective until the end of January. This extension will give conferees time to complete their work; otherwise the agriculture law enacted in 1949 goes into effect on January 1. The Senate has not yet agreed to the extension, but may vote next week. Key House negotiators say they are close to an agreement and will continue to work through the holidays to ensure that Congress can enact the farm bill in January. Meanwhile, I will continue to work to be sure the Northern Marianas SNAP pilot program is a part of the final conference agreement, so that food stamp benefits for our people are on par with the rest of the United States.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/this-week-in-washington-the-budget-deal-and-the-benefits-of-the-aca-", "This Week in Washington: the Budget Deal and the Benefits of the ACA", "2013-12-14", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "This Week in Washington: the Budget Deal and the Benefits of the ACA \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tSaturday, December 14, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 In his ongoing effort to keep constituents back home up to date with his work in the Senate, U.S. Senator Angus King took a few minutes to discuss this week\u2019s events in Washington.\r\nIn his recap, Senator King discussed the budget deal that was announced Tuesday evening by Senator Patty Murray and Congressman Paul Ryan. The deal continues the significant deficit reduction of the past three years and provides a much-needed sense of certainty for the economy.\r\nOn Thursday, Senator King was joined by North Yarmouth resident and former intern, Hannah Dorr, who shared her personal story illustrating the benefits of ACA for children with pre-existing conditions. While he has concerns about certain provisions of the ACA, Senator King emphasized the huge and positive impact the law has already made on the lives of countless people across the county.\u00a0\r\nThe full video of Senator King\u2019s weekly recap can be viewed below. A broadcast quality version of the video can also be downloaded here.\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/press-release/house-approves-federal-budget-2014-and-2015", "House approves federal budget for 2014 and 2015", "2013-12-13", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "House approves federal budget for 2014 and 2015                                           \n              Dec 13, 2013      \t\t        \t    \n      \t            \n                    \n                                            \n          \n        \n        \n            \n    \n  \n    \n    \n    Northern Marianas programs dependent on federal dollars will be spared some of the impact of sequestration over the next two years. On Thursday, the House of Representatives approved the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013. The Act provides $63 billion in relief from the across-the-board sequester cuts that hurt Head Start and other federal programs nationwide. 169 Republicans and 163 Democrats voted in favor; 62 Republicans and 32 Democrats voted against. Discretionary spending for fiscal 2014 had been scheduled to go down to $967 billion, but is now set $1.012 trillion for this year and $1.014 trillion for fiscal year 2015. Next week, the Senate is expected to pass the bill; and President Obama has said he will sign it into law. After that, Congress will have to enact appropriations for fiscal 2014. Appropriations are set to expire on January 15.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/oped/maines-home-to-great-inventors-entrepreneurs", "Maine's home to great inventors, entrepreneurs", "2013-12-13", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Maine's home to great inventors, entrepreneurs\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                    By:\u00a0\r\n                    Senator Angus S. King, Jr.\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                \r\n                    \r\n                    \r\n                    Aroostook Republica\r\n                    \r\n                    \r\n                \r\n            Friday, December 13, 2013\r\n            \n\t\n\r\n            \r\n            I am frequently asked what the most limiting factor to innovation and entrepreneurship in Maine is. The truth is that our attitude and imagination are the only limiting factors, but creating a business friendly environment and supportive infrastructure are two important steps to unleashing great ideas here at home.\r\nThe good news is that there are countless small businesses throughout the state that are adopting new technologies and marketing strategies to help enhance, grow, and expand their operations. I saw this first-hand on my recent trip to Washington County where I met with local business and community leaders to talk about what they are doing, the challenges they face, and what can be done to help promote economic growth.\u00a0 Here are just a few examples of Maine innovators Down East who are helping move our state economy forward:\r\nSituated in the St. Croix River Valley along the border between New Brunswick, Canada and Baileyville, Maine, Woodland Pulp Mill has been demonstrating how our traditional industries can adapt to the demands of the 21st\u00a0century.\u00a0 I was impressed to learn that they have become 100% energy self-sufficient and have successfully incorporated alternative, cleaner energy sources, such as natural gas, into their day-to-day operations.\u00a0 This, and the use of other new technologies, has allowed them to reduce costs and increase profit margins while adhering to environmentally responsible practices that ensure our forests will remain a valuable resource for generations to come.\r\nSimilar to our forestry industry, in recent years Maine\u2019s fishing industry has faced a host of new challenges that require innovative solutions to meet constantly evolving market demands. Historically, a lack of processing facilities has meant that our fisherman have had to send their catch out of state for processing. A.C. Inc., a lobster and seafood processor located on Beals Island, is seeking to help reverse that trend by working to develop a prototype for an advanced processing facility that would enable fishing communities to retain more of their product value locally while also creating new job opportunities and a more sustainable industry.\r\nFinding new ways to create jobs was a common theme I heard throughout my two-day trip in Washington County. In my meeting with Chief Joseph Socobasin and Vice Chief Clayton Sockabasin of the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Indian Township, they shared their vision to generate job growth by opening a bottling plant and selling water to consumers who live outside the tribal land. The area is filled with natural springs and using this resource to promote economic development would help strengthen the tribal community by creating up to 70 jobs, providing new revenue for schools, public safety, and healthcare. As bottled water sales increase across the county, this represents an exciting opportunity for the Passamaquoddy to help tribe members make ends meet and continue living on their ancestral lands.\r\nTo help these initiatives take root it is important that our business and communities have the necessary tools to connect with markets in state and around the world. I\u2019ve been a longtime advocate of increasing and improving rural broadband access in Maine. We took a step forward in connecting rural areas to the rest of the world through the Three Ring Binder broadband project, which provides a backbone for high speed internet, but there is still a lot of work to be done. \u00a0Axiom Technologies, based in Machias, has taken a leadership position in this effort by facilitating further broadband development and digital literacy opportunities in the region. During a breakfast with community leaders at UMaine Machias, I was thrilled to learn how Axiom is helping local businesses grow by providing broadband access and digital tools to rural areas. These vital communications resources help connect our entrepreneurs to markets beyond our borders.\r\nMaine does not suffer from a shortage of great ideas to improve economic development and create good-paying jobs. What we need is to help turning those ideas into a reality by making sure that our innovators and entrepreneurs are equipped for success in the 21st\u00a0century. At the federal level, the most important thing Congress could do to improve the business climate is to competently perform its most basic functions\u2014passing a budget in timely manner without self-induced crises and chaos would be a good place to start. Showing that we can deal with fiscal issues in a responsible way would begin the process of restoring the American people\u2019s confidence in their government which would undoubtedly increase our future prospects for financial growth and stability.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/collins-king-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-exempt-volunteer-first-responders-from-healthcare-mandate", "Collins, King Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Exempt Volunteer First Responders from Healthcare Mandate", "2013-12-13", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Collins, King Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Exempt Volunteer First Responders from Healthcare Mandate\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Proposal designed to allow localities to retain volunteer first responders\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFriday, December 13, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King this week introduced bipartisan legislation to help ensure volunteer firefighters and other first responders can continue protecting communities that rely on them. The Protect Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act, which is also sponsored by Senators Mark Warner (D-VA), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Pat Toomey (R-PA), and Mark Begich (D-AK) would amend the Affordable Care Act to make it clear that volunteer emergency service workers are not required to be counted as full-time equivalent employees (FTEs) for purposes of healthcare coverage.\u00a0\r\nApproximately 750,000 volunteer firefighters serve in 20,000 all-volunteer and 5,000 combination career-volunteer fire departments throughout the United States.\u00a0In Maine, there are an estimated 405 fire departments throughout the state that are either mostly staffed or all staffed by volunteers. \u00a0Some volunteer firefighters are nominally paid, and most volunteer first responders have other full-time employment. Many emergency response agencies do not have the resources to provide pay or benefits to volunteers and most volunteer first responders do not expect to receive compensation or health coverage as a result of their volunteer public service.\r\n\u201cMaine boasts one of the highest percentages of volunteer and on-call firefighters in the nation, and these brave men and women play a vital role in keeping our communities safe each and every day,\u201d Senator Collins said.\u00a0 \u201cIt is unacceptable that an undue burden could be placed on volunteer fire departments across the country, and it is imperative that this ambiguity in the law be clarified and fixed.\u201d\r\n\u201cHundreds of small towns in Maine and thousands more across the nation rely on volunteer firefighters and other emergency first responders to protect our local communities. Our bipartisan legislation will draw an important distinction between those volunteers and full-time, paid staff that will ensure emergency response units can continue to deliver robust services without the fear of having to deal with cumbersome federal regulations. I have always said that I am prepared to work with my colleagues to improve the ACA, and I am proud to join with Senators Warner, Manchin, Toomey, and Collins in support of this common-sense fix,\u201d Senator King said.\r\nThis bipartisan legislation has been endorsed by the International Association of Fire Chiefs, National Volunteer Fire Council, and Congressional Fire Services Institute.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/press-release/nmi-national-guard-study-authorized", "Defense bill calls for mutual agreement on divert field location", "2013-12-12", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "NMI National Guard study authorized\nThe conference committee ironing out differences between the U.S. House and Senate on the National Defense Authorization Act for 2014 has set limits on Air Force development of divert airfield facilities in the Northern Mariana Islands. Statutory language in Section 2305 of the bill, H.R. 1960, will bar any expenditure of funds until the Air Force reports to Congress on various alternatives considered for the divert-field operations. In addition, report language accompanying the bill notes the concerns of the Governor of the Northern Marianas with regard to whether the operations will be located on the island of Tinian or Saipan and calls for a mutually agreeable resolution to that issue.\n\u201cI have been in active discussion with the Armed Services Committee regarding the location of the divert field,\u201d said Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan, \u201cand how to make sure that all of our local concerns are addressed by the Air Force.\n\u201cThe requirements that Congress now seems likely to approve in the Defense Authorization Act will help ensure that all sides of this issue are considered fully.\u201d\nThe National Defense Authorization Act for 2014 is expected to be brought to the House floor for a vote this week and to the Senate the week after.\nThe divert field will provide an alternative in the event that aircraft cannot be landed at Andersen Air Force Base on Guam because of natural disaster or military conflict. Construction of a maintenance facility, a hazardous cargo pad, and an airport storage facility are among the planned developments on either Tinian or Saipan. Both those islands have existing runways capable of handling large military aircraft. The Defense Authorization Act provides $29.3 million for the projects: $2.8 million for the mainteance facility, $8 million for the hazardous cargo pad, and $18.5 million for bulk storage at the airport.\u00a0\n\u201cGovernor Inos \u2013 and I fully agree with him on this \u2013 has expressed the view that Tinian is a preferable location,\u201d Sablan said. \u201cThe U.S. already leases two-thirds of the island, so there is ample room for the facilities the Air Force will need.\n\u201cAround the Saipan International Airport, on the other hand, there is limited public land, much of which may be needed for commercial development in the future. And with our growing tourism industry the potential for use conflicts between military aircraft and commercial passenger planes could become a problem, if Saipan is the site for the divert field. So it seems better management to separate the two activities \u2013 military and commercial \u2013 on separate islands.\u201d\nThe conference committee report\u00a0encourages both the Air Force and the Commonwealth government to consider these potential conflicts thoroughly before development of the divert operation moves forward.\nNational Guard feasibility to be studied\nThe Defense Authorization Act (Section 515), also, sets the stage for a Northern Mariana Islands National Guard unit by directing that the Secretary of Defense conduct a feasibility study and report to Congress within 180 days of the Act being signed in to law.\nCurrently, men and women from the Northern Marianas serve in the Guam National Guard. The Guam unit has been stationed in Afghanistan and returns to the U.S. for demobilization this month.\nBesides deployment to combat, however, National Guard units, which are under the authority of respective state and territorial Governors, can be called up to respond to natural disasters or to assist in restoring order.\nCongressman Sablan introduced legislation, H.R. 2773, in the last Congress that required establishment of a Northern Marianas National Guard. But the Armed Services Committee was unwilling to move forward without an in-depth look at the practicalities.\nThe feasibility study now likely to be approved will look at issues of cost, existing and needed infrastructure, and whether there is sufficient population in the islands to support a National Guard unit. The Secretary of Defense will also report on whether a local law authorizing an organized militia for the Commonwealth will need to be enacted.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/blog/sen-king-and-hannah-dorr-of-north-yarmouth-highlight-benefits-of-affordable-care-act-for-people-with-pre-existing-conditions", "Sen. King and Hannah Dorr of North Yarmouth Highlight Benefits of Affordable Care Act for People with Pre-Existing Conditions", "2013-12-12", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Thursday, December 12, 2013\n\t\t\t\t Sen. King and Hannah Dorr of North Yarmouth Highlight Benefits of Affordable Care Act for People with Pre-Existing Conditions \n\t\t\t\t\n                 \n\t\n\t            \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t  \t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\tVideos of both the Senator\u2019s remarks and Hannah Dorr\u2019s remarks have been included below:\r\n\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\nA complete transcript of Senator King\u2019s remarks:\r\nI'm here because bad news gets halfway around the world before good news gets its shoes on. And all we hear is bad news and all we hear are examples of people that are having problems. But the quiet good news is that literally millions of Americans, for the first time, have been able to access quality healthcare at a reasonable price. And it's almost impossible to convey in words what that means to these families; people who have literally lived their lives with a cloud of not being able to having insurance to cover their children or themselves because they've had some healthcare issues in the past.\r\nI have two personal stories, and I think the fact that we all virtually have personal stories tells you how widespread the impact of this is. It's not just a few people, it's not somebody in Peoria or California, it's people right here in this building.\r\n40 years ago I was fortunate enough to have a good healthcare coverage that included free physicals. And because of that, at the age of 28 or 29, I went in to have a routine physical, my first in 9 years. In the course of that routine physical, which was part of my healthcare coverage, which by the way is now preventive care that's provided under the Affordable Care Act to everyone, it was determined that I had a rare and aggressive form of cancer called malignant melanoma. And the thing about malignant melanoma is that you either get it in time and live, or you don't and you die. And I was fortunate enough that it was caught in time, I had surgery and fully recovered - here I am.\r\nBut it has haunted me ever since that somewhere in America, that same year, was a young man or a young woman who didn't have health insurance, who didn't have access to a physical, that melanoma didn't get caught, and they're not here. And I can't justify that. I can't say why me and not them. To me this is beyond a political or an economic issue, it's a moral issue. And the reality is that in this country - there have been a variety of studies - \u00a0but in this country there are now between 40 and 50 million people with no insurance, and the variety of studies have all concluded that somewhere between 25 and 50 thousand people a year die simply because they don't have health insurance. Simply because they don't have health insurance, because they didn't get treated in time, because they were afraid to go to the emergency room, because they went in and had treatment but it was too late. And that is sort of my personal reason for feeling so passionate about this. I cannot for the life of me figure out why anyone in this country would exert any political effort whatsoever to keep people from having health insurance.\r\nThe second personal story is that I have two children who are covered under my policy today who would not be were it not for the Affordable Care Act. One's 23 and one's 20. The 23 year old is out of school, he couldn't be under my coverage, but he is, and because of that he's able to have more flexibility in what he does for a career. As 23 year olds are sort of finding their way, he doesn't have to obsess about the fact that \u201cI can only take a job that provides healthcare,\u201d because he's covered under my coverage.\r\nAnd so as I say, I consider this a moral and an ethical issue. Not one of us, if someone was choking on the subway, would turn our back. Not one of us would say, \"I'm sorry, that's not my problem.\" We would all try to help. And the Affordable Care Act is nothing but that impulse writ large. It's the impulse to help. And to say, \"It's not my problem\" is not our way as a people. And of course it's complicated and of course it's difficult, and there are growing pains, and the website didn't work very well, I can attest to that. But the impulse is right, the vision is right, the concept is right. And this idea that people can be denied, which they are, hundreds of thousands of people in Maine technically could be turned away, but for the Affordable Care Act, because of pre-existing conditions. And disease is no respecter of social class or economics or anything else. And that's why we need to be able to provide this kind of coverage to all of our citizens.\r\nA complete transcript of Hannah Dorr\u2019s remarks have been included below:\r\nThank you and good morning. At the age of 16 I was diagnosed with a rare progressive genetic heart disease called arrhythmiagenic right ventricular dysplasia, or ARVD. ARVD affects about 1 in 5,000 people, barely a big enough population to do a clinical trial. I always wanted to be special, so I guess I could say I've reached this goal.\r\nWith ARVD, the scariest part is the unknown. Not much is certain about the disease: how to prevent progression, best treatments, and how specifically the disease will manifest itself as it advances, are all largely unknown. But I think the scariest part for my parents was the uncertainty of how I was going to afford insurance later in life with a pre-existing condition.\r\nFor me, going into the individual market before the Affordable Care Act would mean astronomically high premiums and cost sharing that would be outside of my means, and caring for my disease would fall by the wayside. The Affordable Care Act not only allows me to stay on my parents' plan until I'm 26, a plan that gave me access to the top doctors, but gives me the certainty that there's an option for me should I no longer be covered by insurer-sponsored insurance.\r\nI consider myself fortunate that my ARVD was caught by chance by my pediatrician at an early age. I consider myself lucky that my family had top-of-the-line insurance that gave me access to the incredible team of doctors that cared for me, and did not send my family spiraling into debt and for the friends and family that helped pay extra costs such as travel expenses, by creating a charity in my name, Hearts for Hannah. But most of all I consider myself lucky that no matter what uncertainty there is in the future, there is now certainty that I will be able to find insurance within my means because of the Affordable Care Act.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-king-and-hannah-dorr-of-north-yarmouth-highlight-benefits-of-affordable-care-act-for-children-with-pre-existing-conditions", "Sen. King and Hannah Dorr of North Yarmouth Highlight Benefits of Affordable Care Act for Children with Pre-Existing Conditions", "2013-12-12", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sen. King and Hannah Dorr of North Yarmouth Highlight Benefits of Affordable Care Act for Children with Pre-Existing Conditions\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 12, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) today stood beside Hannah Dorr, a native of North Yarmouth, Maine, to highlight how up to 17 million children with pre-existing conditions \u2013 including thousands in Maine \u2013 can no longer be denied health insurance thanks to the Affordable Care Act.\r\n\u201cThe quiet good news is that literally millions of Americans for the first time have been able to access quality healthcare at a reasonable price, and it\u2019s almost impossible to convey in words what that means to these families \u2013 people who have literally lived their lives with a cloud of not being able to have insurance to cover their children or themselves because they\u2019ve had some healthcare issues in the past,\u201d Senator King said. \u201cDisease is no respecter of social class or economics or anything else, and that\u2019s why we need to be able to provide this type of coverage to all of our citizens.\u201d\r\n\r\nHannah Dorr, a 22-year-old native of North Yarmouth and a former intern in Senator King\u2019s Washington, D.C. office, joined him to share her story of how her pre-existing condition has impacted her life. At the age of 16, Hannah was diagnosed with a rare, progressive, genetic heart disease called Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia, or ARVD, but thanks to the Affordable Care Act, she is now able to stay on her parents\u2019 insurance until age 26 and cannot be denied health insurance coverage because of her heart condition.\r\n\u201cI think the scariest part for my parents was the uncertainty of how I was going to afford insurance later in life with a preexisting condition. For me, going into the individual market before the Affordable Care Act would mean astronomically high premiums and cost-sharing that would be outside of my means, and caring for my disease would fall by the wayside,\u201d Hannah said. \u201cThe Affordable Care Act not only allows me to stay on my parents plan until I'm 26 \u2013 a plan that gave me access to the top doctors \u2013 but gives me the certainty that there is an option for me, should I no longer be covered by employer-sponsored insurance.\u201d\r\n\u201cI consider myself lucky that my family had top of the line insurance that gave me access to the incredible team of doctors that cared for me and did not send my family spiraling into debt, and for the friends and family that helped pay extra costs such as travel expenses by creating a charity in my name: Hearts for Hannah. But most of all I consider myself lucky that no matter what uncertainty there is in the future, there is now certainty that I will be able to find insurance within my means because of the Affordable Care Act,\u201d she said.\r\n\r\nSince 2010, because of the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies have been prohibited from denying health coverage for the up to 17 million children with pre-existing conditions such as cancer, asthma, or diabetes. According to recent statistics from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, approximately 65,000 children in Maine have some type of pre-existing health condition. Starting in 2014, insurance companies will also no longer be able to deny coverage for adults or charge anyone higher premiums based on health status or history.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/kilili-shipping-proposal-could-affect-costs-goods-nmi", "Kilili: Shipping proposal could affect costs of goods in NMI", "2013-12-10", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (Ind-MP) joined five other members of U.S. Congress in asking the Federal Maritime Commission to carefully review a proposed vessel sharing deal that could affect the costs of goods in Hawaii and other Pacific territories such as the CNMI. The three largest shipping companies in the world\u2014Maersk Line, MSC, and CMA-CGM\u2014announced the creation of a new vessel sharing agreement, the P3 Alliance. Given its current makeup, the P3 Alliance will control 58 percent of vessels with greater than 10,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit capacity and 80 percent of vessels over 16,000 TEU. The six U.S. Congress members\u2014Sen. Mazie K. Hirono, Rep. Don Young, Guam Delegate Madeleine Bordallo, U.S. Virgin Islands Delegate Donna Christensen, American Samoa Delegate Eni F.H. Faleomavaega, and Sablan\u2014said they neither support nor oppose the P3 Alliance concept at this time. \u201cYet, the State of Hawaii and the Pacific territories rely more heavily on ocean shipping for food, medicine, fuel, and other life-sustaining goods than perhaps any other region of these United States,\u201d the lawmakers told Federal Maritime Commission chair Mario Cordero in a Dec. 4 letter. Along with the other Pacific area representatives who signed the letter to the FMC chairman, Sablan said he took no position on whether the commission should approve the proposed P3 Alliance. \u201cTogether the combination would control 58 percent of large, ocean-going cargo carriers. Pacific areas are particularly dependent on ocean shipping to provide basic commodities, and the Alliance could exert considerable influence on pricing and availability of goods. We have asked the commission to fully consider the effects of the proposed P3 Alliance,\u201d Sablan said.\nhttps://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?cat=1&newsID=152216", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/king-praises-budget-conference-announcement", "King Praises Budget Conference Announcement", "2013-12-10", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "King Praises Budget Conference Announcement\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, December 10, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), a member of the joint House-Senate Budget Conference Committee, praised an announcement this evening by Senator Patty Murray and Committee Chairman Paul Ryan that they have reached a two-year budget agreement in advance of the budget conference\u2019s December 13th deadline:\r\n\u201cThe announcement of a budget agreement by Senator Murray and Congressman Ryan represents a significant and desperately-needed victory for compromise and bipartisanship in a Congress that has been plagued by extreme gridlock,\u201d Senator King said. \u201cWhile there are provisions within the deal that I do not agree with, I understand that in order to move forward and best serve the nation, compromises must be made. I urge my colleagues to recognize that, although the deal is not perfect, it is a step in the right direction.\u201d\r\nThe Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 would set overall discretionary spending for the current fiscal year at $1.012 trillion \u2013 about halfway between the Senate budget level of $1.058 trillion and the House budget level of $967 billion. The agreement would provide $63 billion in sequester relief over two years, split evenly between defense and non-defense programs. In fiscal year 2014, defense discretionary spending would be set at $520.5 billion, and non-defense discretionary spending would be set at $491.8 billion.\r\nThe sequester relief is fully offset by savings elsewhere in the budget. The agreement includes dozens of specific deficit-reduction provisions, with mandatory savings and non-tax revenue totaling approximately $85 billion. The agreement would reduce the deficit by between $20 and $23 billion.\r\nThe House of Representatives is expected to take up the Bipartisan Budget Act first, followed by the Senate. If this bill is signed into law, the appropriations committees will then be able to work on spending bills at an agreed-upon level in advance of the January 15th deadline.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/press-release/white-house-summer-internships-open", "White House Summer Internships open", "2013-12-09", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "White House Summer Internships open                                           \n              Dec 9, 2013      \t\t        \t    \n      \t            \n                    \n                                            \n          \n        \n        \n            \n    \n  \n    \n    \n    The White House has announced that applications are open for the 2014 Summer Internship Program. White House interns gain valuable professional experience and build leadership skills in a remarkable environment. An applicant must be a US citizen, 18 years of age on or before the first day of the internship, and either currently enrolled or recently graduated from an undergraduate or graduate program at a college, community college, or university. Veterans of the US Armed Forces, who have a high school diploma or its equivalent and have served on active duty in the two years preceding the first day of the internship, are also eligible. The deadline to apply is January 5, 2014. More information is available here, and to apply go to White House Internship Program.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/press-release/we-mark-sadness-passing-nelson-mandela", "We mark with sadness the passing of Nelson Mandela", "2013-12-07", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "We mark with sadness the passing of Nelson Mandela                                           \n              Dec 7, 2013      \t\t        \t    \n      \t            \n                    \n                                            \n          \n        \n        \n            \n    \n  \n    \n    \n    We mark with sadness the passing of Nelson Mandela, who led South Africa from a state of division and oppression to become a rainbow nation. \u201cWe are turning the variety of our languages and cultures, once used to divide us, into a source of strength and richness,\u201d he declared, as South Africa\u2019s first President, elected by all. And he sounded this ideal of common humanity beyond the borders of his own country. Accepting the Nobel Peace Prize, Mandela called for \u201ca society which recognises that all people are born equal, with each entitled in equal measure to life, liberty, prosperity, human rights and good governance.\u201d His allegiance to this principle of equality cost the great man 27 years behind bars, which President Obama remembered in a eulogy yesterday, repeating Mandela\u2019s own words from the prisoner\u2019s dock: \u201cI have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.\u201d Though Nelson Mandela has passed on, let us all keep his ideal alive.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/press-release/fukushima-marine-debris-addressed", "Fukushima marine debris addressed", "2013-12-06", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Fukushima marine debris addressed                                           \n              Dec 6, 2013      \t\t        \t    \n      \t            \n                    \n                                            \n          \n        \n        \n            \n    \n  \n    \n    \n    $50,000 has been set aside to clean up any debris from the Fukushima tsunami that comes ashore in the Northern Mariana Islands. The Government of Japan gave $5 million to the United States last year to help with the problem. $1.75 million has been allocated so far among the US Pacific coast areas. The Natural Resources Committee is also addressing the issue of marine debris legislatively. On Thursday we approved two bills amending the Marine Debris Research, Prevention and Reduction Act, which I cosponsored in the last Congress. H.R. 1491 provides statutory authority for distribution of the Fukushima grant from Japan. H.R. 1425 allows the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to give priority to severe marine debris events, such as the tsunami or Hurricane Sandy, and redistribute existing Marine Debris Program funds to where they are most needed. Governors would be authorized to request declaration of a severe marine debris event. Marine debris is an eyesore and an environment hazard. 10,290 pounds of the trash was collected along the shores of Saipan, Tinian, and Rota in September during the 28th annual International Beach Cleanup. Thanks to all the volunteers who are keeping our islands beautiful.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senators-collins-and-king-announce-maine-nominees-to-the-united-states-military-service-academies-", "Senators Collins and King Announce Maine Nominees to the United States Military Service Academies", "2013-12-06", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senators Collins and King Announce Maine Nominees to the United States Military Service Academies \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFriday, December 6, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced their nominees to the United States Military Academies. To be considered for an appointment to a service academy, applicants must be nominated by an authorized nominating source, which includes members of Congress. Admission to the United States Coast Guard Academy, also a federal service academy, does not require a congressional nomination.\r\n\u201cWe are proud to have the honor to nominate such an impressive group of Maine students to our nation\u2019s distinguished service academies,\u201d said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement. \u201cThe young people we have nominated have earned this honor through a commitment to strong scholarship, leadership, and character.\u201d\r\nThe following students from Maine have received nominations as candidates to the military academies from Senators Collins and King (note some students received a nomination to more than one academy):\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\r\nUnited States Naval Academy \u2013 Annapolis\r\nName\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Home Town\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 High School\r\nLaura Broderick\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Kennebunkport\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Kennebunk High School\r\nEmily Cox\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Topsham\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mount Ararat High School\r\nTyler Davidson\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 South Berwick\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Marshwood High School\r\nAngus Ferrell\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Falmouth\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Falmouth High School\r\nJacob Fogel\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Portland\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Portland High School\r\nGrace Harrison\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Lincolnville\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Camden Hills Regional High School\r\nJohn Harrison\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Bar Harbor\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Marine Academy of Science & Technology\r\nWyatt Hart\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Lebanon\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Noble High School\r\nMolly McAleer\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Orono\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Kents Hill School\r\nChristian O\u2019Connor\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 York\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 York High School\r\nJames O\u2019Neil\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Orono\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Orono High School\r\nMatthew Piazza\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 York\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Northern Lights Academy\r\nEdward Pond\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Topsham\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 American School in Japan\r\nGrace Rabinowitz\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Brunswick\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Brunswick High School\r\nRobert Runnells\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Saco\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thornton Academy\r\nDustin Sirabella\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Exeter\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Dexter Regional High School\r\nElliott Speirs\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Gorham\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Gorham High School\u00a0\r\nBrian Taylor\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Falmouth\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Falmouth High School\r\nMacKenzie Travers\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Lewiston\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Lewiston High School\r\nMatthew Webber\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 York\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Saint Thomas Aquinas High School\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\nUnites States Military Academy \u2013 West Point\r\nName\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Home Town\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 High School\r\nAndrew Benger\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cumberland Center\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Greely High School\r\nJohn Bennett III\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Chelsea\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cony High School\r\nEmily Cox\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Topsham\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mount Ararat High School\r\nHailey Davis\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Liberty\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mount View High School\r\nAngus Ferrell\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Falmouth\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Falmouth High School\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\r\nSawyer Harkins\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Bethel\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Gould Academy\r\nGrace Harrison\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Lincolnville\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Camden Hills Regional High School\r\nConall Molloy\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Orono\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Orono High School\r\nJames O\u2019Neil\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Orono\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Orono High School\r\nRobert Runnells\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Saco\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thornton Academy\r\nJacob Smith\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Sidney\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Messalonskee High School\r\nJohel Stephenson\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Fairfield\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Stephenson Academy\r\nMatthew Webber\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 York\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Saint Thomas Aquinas High School\r\nCorey Zinck\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Wells\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Valley Forge Military Academy\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\r\nUnited States Air Force Academy \u2013 Colorado Springs\r\nName\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Home Town\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 High School\r\nWesley Crawford\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Yarmouth\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Yarmouth High School\r\nHailey Davis\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Liberty\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mount View High School\r\nMichael Dempski\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Oakland\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Saint Dominic Academy\r\nEthan Handley\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Dedham\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 John Bapst Memorial High School\r\nAngus Ferrell\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Falmouth\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Falmouth High School\r\nLiam Mahoney\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Yarmouth\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Yarmouth High School\r\nMolly McAleer\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Orono\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Kents Hill School\r\nPatrick O\u2019Hanlon\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Falmouth\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cheverus High School\r\nJames O\u2019Neil\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Orono\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Orono High School\r\nMatthew Piazza\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 York\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Northern Lights Academy\r\nEdward Pond\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Topsham\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 American School in Japan\r\nRobert Runnells\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Saco\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thornton Academy\r\nDustin Sirabella\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Exeter\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Dexter Regional High School\r\nElliott Speirs\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Gorham\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Gorham High School\r\nJordan Susi\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 South Portland\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 South Portland High School\r\nMacKenzie Travers\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Lewiston\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Lewiston High School\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\r\nUnited States Merchant Marine Academy- Kings Point\r\nName\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Home Town\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 High School\r\nJohn Bennett III\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Chelsea\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cony High School\r\nWesley Crawford\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Yarmouth\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Yarmouth High School\r\nSawyer Harkins\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Bethel \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Gould Academy\r\nGrace Harrison\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Lincolnville\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Camden Hills Regional High School\r\nJohn Harrison\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Bar Harbor\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Marine Academy of Science & Technology\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\r\nLiam Mahoney\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Yarmouth\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Yarmouth High School\r\nMolly McAleer\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Orono\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Kents Hill School\r\nDustin Sirabella\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Exeter\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Dexter Regional High School\r\nChristopher Tomascak\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Portland\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Portland High School\r\nMeredith Willard\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 South Portland\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cheverus High School\r\nRussell Wilson\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Hartland\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Wilson Catholic Academy\r\n\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senators-collins-and-king-send-letter-to-secretary-shinseki-supporting-continuation-of-the-arch-program-in-caribou", "Senators Collins and King Send Letter to Secretary Shinseki Supporting Continuation of the ARCH Program in Caribou", "2013-12-06", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senators Collins and King Send Letter to Secretary Shinseki Supporting Continuation of the ARCH Program in Caribou\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFriday, December 6, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Susan Collins, the Ranking Member of the Aging Committee and one of the top Republicans on the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee, and U.S. Senator Angus King have sent a letter to Secretary Eric Shinseki of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which requests that the VA indefinitely extend the Access Received Closer to Home (ARCH) pilot program in Caribou.\u00a0\r\n\u201cMaine has one of the highest ratios in the nation of veterans to overall population, and in a large, rural state like Maine, it is critically important that the VA goes the extra mile to see that our veterans have access to and receive the treatment they need and deserve,\u201d said Senator Collins.\u00a0 \u201cFor veterans in northern Maine, a one-way drive to the Togus VA Medical Center in Augusta can take four hours or more to complete.\u00a0 Especially for our ailing and elderly veterans, such a trip can be physically taxing, painful, or detrimental to their health, and we must do all that we can to improve access to health care they receive through the VA.\u201d\r\n\u201cFor generations, Mainers have proudly and honorably shouldered the heavy responsibility of defending our country, and as a result, our state today is home to more veterans per capita than most other states. It is incumbent upon us to ensure that we provide these men and women the highest quality care and support that our country can offer,\u201d Senator King said. \u201cIn a rural state like Maine, however, accessing vital and deserved healthcare resources can be both physically and logistically challenging for our veterans, especially those who are disabled or elderly. That\u2019s why it\u2019s so important the VA continue outreach programs, like the ARCH initiative in Caribou, that bring these critical care and support services directly to their communities.\u201d\r\nAccording to information provided to Senator Collins and the Senate Committee on Veterans\u2019 Affairs by the VA, the three-year ARCH pilot program is scheduled to conclude at the end of the current fiscal year on September 30, 2014.\u00a0 The VA has made no final decision on whether to extend the ARCH program or the services it provides at the five original sites beyond this date.\u00a0 The VA\u2019s final decision to extend the ARCH program or the services it provides at the five original sites or to expand the program to additional sites is pending the collection and analysis of further data.\r\nBelow is the full text of the letter:\r\n+++\r\nDear Secretary Shinseki:\r\nThe Access Received Closer to Home (ARCH) pilot program provides health care services to rural populations of veterans through non-VA health care providers.\u00a0 Absent an extension, ARCH will conclude on September 30, 2014.\u00a0 Given its proven record of improving access to quality health care for our veterans, we request that you indefinitely extend the ARCH pilot program.\u00a0\r\nAs you know, the ARCH program is operating at five pilot sites in Arizona, Kansas, Maine, Montana, and Virginia.\u00a0 Veterans who utilize these services and veterans service organizations (VSOs) have communicated to us that ARCH is an overwhelming and unqualified success.\u00a0 They note that ARCH helps to meet the primary care needs of veterans without the long travel day that can be required to reach the nearest VA Medical Center (VAMC).\u00a0 Particularly for ailing and elderly veterans, travel to VAMCs can be more expensive, more time-consuming, and less safe than a trip to the local ARCH location.\u00a0 The ARCH program is also reducing the cost of mileage reimbursement for the VA.\r\nIn addition, because veterans are more willing to make a local trip for primary care rather than an all-day trip to a VAMC, ARCH is helping to provide preventive and early intervention care rather than acute care, which can be more costly, resource-intensive, and physically straining for veterans.\u00a0 The July 2013 ARCH program evaluation states that program's cost effectiveness has only begun to be properly evaluated due to limited available data.\u00a0 As more data becomes available, we encourage you to ensure that the second and third-order cost benefits of the ARCH program, such as mileage reimbursement cost avoidance and reduced costs associated with preventive care and early intervention, are evaluated.\r\nIn a recent article on the unique needs of rural veterans, John Gale of the Maine Rural Health Research Center at the University of Southern Maine identified transportation issues as a significant barrier to health care access.\u00a0 One-way travel distances to access VA primary care average 45 to 54 miles, but in Maine these distances are frequently exceeded.\u00a0 For example, Togus VAMC, the only VAMC in Maine, is located approximately 250 miles from the ARCH site in the northern part of the state.\u00a0 As Senators from a state with a large elderly population, we are all too familiar with the numerous transportation challenges faced by seniors, which are rarely addressed in a comprehensive way.\u00a0 In a November 6 hearing of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, witnesses testified to the enormous challenges associated with seniors having access to the transportation options they need in order to maintain their independence.\u00a0 The ARCH program is a notable success in this respect, as it has lessened the average estimated one-way drive time by four hours for Maine veterans, reducing the need for physically taxing travel and unnecessary travel costs.\u00a0 While the VA and VSOs have tried other methods to transport veterans to the Togus VAMC, these programs are limited.\u00a0 For example, the Togus VAMC operates a popular volunteer program to transport veterans to appointments, which is coordinated and funded by Disabled American Veterans.\u00a0 Unfortunately, age and disability restrictions on drivers threaten to reduce this program's availability.\u00a0 The ARCH program in Caribou is clearly helping meet the needs of veterans in the northern part of Maine.\r\nAs you evaluate the effectiveness of the ARCH program and make a determination about its extension, we ask that you consider the experiences of the many veterans who are accessing their health care through the ARCH site in Caribou.\u00a0 The ARCH program improves coordination with community-based health services, which increases access to cost-effective care for veterans in rural areas.\u00a0 Given its success, we believe ARCH is a model that may be worth extending to other parts of the country, as nearly half of VA-enrolled veterans live in rural areas.\u00a0 In addition, the higher rate of military service among this country's rural population suggests that the need for access to rural services will grow in the future.\r\nThank you for considering our request to indefinitely extend the ARCH program at all five sites.\u00a0 We appreciate your prompt attention to this request.\u00a0 Should you have any questions, please have your staff contact Ryan Kaldahl with Senator Collins at 202-228-6119 and Steve Smith with Senator King at 202-224-3980.\u00a0 Thank you again for your consideration.\r\nSincerely,\r\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\r\n__________________\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 __________________\r\nSusan M. Collins\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Angus S. King\r\nUnited States Senator\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 United States Senator\r\n\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/collins-king-announce-nearly-74-million-contract-modification-for-bath-iron-works", "Collins, King Announce Nearly $74 Million Contract Modification for Bath Iron Works", "2013-12-05", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Collins, King Announce Nearly $74 Million Contract Modification for Bath Iron Works\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 5, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senators Susan Collins, a member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, and Angus King, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today announced that the U.S. Navy has awarded General Dynamics\u2019 Bath Iron Works (BIW) a contract modification worth $73,913,646.\u00a0 This is a continuation of BIW\u2019s longstanding planning yard contracts to support the DDG-51 class destroyers and FFG-7 class frigates.\u00a0 The modified contract calls for BIW to provide expert design, planning, and material support services for planned and emergent availabilities for both ship classes.\u00a0\r\n\u201cWe are pleased that the Navy chose to modify BIW\u2019s contract, which will allow the highly-skilled workforce at the Bath shipyard to continue to make important improvements to the ships responsible for the future of our national security,\u201d said Senators Collins and King.\r\nThe work will be performed in Bath, Maine, and is expected to be completed by December 2016.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/king-statement-on-the-death-of-nelson-mandela", "King Statement on the Death of Nelson Mandela", "2013-12-05", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "King Statement on the Death of Nelson Mandela\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 5, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) released the following statement today on the passing of former South African President Nelson Mandela:\r\n\u201cI join with Mainers, Americans, and people across the globe in mourning the death of former South African President Nelson Mandela.\r\n\u201cWith his passing today, the world loses one of its greatest and most revered leaders. He was a man of extraordinary character whose courage, compassion, and vision led a deeply divided South Africa out of the age of apartheid and into an age of peace. His words and deeds not only captured the hearts of his people, but inspired millions more across the world, as they still do today, to stand in abiding solidarity with one another. Indeed, Nelson Mandela embodied the finest and most noble qualities of the human spirit and he shall forever be remembered for it.\r\n\u201cOur thoughts and prayers are with the people of South Africa as we share in their sorrow and mourn in their loss.\u201d\u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/press-release/gdp-down-then-2011-and-2012", "GDP down, then up for 2011 and 2012", "2013-12-02", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis announced today that Gross Domestic Product in the Northern Mariana Islands decreased 6.8 percent in 2011, then increased 5.2 percent in 2012. The 2012 GDP remained, however, below the 2010 level. In 2010 GDP ticked up 1.1 percent following six straight years of declines.\n\u201cThe 2010 turn-around was largely the result of federal government grants to the Commonwealth and individuals from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,\u201d Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan observed. \u201cAnd that spending seemed to have halted the freefall in our economy.\n\u201cThe 2011 and 2012 data are sending an unclear message about just where we are headed. Though, of course, we all we want to believe that the strong growth in 2012 was the beginning of a trend that will continue.\u201d\nGDP\u2014a sum of spending by consumers, government, and business\u2014fell from over $1.2 billion in 2002 to $593 million in 2012, now the most recent year for which data is available.\nIn its announcement today the Bureau of Economic Analysis cited fluctuations in tourism as well as local government austerity measures as significant contributors to the ups and downs in GDP in 2011 and 2012. The drop in tourism was attributed to the earthquake and tsunami that struck northern Japan in March 2011.\n\u201cBeing largely dependent on one industry, tourism, makes our economy vulnerable to external factors,\u201d Sablan said. \u201cThat is why it is so important that we diversify the sources of our tourism. When one of the countries that sends us tourists suffers a problem, tourists from other countries will not replace the loss. But at least our economy will have some cushion.\n\u201cThis is why we have to work hard to maintain the parole system that makes it easy for tourists from Russia and China to visit us.\u201d\n\u201cLooking at GDP should also remind us of the importance of keeping our population numbers up. Consumer spending is the bulk of GDP. Losing population, whether it is because people leave to find more opportunity or because of changes in immigration, hurts our economy. We cannot afford to lose any more population.\u201d\nThe Bureau of Economic Analysis, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, began compiling GDP data for the Northern Mariana Islands and other U.S. insular areas in 2009 with funding from the U.S. Department of Interior\u2019s Office of Insular Affairs.\nThe data still lags the national survey of GDP, which is released one month after the end of each quarter. But island GDP is catching up. BEA says it will release the 2013 insular GDP in the summer of 2014.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/-king-highlights-affordable-care-act-successes-in-maine", "King Highlights Affordable Care Act Successes in Maine", "2013-12-02", "2013", "2013-12", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "King Highlights Affordable Care Act Successes in Maine\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tDespite rocky rollout, new health care law is supporting better care practices and cost-saving measures like preventive care\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMonday, December 2, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tPORTLAND, ME \u2013 U.S. Senator Angus King joined today with a network of healthcare providers from MaineHealth, as well as a group of students from East End Community School in Portland, to promote some of the little-noted ways in which the Affordable Care Act is having a positive impact in Maine.\r\nSenator King, who supports the Affordable Care Act (ACA) but has been critical of the flawed rollout of the federal exchange website, met with representatives from Maine\u2019s largest family of not-for-profit health care providers, MaineHealth, to discuss the marked success of the group\u2019s Accountable Care Organization (ACO). ACOs, which are incentivized under the ACA through several programs including the Medicare Shared Savings Program, attempt to facilitate coordination and cooperation among health care providers in order to improve the quality of care and reduce unnecessary costs. Specifically, ACO arrangements provide financial incentives for providers to improve quality and reduce costs by providing the payment reform necessary to invest in improved value of care for patients.\r\nSenator King also visited East End Community School in Portland, where he observed students participate in Let\u2019s Go! 5-2-1-0, a nationally-recognized childhood obesity prevention program aimed at increasing physical activity and healthy eating habits for students from birth to age eighteen. Let's Go! works to reach families where they live, study, work and play by focusing on six areas \u2013 school, afterschool, childcare, workplace, community and healthcare \u2013 and emphasizes a \u201c5-2-1-0 message\u201d (5 or more fruits and vegetables, 2 hours or less of recreational screen time, 1 hour or more of physical activity and 0 sugary drinks, more water and low fat milk a day). The Affordable Care Act invests heavily in preventive care and wellness measures, like those of Let\u2019s Go!\r\n\u201cAs I witnessed today, the Affordable Care Act is already beginning to make a positive difference here in Maine, even despite the problematic rollout of the federal exchange website,\u201d Senator King said. \u201cFor example, I saw firsthand at MaineHealth how the new law is supporting improved care practices through innovative Accountable Care Organizations, and at East End Community School I saw a nationally-recognized example of preventive and wellness care with the Let\u2019s Go! program, which the ACA is bolstering through a $2.4 million Community Transformation Grant. These ACA-supported developments will go a long way in helping Mainers to not only live healthier lives, but to also save more money in the long-run.\u201d\r\n\u201cMaineHealth has developed a large and successful Accountable Care Organization with approximately 69,000 covered lives,\u201d said Frank McGinty, Executive Vice President and Treasurer of MaineHealth. \u201cThe Affordable Care Act promoted the development of these Accountable Care arrangements through its Medicare Shared Savings Program, and MaineHealth has successfully engaged in similar contracts with commercial insurers. MaineHealth programs, sponsored by the ACA, have resulted in decreased hospital readmission rates, and they have also improved the appropriate use of imaging studies like X-rays and CT scans. Maine has the highest quality hospitals in the country, and we are working hard to deliver on the promise of the ACA, but it is important to note that our investments are jeopardized by ongoing cuts to Medicare payments.\u201d\r\nEd Kane, Harvard Pilgrim's Vice President, Maine said, \u201cThe Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation has been honored to be the primary funder of Let's Go 5-2-1-0 in Maine for some years. This year, ACA funds will provide almost 10 percent of the Let's Go 5-2-1-0 budget.\u00a0 It's a great example of the ACA's buttressing and building on prevention and wellness ideas of proven efficacy.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0\r\nBACKGROUND: Senator King has become a vocal proponent of preventive care measures, often noting that the increasing costs of health care in the United States is the primary drivers of future federal debt and deficit.\r\nIn August, Senator King joined with Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Mike Crapo (R-ID) to introduce the Preventive Health Savings Act of 2013. Among other things, the legislation would direct the Congressional Budget Office to more accurately reflect the cost-savings of preventive healthcare, including screenings. For more information on the bill, click here.\r\nSenator King, along with Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WVA) and 17 other colleagues, also introduced earlier this year the Medicare Drug Savings Act, which would eliminate a special deal for brand-name drug manufacturers that allows them to charge Medicare higher prices for prescription drugs for some seniors and people with disabilities, including about 97,000 Mainers. The bill would save $141.2 billion, helping to responsibly reduce the deficit, and avoid reckless proposals to cut Medicare benefits. For more information, click here.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/press-release/2014-congressional-summer-internship-opportunity-beckons", "2014 Congressional summer internship opportunity beckons", "2013-11-30", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "2014 Congressional summer internship opportunity beckons                                           \n              Nov 29, 2013      \t\t        \t    \n      \t            \n                    \n                                            \n          \n        \n        \n            \n    \n  \n    \n    \n    I received word this week that there are no applicants from the Northern Mariana Islands for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute\u2019s summer 2014 Congressional Internship Program. So, if you are a college student from the NMI, I encourage you to consider applying. Selection is competitive; but the reward is a 12-week paid internship in the office of a Member of Congress with training in legislation, constituent casework, and legislative research. Interns also participate in a community service project and receive educational and professional training from the Institute. The program pays for round-trip travel to Washington D.C., housing, health insurance, and provides a $2,500 stipend. I became a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus in part to open the door to this kind of opportunity, so I hope NMI students will look at all the internships, fellowships, and scholarships that CHCI has to offer. See an information packet here. And for more information about summer 2014 Congressional Internship go to https://www.chci.org/internships/.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/inos-kilili-offer-dhs-specific-ways-curb-birth-tourism", "Inos, Kilili offer DHS specific ways to curb birth tourism", "2013-11-29", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Seven months after jointly raising \u201cbirth tourism\u201d concerns with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Gov. Eloy S. Inos and Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (Ind-MP) sent another letter to DHS early this week but this time with specific suggestions to curb the problem such as requiring \u201call\u201d airlines flying to the CNMI to adopt the pre-screening and other strategies that charter tour flights have developed to deter travel to the islands for the sole purpose of giving birth to an automatic U.S. citizen. Many of those who come to Saipan solely for birth tourism\u2014mostly from China\u2014do so by boarding a signatory airline, Asiana Airlines, and not through charter tour flights. Asiana Airlines picks up passengers from Korea. This is because charter companies that fly directly between China and the CNMI \u201cproactively screen\u201d their passengers to ensure compliance with parole conditions such as travel for the authorized purpose of tourism and on-time departure, the governor and delegate said. Since 2009, tourists from China and Russia are allowed to visit the CNMI without a U.S. visa pursuant to the DHS secretary\u2019s use of parole authority. Inos and Sablan said record of experience shows that companies operating charter tour flights have been most successful in ensuring that tourists meet the parole program\u2019s requirements. \u201cAs far as we know from industry data, these charter operators have a low rate of entry refusal and a high rate of timely departure,\u201d Inos and Sablan said in their joint Nov. 25 letter to DHS acting secretary Rand Beers.\u00a0 A copy of the letter was made available only yesterday, although Sablan confirmed a letter was forthcoming, during an interview last Sunday. The federal government, through DHS and its component agencies, now control CNMI borders. The governor and the delegate said while only DHS has the official entry and exit data with which to evaluate the record industry-wide, what appears true for the charter tour flights many not hold for all airlines providing services for Chinese tourists to the CNMI. \u201cThus, we would like to encourage the Department\u2014and CBP [Customs and Border Protection] in particular\u2014to take a look at pre-screening and other strategies developed by the charter operators and confirm their effectiveness. Upon this analysis the Department might consider requiring the adoption of these best practices by all carriers transporting visitors to the Northern Marianas under the parole program,\u201d Inos and Sablan said. They said improving airline procedures in this way could benefit DHS and CBP by helping to ensure that travel under parole is done only for the authorized purposes, thereby making the most effective use of CBP officers\u2019 time at the ports of entry and allowing CBP to better prioritize its local resources. The governor and delegate said improvements based on experience would also further solidify confidence in the parole program itself, which has already resulted in Chinese tourists accounting for 26 percent of all arrivals in the CNMI and ranking second in terms of economic impact. They added that refining the parole program would also support the president\u2019s National Tourism and Travel Strategy, which is meant in part to encourage tourism from rapidly developing countries, such as China. DHS\u2019 decision to waive U.S. visa requirement for Chinese and Russian tourists has brought substantial tourism economic activities to the CNMI. But once DHS decides to lift that waiver, the impact on the CNMI would be devastating. In a previous interview, Sablan said the CNMI also would not want to catch the ire of the Chinese government, which can easily put a stop to the flow of Chinese tourists to the Commonwealth. Their Nov. 25 letter is a follow up to their April 18, 2013 letter to then DHS secretary Janet Napolitano, thanking her for her decision to use parole authority to allow tourists from China and Russia to enter the CNMI without U.S. visa. \u201cThese tourists have become the cornerstone of economic recovery in our islands; and the multi-year track record demonstrates that the parole program can coexist with United States security interests,\u201d they said. Inos and Sablan\u2019s letter, however, also expressed concern about the use of the CNMI as one of the many places in the United States attracting so-called birth tourism from China. \u201cAnd we urged Customs and Border Protection vigilance. We want to share with you now our further observation in this regard,\u201d they said in this week\u2019s letter to DHS\u2019 Beers. \u201cBirth tourism\u201d refers to travel for the purpose of giving birth to an automatic U.S. citizen child in the CNMI or any other U.S. state or territory. The United States is one of a few countries that observe jus soli, which grants automatic citizenship to children born within its territory, regardless of the parents\u2019 nationality or citizenship.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/press-release/happy-thanksgiving", "Happy Thanksgiving", "2013-11-28", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "What a profound idea President Lincoln had when setting aside a day for all of us to remember what we have to be thankful for. It is so quick and easy to say thanks, but it is so easy to forget the importance of that simple action. So today I would like to say thank you:\n...To our brave men and women in the military and to our military families, to our veterans, to our police officers and fire officers, for they risk their lives daily to protect us and to save the lives of others;\n...To our teachers, who work hard to educate and train our students to prepare them for our future;\n...To my critics, who force me to think harder about my positions, to see if I may be missing something, and, thus, help me work better and smarter in service to the people of the Northern Mariana Islands;\n...To my wife, Andrea, who, despite my absence from home over half the year, working in Washington, continues to hold our family together;\n...To my Dad, who has now passed on, but whom I am just so blessed to have had as a loving, kind, and generous Father for 58 years; and\n...To all who have entrusted me to represent them in Congress and given me the opportunity to make life better for everyone in our Commonwealth.\nMay you enjoy celebrating Thanksgiving today with family and friends.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/oped/many-steps-needed-to-keep-people-warm-this-winter", "Many steps needed to keep people warm this winter", "2013-11-28", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Many steps needed to keep people warm this winter\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                    By:\u00a0\r\n                    Senator Angus S. King, Jr.\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                \r\n                \r\n            Thursday, November 28, 2013\r\n            \n\t\n\r\n            \r\n            The days are shorter, temperatures are dropping, and families across the state are preparing for the cold months ahead. As winter arrives, a large portion of Mainers\u2019 incomes will be devoted to keeping warm. With each passing year, the cost of heating rises and for many families a higher heating bill means making difficult decisions. Families may be forced to choose between staying warm and other necessities like food or medicine.\r\nIn Congress, I\u2019ve been tackling this issue on two fronts: by working to reduce heating costs and to maintain adequate funding for programs such as the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Mainers who rely on heating oil are often those who must shoulder the greatest financial burden. Home heating oil is expensive, the price is volatile, and its emissions are harmful to our natural environment. That\u2019s why I\u2019ve been encouraging the transition away from oil, toward renewable and domestic energy sources like biomass, wind, solar, and natural gas.\r\nThis year, Senator Susan Collins and I introduced legislation to promote the economic and environmental benefits of biomass thermal energy. The Biomass Thermal Utilization Act of 2013 amends the tax code so that thermal biomass systems receive the same tax incentives as other renewable energy technologies. Biomass systems, such as wood pellet boilers, offer a local and efficient way to generate heat, save money, and invest in our state.\u00a0\r\nI know this is just a first step in helping keep people warm during the winter. As cost-saving opportunities offered by gas and alternative energy sources continue to evolve, cold winters remain a serious challenge for our state\u2019s most vulnerable families. In the face of persistently high energy prices, it is essential that we have in place adequate home heating safety nets for who need them most.\r\n  Recognizing the significance of LIHEAP funds to millions of Americans, a group of senators, including myself, wrote to the Obama Administration urging the immediate release of federal heating aid to the state agencies that administer the LIHEAP program. In early November, the Department of Health and Human Services announced the LIHEAP program would receive $33 million for home energy assistance in low-income households in Maine. While I\u2019m glad that these funds are being released, the amount has been cut under sequestration \u2014 this is unacceptable. That\u2019s why, as part of my role on the budget conference committee, I\u2019ve been working to undo the sequester.\u00a0\r\nFinally, we need to keep in mind that our first line of defense against the bitter cold is proper home weatherization. Effective insulation plays an invaluable role keeping us warm by keeping the cold air out. For those qualifying for financial assistance, the Maine Housing Authority and Efficiency Maine, as well as the federal weatherization assistance program (WAP), offer weatherization grants that can help reduce heating costs by improving home energy efficiency.\r\nThese are all important first steps and as we move into winter I will continue to keep a close eye on heating fuel prices, LIHEAP funding, and the difficult choices that some Mainers face in their efforts to keep warm. Please contact my state offices toll free at 1-800-432-1599 for assistance or more information.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/king-statement-on-the-passing-of-geneva-jean-michaud", "King Statement on the Passing of Geneva “Jean” Michaud", "2013-11-27", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "King Statement on the Passing of Geneva \u201cJean\u201d Michaud\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWednesday, November 27, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tBRUNSWICK, ME \u2013 U.S. Senator Angus King released the following statement today on the passing of Geneva \u201cJean\u201d Michaud, mother of Congressman Mike Michaud:\r\n\u201cI am saddened to learn of the passing of Jean Michaud, who by all accounts was a warm and loving woman, and whose kindness and generosity touched the lives of those fortunate to know her.\r\n\u201cIndeed, all who knew Jean recall with great fondness her sense of humor, her love of politics and public service, and her unflagging desire to help others. Her devotion to her friends, to her community, and above all, to her beloved family is and always will be a testament to her extraordinary character. Maine has certainly lost a dear friend today.\r\n\u201cMy thoughts and prayers are with Congressman Michaud and his entire family during this difficult time.\u201d\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/press-release/5-us-service-academy-slots-available-%E2%80%93-apply-nomination-today", "5 U.S. Service Academy slots available \u2013 Apply for nomination today", "2013-11-25", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "5 U.S. Service Academy slots available \u2013 Apply for nomination today                                           \n              Nov 25, 2013      \t\t        \t    \n      \t            \n                    \n                                            \n          \n        \n        \n            \n    \n  \n    \n    \n    Young men and women from the Northern Marianas interested in a high quality education and committed to serving our country are urged to apply for a congressional nomination to one of the U.S. Service Academies. As a result of enactment of U.S. Public Law 111-84, there are four openings available this year: one at the Military Academy at West Point, one at the Air Force Academy and two at the Naval Academy. There is also one position open at the Merchant Marine Academy. Attending a service academy is a unique opportunity to obtain a first-rate college education entirely free. Graduates also earn the honor of receiving an officer\u2019s commission in the U.S. Armed Forces. As your Congressman, I may make nominations, but final selections among the nominees are made by academy admission officials. They look for strong grades in high school, high SAT or ACT scores, physical ability, and leadership potential. More information and an application form are available at https://sablan.house.gov/serving-you/military-academy-nominations. Applications are due by December 13, 2013.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/king-introduces-bipartisan-legislation-to-reduce-regulatory-burden-on-maine-grocery-and-convenience-stores-", "King Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Reduce Regulatory Burden on Maine Grocery and Convenience Stores", "2013-11-25", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "King Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Reduce Regulatory Burden on Maine Grocery and Convenience Stores \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMonday, November 25, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Angus King, along with Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO), introduced legislation last week that would free grocery stores and other covered food establishments from the regulatory burdens of a poorly interpreted menu-labeling provision within the Affordable Care Act.\r\nSpecifically, the Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act of 2013 would limit the scope of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to implement a chain restaurant menu labeling provision mandated by the new healthcare law. Signed into law in March 2010, the Affordable Care Act includes a provision that calls for a national, uniform nutrition-disclosure standard for foodservice establishments, originally intended for restaurants. Regulations implementing this provision released in 2011 by the FDA, however, also unexpectedly incorporated grocery and convenience stores. In addition, the proposed rule created rigid requirements that pose an unreasonable burden on many businesses by requiring them to provide calorie information for whole menu items, irrespective of the number of servings in the product delivered to customers. For example, pizza establishments would have to label their pizzas per whole pie rather than per slice. Additionally, many grocery and convenience stores, including many across Maine, offer food bars that would be impacted by the proposed rule.\r\nSenator King\u2019s bill would codify a less burdensome approach to menu-labeling by allowing covered establishments greater flexibility in providing calorie information. Under the bill, covered establishments could present calorie information through one of several approaches, including:\r\n \r\nfor the whole product\r\nthe number of servings and the number of calories per serving\r\nthe number of calories per the common unit of division\r\n \r\n\u201cGrocers, restaurants, and food providers across Maine are already struggling with a sluggish economy and cumbersome federal regulations,\u201d Senator King said. \u201cRegulations play an important role in keeping people safe, but we have to ensure they are smart, targeted, and effective. Otherwise, they will only stifle economic growth. My common sense legislation with Senator Blunt is a scale-appropriate approach to menu labeling regulations that will provide consumers with the information they need without unnecessarily burdening food providers.\u201d\r\nThe National Association for Convenience Stores, the National Grocers Association and the Food Marketing Institute have endorsed Senator King\u2019s bill, as well as Hannaford and the Maine Grocers Association:\r\n\u201cHannaford commends Senator King for the leadership he has shown in sponsoring legislation that ensures FDA does not overstep its authority in its imposition of menu labeling requirements,\u201d said Teross Young, Vice President of Government Relations for Delhaize America, parent company of Hannaford. \u201cTime spent dealing with costly and burdensome regulatory requirements is time we are not able to devote to serving our customers and providing them with the highest-quality produce, meat and deli products.\u201d\r\n\u201cThe Maine Grocers Association thanks Senator King for sponsoring legislation that protects Maine\u2019s supermarket operators, as well as the 200 family owned and operated grocery stores that operate under a marketing banner such as IGA or Shurfine, from potential FDA overreach when implementing restaurant menu labeling requirements,\u201d said Shelley F. Doak, Executive Director of the Maine Grocers Association. \u201cThe bill introduced by Sen. King will allow Maine\u2019s grocers to continue focusing on providing the fresh, local products that our customers desire.\u201d\r\nFor more information on The Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act of 2013, click here.\r\nThis legislation represents the second-time Senators King and Blunt have teamed-up to streamline ineffective federal regulations. In July, the Senators introduced the Regulatory Improvement Act of 2013, a bill that would create a Regulatory Improvement Commission to review outdated regulations with the goal of modifying, consolidating, or repealing regulations in order to reduce compliance costs, encourage growth and innovation, and improve competitiveness.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/article/our-view-filibuster-reform-right-move-for-senate", "Our View: Filibuster reform right move for Senate", "2013-11-23", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Our View: Filibuster reform right move for Senate\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n                \r\n                Most Americans want action, not dysfunction, from Washington.\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                    By:\u00a0\r\n                    Press Herald Editorial Board\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                \r\n                \r\n            Saturday, November 23, 2013\r\n            \n\t\n\r\n            \r\n            If there was a single issue that really mattered in the last U.S. Senate race in Maine, it was anger over the dysfunction in Washington.\r\nIndependent Angus King ran on a promise to work with both parties, and to challenge the rules of the Senate that give a minority of senators the ability to stop the other branches of government from doing their jobs. Pundits said that you can\u2019t build a campaign around \u201cprocess\u201d instead of policy, but King won with 53 percent of the vote, no mean trick for a non-party candidate in a three-way race.\r\nMaine voters got what they asked for Thursday when King voted with most Democrats to change the Senate rules to allow an up-or-down vote for every executive branch appointment and judicial nomination for courts other than the Supreme Court. This has been described as a \u201cnuclear\u201d attack, a \u201cnaked power grab\u201d by Democrats that jettisons centuries of tradition. But it\u2019s not.\r\nIt is a much-needed correction for an institution that was not functioning. With congressional approval ratings in the single digits, this was no time to stick with business as usual.\r\nIt\u2019s not surprising that most of the criticism comes from Republican senators, who say this will change the way the body has operated for centuries.\r\n\u201cThis is contrary to not only the long-standing rules of the Senate but our traditions of respecting minority (party) rights,\u201d said Maine Sen. Susan Collins.\r\nBut it is what the Republicans have been doing in the Senate over the last four-and-a-half years that is the real aberration, and the new Senate rules will bring the practice back to something closer to the norm.\r\nAs Reid pointed out Thursday, there have been 168 filibusters of executive and judicial nominations in the nation\u2019s history. Half of them have occurred during the Obama administration.\r\nHe said there have been 23 filibusters of district court nominations in the entire history of our country. Twenty of those were nominated by Obama. The break with tradition did not start on Thursday.\r\nIf all these blocked nominations were because Obama was nominating ideological extremists, it might make sense. But even when they block these candidates from being considered, Republican senators say that it\u2019s not about the nominee\u2019s qualifications.\r\nWilliam Kayatta, a Portland lawyer with stellar qualifications and the endorsement of Maine\u2019s two Republican senators, saw his nomination for the U.S. Court of Appeals stalled for more than a year by senators who had hoped that a Republican would win the 2012 presidential election and nominate someone else. This not only interfered with the work of the courts, but it gave all potential nominees a reason to think twice about accepting a nomination.\r\nAnd as for giving power to the Democrats, that\u2019s true for now but may not be true much longer. The Democrats are holding on to a 53-45 majority that they could easily lose. If the Republicans were to regain the Senate and the White House in the next two elections, it is unlikely that they would change these new rules, even though they now call them \u201cbad for our Democracy.\u201d They would want their party to be able to name judges and executive branch officials to carry out the voters wishes.\r\nSen. Republican leader Sen. Mitch McConnell was exactly right when he said \u201cThe solution to this problem is an election.\u201d\r\nThat is where these kind of issues should be decided. The voters elect a president and Congress, and they lead the government.\r\nIt turns out that you can have an election on \u201cprocess.\u201d And most voters would favor action over dysfunction every time.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/collins-king-announce-135000-for-damariscotta-mills-fish-ladder-restoration-project-", "Collins, King Announce $135,000 for Damariscotta Mills Fish Ladder Restoration Project", "2013-11-23", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Collins, King Announce $135,000 for Damariscotta Mills Fish Ladder Restoration Project \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tSaturday, November 23, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced that the Nobleboro Historical Society has been awarded a $135,000 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to support the Final Phase of the Damariscotta Mills Fish Ladder Restoration project.\u00a0\r\n\u201cFish ladders play an indispensable role maintaining the balance of our marine ecosystem as well as the health of our lakes, rivers, and streams,\u201d said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement. \u201cThis grant will help support our fishing communities by strengthening the local food chains that they depend on. Enabling alewives, and other feeder fish, to access spawning grounds is an important step in that process. We are pleased to support the community effort to restore and improve this historic fish ladder. It is a wonderful local attraction where families from all over Maine can experience one of nature\u2019s most spectacular events when the fish run every spring.\u201d\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/press-release/another-69m-water-and-sewer-money-cuc-17m-deq-operations", "Another $6.9m in water and sewer money for CUC; $1.7m for DEQ operations", "2013-11-22", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Another $6.9m in water and sewer money for CUC; $1.7m for DEQ operations                                           \n              Nov 22, 2013      \t\t        \t    \n      \t            \n                    \n                                            \n          \n        \n        \n            \n    \n  \n    \n    \n    The change we won in 2010 to increase drinking water and wastewater construction grants continues to pay off year after year. The Environmental Protection Agency announced $6.9 million in water and sewer grants to the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation this week. Before we got the funding formula changed the Commonwealth was only receiving about $1 million a year. Since the increase we have received $37 million; and Saipan has reached the goal of 24-hour water in many areas. The Commonwealth\u2019s Division of Environmental Quality \u2013 part of the newly formed Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality \u2013 was also awarded this week $1.7 million to carry out its operations, including beach monitoring, permitting, and other environmental protection programs. Thanks to all the staff and management at CUC and the new Bureau for improving our water system and protecting our environment.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/this-week-in-washington-filibuster-reform-ndaa-and-sec-hagels-visit-to-biw", "This Week in Washington: Filibuster Reform, NDAA, and Sec. Hagel’s visit to BIW", "2013-11-22", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "This Week in Washington: Filibuster Reform, NDAA, and Sec. Hagel\u2019s visit to BIW\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFriday, November 22, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 In his ongoing effort to keep people at home up to date with his work in the Senate, U.S. Senator Angus King took a few minutes to highlight this week\u2019s events in Washington.\r\nIn his recap, Senator King discussed:\r\n- His recent vote in support of filibuster reform, which reflects his belief that judicial and executive nominees, excluding Supreme Court nominees, deserve an up-or-down vote in the Senate regardless of what party is in the majority or controls the White House.\u00a0\r\n- His work on the National Defense Authorization Act, which contains several provisions designed to support Maine\u2019s shipbuilding and footwear industries.\u00a0\u00a0\r\n- Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel\u2019s visit to BIW, following invitations from Senator King and Senator Collins.\r\nThe full video of Senator King\u2019s weekly recap can be viewed below. A broadcast quality version of the video can also be downloaded here.\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/blog/sec-hagel-visits-bath-iron-works", "Sec. Hagel Visits Bath Iron Works", "2013-11-21", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Thursday, November 21, 2013\n\t\t\t\t Sec. Hagel Visits Bath Iron Works \n\t\t\t\t\n                 \n\t\n\t            \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t  \t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\tOn Thursday, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel visited Bath Iron Works to\u00a0witness firsthand the shipyard's immeasurable value and significant contributions to our Navy and national defense. The men and women at BIW are among the finest shipbuilders in the world. Their commitment to excellence and dedication to building the highest quality ships is unparalleled. While visiting the facility, Sec. Hagel had an opportunity to tour the recently launched USS Zumwalt, the first DDG-1000. Department of Defense photos of his tour can be viewed here. For more information see below:\r\nHagel Visits First Zumwalt-class Destroyer\r\nBy Karen Parrish   American Forces Press Service\r\nBATH, Maine, Nov. 21, 2013 \u2013 Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the not-yet-launched Zumwalt-class destroyer he toured here today \u201crepresents the cutting edge of our naval capabilities.\u201d\r\nThe ship, now known as the Pre-Commissioning Unit, or PCU, Zumwalt, will become the USS Zumwalt, named for former Navy Adm. Elmo Zumwalt. Officials said the ship is about a year away from joining the fleet.\r\nNow littered with large protective crates storing systems not yet installed, the ship is being fitted with new automated systems. The Zumwalt, Navy officials explained, has highly accurate long-range weapons, an impressive power generation capability and a design emphasizing \u201cstealthy\u201d radar-defeating materials and shapes.\r\nThe ship will be home ported in San Diego, Hagel noted, and it \u201crepresents an important shift \u2026 in America\u2019s interests to the Asia-Pacific,\u201d he told a mixed crowd of sailors, government civilians and General Dynamics employees assembled near where the ship is docked.\r\nHagel thanked General Dynamics and its workforce at Bath Iron Works, which will produce all three of the Zumwalt-class ships planned for production. The secretary called the facility \u201ca magnificent institution that\u2019s been part of the security of this country for 130 years.\u201d\r\nThe secretary also spoke to a number of sailors and defense civilians present, who are working to get the ship ready for active duty. Hagel thanked them and their families for their service.\r\nSharon E. Burke, assistant secretary of defense for operational energy plans and programs, accompanied Hagel\u2019s delegation on the ship tour. Later, she spoke to reporters while en route to Halifax, Nova Scotia, where Hagel landed later in the day for an international security forum that starts tomorrow.\r\nBurke said that the ship\u2019s power generation capacity -- 78 megawatts, impressed her. One megawatt of power can power about 1,000 American homes.\r\nThe massive amount of available power makes the ship expandable for future weapon systems such as rail guns, which \u201ctake a lot of pulse power,\u201d Burke noted.\r\n\u201cAlso, you\u2019re running a lot of very sophisticated systems on that ship,\u201d she said. \u201cIt gives them a lot of room to be able to run all those systems.\u201d\r\nThe ship can generate 78 megawatts of power, and can channel it to propulsion, shipboard use and weapons systems. Officials said the guided missile destroyer is the first Navy ship to be fully electrical, and it was designed to use automated systems as much as possible to decrease the number of sailors needed as crew.\r\nFor example, officials said, automatic systems route, store and load the 300 rounds of 24-pound ammunition each of the ship\u2019s two 155mm guns can fire. The guns have, in testing, successfully fired at a rate of 10 rounds a minute and with 20- to 40-inch accuracy at a range of more than 60 nautical miles, officials noted.\r\n(Follow Karen Parrish on Twitter: @ParrishAFPS)", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/blog/staying-warm-this-winter", "Staying Warm this Winter", "2013-11-21", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Thursday, November 21, 2013\n\t\t\t\t Staying Warm this Winter \n\t\t\t\t\n                        by Senator Angus King \n                        \n                 \n\t\n\t            \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t  \t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThe days are shorter, temperatures are dropping, and families across the state are preparing for the cold months ahead.\u00a0 As winter arrives, a large portion of Mainers\u2019 incomes will be devoted to keeping warm.\u00a0 With each passing year, the cost of heating rises and for many families a higher heating bill means making difficult decisions.\u00a0 Families may be forced to choose between staying warm and other necessities like food or medicine.\r\nIn Congress, I\u2019ve been tackling this issue on two fronts: by working to reduce heating costs and to maintain adequate funding for programs such as the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Mainers who rely on heating oil are often those who must shoulder the greatest financial burden. Home heating oil is expensive, the price is volatile, and its emissions are harmful to our natural environment. That\u2019s why I\u2019ve been encouraging the transition away from oil, towards renewable and domestic energy sources like biomass, wind, solar, and natural gas.\u00a0\r\nThis year, Senator Susan Collins and I introduced legislation to promote the economic and environmental benefits of biomass thermal energy. The Biomass Thermal Utilization Act of 2013 amends the tax code so that thermal biomass systems receive the same tax incentives as other renewable energy technologies. Biomass systems, such as wood pellet boilers, offer a local and efficient way to generate heat, save money, and invest in our state.\r\nI know this is just a first step in helping keep people warm during the winter.\u00a0 As cost-saving opportunities offered by gas and alternative energy sources continue to evolve, cold winters remain a serious challenge for our state\u2019s most vulnerable families.\u00a0 In the face of persistently high energy prices, it is essential that we have in place adequate home heating safety nets for who need them most.\r\nRecognizing the significance of LIHEAP funds to millions of Americans, a group of senators, including myself, wrote to the Obama Administration urging the immediate release of federal heating aid to the state agencies that administer the LIHEAP program. In early November, the Department of Health and Human Services announced the LIHEAP program would receive $33 million for home energy assistance in low-income households in Maine. While I\u2019m glad that these funds are being released, the amount has been cut under sequestration \u2013 this is unacceptable. That\u2019s why, as part of my role on the budget conference committee, I\u2019ve been working to undo the sequester.\r\nFinally, we need to keep in mind that our first line of defense against the bitter cold is proper home weatherization.\u00a0 Effective insulation plays an invaluable role keeping us warm by keeping the cold air out.\u00a0 For those qualifying for financial assistance, the Maine Housing Authority and Efficiency Maine, as well as the federal weatherization assistance program (WAP), offer weatherization grants that can help reduce heating costs by improving home energy efficiency.\r\nThese are all important first steps and as we move into winter I will continue to keep a close eye on heating fuel prices, LIHEAP funding, and the difficult choices that some Mainers face in their efforts to keep warm. Please contact my state offices toll free at 1-800-432-1599 for assistance or more information.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/king-statement-on-vote-to-alter-filibuster-rule", "King Statement on Vote to Alter Filibuster Rule", "2013-11-21", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "King Statement on Vote to Alter Filibuster Rule\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, November 21, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) released the following statement today after voting in support of a rule change that alters the filibuster to allow for a majority vote threshold on executive and judicial nominations, except those to the Supreme Court:\r\n\u201cI entered the Senate with significant concern for the way the filibuster was being continually, and in my belief, inappropriately, used to stall judicial and executive nominations and prevent legislation from moving forward. Over the past eleven months in office, and despite several earlier informal agreements brokered to ameliorate the problem, I believe the abuse of the filibuster has only grown worse, most recently with repeated partisan objections to a series of the President\u2019s nominees to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.\r\n\u201cIt is important to me to go back to the language of the Constitution on this question. Article II, Section 2, defines the President\u2019s power to enter into treaties, make executive and judicial nominations, and identifies the role of the Senate in this process. Significantly, this provision specifies that the President\u2019s power to enter into treaties must be approved by two-thirds of the Senate, while in the same sentence, no such super-majority requirement is imposed in connection with presidential appointments. I believe that today\u2019s action is more fully consistent with the terms of the Constitution than the previous extra-Constitutional practice which imposed a super-majority requirement for these nominations.\r\n\u201cMy support of the rule change was not an easy decision to reach, but it reflects my belief that these nominees deserve an up-or-down vote by the Senate, regardless of which party is in the majority or which party controls the White House, and that a structural adjustment was necessary in order for that to occur and for the Senate to function better as an institution. It is important to underscore that this change still preserves protections for the minority in the consideration of legislation, and only modifies the filibuster as it pertains to judicial and executive nominations, excluding those to the Supreme Court.\r\n\u201cMoving forward, I urge my colleagues to see the importance and value of vigorous debate and thoughtful compromise. The country only suffers when we are not able to bridge the partisan divide and, instead, utilize procedural moves to obstruct the work of the Congress from going forward. There is a significant amount of work that the Senate, and Congress as a whole, needs to accomplish and if we are to move the nation forward, we will need to find ways to work together.\u201d\u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senators-collins-king-welcome-defense-secretary-to-bath-iron-works", "Senators Collins, King Welcome Defense Secretary to Bath Iron Works", "2013-11-21", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senators Collins, King Welcome Defense Secretary to Bath Iron Works\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, November 21, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. --\u00a0U.S. Senators Susan Collins, a member of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, and Angus King, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today welcomed U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel to Bath Iron Works.\u00a0 Both Senator Collins and Senator King extended invitations to Secretary Hagel to visit all defense facilities in Maine, including BIW, during his confirmation process earlier this year.\u00a0 Unfortunately, due to Senate consideration of the Fiscal Year 2014 National Defense Authorization bill, neither Senator was able to accompany Secretary Hagel on his visit.\r\n\u201cI am delighted that Secretary Hagel has accepted our invitation to see our nation's finest shipyard, and I know he will be impressed with the work of the dedicated men and women of Bath Iron Works,\u201d said Senator Collins. \u201cBIW remains an extraordinary asset to the Navy, and I am pleased that Secretary Hagel will have the opportunity for a first-hand look at the ongoing shipyard programs, including a tour of the very first DDG-1000.\u00a0 While I regret that official Senate business prevents me from accompanying the Secretary, I am confident that he will see the exceptional skill and experience of BIW's workers and the tremendous efficiencies in the yard that reap benefits for the Navy and the taxpayers.\u201d\r\n\u201cI am pleased to join Senator Collins in welcoming Secretary Hagel to Maine and to Bath Iron Works, and regret that I could not personally accompany him on his tour due to ongoing work in the Senate,\u201d Senator King said. \u201cThe Secretary's visit comes at an important time for the shipyard as it completes its work on the cutting-edge DDG-1000, and I have no doubt that during his tour he will come to witness firsthand the shipyard's immeasurable value, its significant contributions to our Navy and national defense, as well as its world-class workforce, all of whom are committed to building nothing but the finest ships in the world.\u201d\r\nSecretary Hagel will visit BIW en route to meetings this weekend at the Halifax Security Conference.\u00a0 Senator Collins is also scheduled to attend the conference and to meet with Secretary Hagel while there. Senator King met personally with Secretary Hagel earlier this month at the Pentagon.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/article/mt-ararat-makes-textbooks-real-with-capitol-class", "Mt. Ararat makes textbooks real with ‘Capitol Class’", "2013-11-19", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Mt. Ararat makes textbooks real with \u2018Capitol Class\u2019\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                    By:\u00a0\r\n                    Darcie Moore\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                \r\n                \r\n            Tuesday, November 19, 2013\r\n            \n\t\n\r\n            \r\n            Teaching students the structure of the nation\u2019s government, teacher Sewall Janeway said he tries to make class special every year by finding a way to make textbook material come alive.\r\nThat is why he contacted U.S. Sen. Angus King\u2019s office in September.\r\nKing \u201ccame to\u201d\u00a0Mt. Ararat High School\u00a0on Nov. 7 with a virtual appearance via Skype \u2014 the online video-conferencing service.\r\nRecently, seniors in both Advanced Placement government classes gathered in the high school\u2019s Learning Commons \u2014 formerly the library, now transformed into a place that now combines the library and technology experience \u2014 to pepper King with questions about governance.\r\nKing answered, the conversation was recorded on both ends, and the exchange is now posted on YouTube where the two video streams play side-by-side.\r\nIt is a program King does called \u201cCapitol Class.\u201d Thus far, Janeway said, Mt. Ararat is one of only a few schools to participate.\r\nStudents asked King several questions, ranging from the difference between the jobs of governor and senator; the challenges and opportunities he\u2019s faced as an independent in a partisan Congress; how many bills he\u2019s sponsored and that process; how he was appointed to committees \u2014 Armed Services, Budget, Rules and Intelligence; and to weigh in on the direction of the Affordable Care Act and campaign finance.\r\n\r\n\r\nIsabella Leon of\u00a0Harpswell\u00a0said, \u201cEvery class we start out talking about the current events ... so we get a good sense of what\u2019s happening, and then relate it to what we\u2019re studying about the government.\u201d\r\n\r\n\r\nThe class has studied Congress and the presidency and just studied the Supreme Court.\r\n\u201cI\u2019m really happy we\u2019re talking about current events, just because it opens my eyes to what\u2019s going on \u2014 the different parties, too,\u201d Leon said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s kind of nice to talk about the governmental structure as well.\u201d\r\nJonah Levy of\u00a0Harpswell\u00a0planned to ask King about his committee work, which King answered in his introduction, so Levy asked King what work he had been doing on the Intelligence Committee.\r\n\u201cIt\u2019s only his first year and he\u2019s already got such a diverse set of issues he\u2019s dealing with,\u201d Levy said.\r\nEllison Etnier of\u00a0Harpswell\u00a0said he was surprised to hear King hasn\u2019t been approached by many lobbyists, \u201cand I was expecting a lot of people to be approaching him, especially as an independent who could potentially be swayed from one side to the other.\u201d\r\nLevy added that one would think that, as a newcomer to the Senate, lobbyists would want to influence him early on.\r\nConnie Hodge of Topsham asked King if he would run again for the Senate, and his response \u2014 that it is too early to be able to answer that \u2014 surprised Leon.\r\nHodge added that \u201cI feel like that\u2019s always on their minds,\u201d and as a politician he would always be working to garner the favor of his constituency.\r\n\u201cHe said it was like asking us if we knew what we were going to do after college,\u201d Leon said.\r\n\u201cI was very impressed with how quick on his feet he was,\u201d Janeway said. \u201cHe didn\u2019t say \u2018uh\u2019 or \u2018um\u2019 and he felt very loose and comfortable and interested.\u201d\r\n\u201cHe used a lot of vocabulary terms from our book, which is neat to have that brought to life,\u201d Leon said \u2014 terms like \u201coversight\u201d and \u201cconference committee.\u201d\r\n\u201cThat\u2019s one of the things about government. Some of what you learn in a textbook, I hate to say it, it\u2019s a little bit dry. But having (King) talk about it definitely made it more interesting because you see how it actually works,\u201d Etnier said.\r\nHodge said she almost didn\u2019t take the class but she is glad she did, \u201cbecause I\u2019m going to be 18 soon and so I\u2019ll get to vote so knowing all this stuff is going to make it a lot easier to decide which kind of things I want to vote for and understand what they\u2019re about on the ballot because there are a lot of complicated things.\u201d\r\nEvery year Janeway has a different group, sometimes highly charged, partisan groups he can barely keep from yelling at each other about issues.\r\nBut this year\u2019s class is focused on process versus arguing policy, he said, which is what the curriculum is about.\r\nWhile it\u2019s an off-election year, there\u2019s always something big going on; most recently the government shutdown and the Affordable Care Act debate and \u201cevery year there seems to be something we can latch onto and make the stuff that\u2019s in our textbook real,\u201d Janeway said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t fail.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/media/11-19-13-sen-king-on-the-takeaway", "11-19-13 Sen. King on \"The Takeaway\"", "2013-11-19", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Skip to primary navigation Skip to main content\n\n\t\n\n    \n    \n        \n            \n            \n                \n\t\n    \n\t\n    \n\t\n    \n\t\n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n                \n                \n                \n                \n                \n                \n                \n            \n             11-19-13 Sen. King on \"The Takeaway\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/press-release/us-responds-yolanda-disaster", "US responds to Yolanda disaster", "2013-11-18", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "US responds to Yolanda disaster                                           \n              Nov 18, 2013      \t\t        \t    \n      \t            \n                    \n                                            \n          \n        \n        \n            \n    \n  \n    \n    \n    America has a long history with the people of the Philippines, so we are responding quickly and forcefully to the humanitarian needs there in the wake of Typhoon Yolanda. The U.S. Government is already providing more than $22 million in assistance for emergency shelter, water, and sanitation, as well as helping with airlifts of government and private relief supplies to storm-battered areas. Latest reports indicate the typhoon affected 8.7 million people, leaving 819,000 homeless, and causing up to 4,460 deaths. In the Northern Marianas we know what it feels like to be hit by a typhoon. So, our hearts and prayers go out to the people of the Philippines. Members of Congress are prohibited by ethics rules from using official resources to solicit or collect donations of goods, funds, or services on behalf of private organizations, but I have provided a link on my official website, https://sablan.house.gov/typhoon-yolanda-relief, to official government websites that give details about how constituents may help, if you want to.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/king-and-rockefeller-urge-hospital-physician-support-for-medicare-drug-savings-act", "KING AND ROCKEFELLER URGE HOSPITAL, PHYSICIAN SUPPORT FOR MEDICARE DRUG SAVINGS ACT", "2013-11-18", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "KING AND ROCKEFELLER URGE HOSPITAL, PHYSICIAN SUPPORT FOR MEDICARE DRUG SAVINGS ACT\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tLegislation proposed as a permanent way to pay for \u201cDoc fix\u201d\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMonday, November 18, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON D.C.\u2014 Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Chairman of the Health Care Subcommittee of the Senate Finance Committee, and Senator Angus King (I-ME), are asking more than 65 physician, provider, and hospital groups for their support of the Medicare Drug Savings Act which provides a path to permanently fix the Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR). These groups stand to benefit the most from a stable reimbursement system, which is why Senators Rockefeller and King have asked for their support in urging other Senators to vote to return to the pharmaceutical payment system which existed before Medicare Part D was enacted 10 years ago.\u00a0\r\n\u201cYear after year, it has not been how to reconfigure the Medicare payment system that has stymied progress but the failure to identify a way to pay for these changes. This year may finally be different,\u201d Rockefeller and King wrote. \u201cThe Medicare Drug Savings Act is a sensible way to pay for replacing the SGR. It would return drug pricing for the dual eligibles to the same mechanism that was used prior to the passage of Part D and still for the Medicaid program, a mechanism that would not harm patients, doctors or hospitals in any way.\u00a0 With this simple change we can finally move beyond the SGR and create needed certainty and stability for both physicians and hospitals.\u201d\r\nTo read a sample letter, please click\u00a0here and full text of the letter is below. A comprehensive list of groups the Senators contacted is available upon request. \r\nIn late October, Rockefeller recommended to his colleagues on the Senate Finance Committee that the Medicare Drug Savings Act be used to pay for the so-called \u201cDoc fix\u201d, as it would save $141.2 billion over ten years \u2013 a savings that could fully pay for the permanent SGR fix.\r\nThe Medicare Drug Savings Act restores discount pricing on medications for low-income patients who are dually eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid.\u00a0 Even though these are among the most vulnerable patients, Congress removed their rebated pricing in 2003 when it created the Medicare drug benefit. The bill would restore those rebates, which would provide the savings needed to fix the SGR once and for all.\r\nThrough a series of patches, Congress has already spent $150 billion on the SGR problem without actually fixing it.\u00a0 Rockefeller and King believe the Medicare Drug Savings Act is a path to a comprehensive and permanent fix to this issue that does not harm beneficiaries. This year, CBO estimates the cost of a permanent fix could be nearly $140 billion dollars over ten years, a much lower cost estimate than in past years. It is also less than the amount Congress has spent on consecutive short-term fixes to the problem.  While Congress could simply patch the program again, that would do nothing to create stability in the program for Medicare providers and their patients, and it would waste the opportunity presented this year by CBO\u2019s lower cost estimate for a permanent SGR fix.\u00a0 \u00a0\r\nAbout the SGR:\u00a0 \r\nMedicare payments for services of physicians and certain non-physician practitioners are made on the basis of a fee schedule, commonly referred to as the sustainable growth rate (SGR) system. The SGR formula was originally intended to rein in the growth in Medicare costs by setting some boundaries on physician reimbursement.\u00a0 While the formula was well-intended, rising medical costs ended up triggering unpopular cuts to physicians\u2019 Medicare payments.\u00a0 Year after year, Congress patched the program and postponed these cuts.\u00a0 But now, the cuts have accumulated and, unless Congress intervenes, Medicare physician payments will be reduced by 25 percent on January 1, 2014.\u00a0If such a large cut were made, it is believed that physicians would leave the Medicare program.\u00a0\r\nFull text of the letter is below:\r\nWe are writing to you regarding the Sustainable Growth rate (SGR).\u00a0 While well intended, this 1997 deficit reduction effort, which set Medicare reimbursement rates using a formula tied to economic growth, \u201chas failed to restrain volume growth and, in fact, may have exacerbated it.\" (Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, October 14, 2011 letter to lawmakers).\r\nThere is widespread, bipartisan agreement that the SGR is broken beyond repair and yet, year after year, a permanent fix has remained out of reach.\u00a0 While there remains some difference of opinion on the details of what would replace the SGR, the general outlines are clear.\u00a0 We must continue to move toward a system of payment that encourages wise treatment decisions and focuses on the quality of care provided with an eye toward improving outcomes in a cost-effective way.\u00a0\r\nYear after year, it has not been how to reconfigure the Medicare payment system that has stymied progress but the failure to identify a way to pay for these changes.\u00a0 This year may finally be different.\u00a0 At $138 billion over ten years, the base cost of permanently replacing the SGR is at the lowest it has been in years.\u00a0 At the same time, the cost to taxpayers of paying non-discounted drug prices for the 9.6 million Americans who rely on both Medicare and Medicaid is at an all-time high.\u00a0 Just by going back to paying rebate pricing for this group (less than 20% of the full Medicare population), $141.2 billion could be saved over ten years, fully paying for the a permanent fix of the SGR.\r\nThe Medicare Drug Savings Act (S. 740,\u00a0 H.R. 1588) is a sensible way to pay for replacing the SGR. It would return drug pricing for the dual eligibles to the same mechanism that was used prior to the passage of Part D and still for the Medicaid program, a mechanism that would not harm patients, doctors or hospitals in any way.\u00a0 With this simple change we can finally move beyond the SGR and create needed certainty and stability for both physicians and hospitals.\r\nThis solution will not be possible without your help.\u00a0 It is time for every provider that relies on Medicare to take a stand not just on the need to eliminate the SGR but on a sensible way to get it done.\u00a0 If your policy committee has not yet reviewed the Medicare Drug Savings Act, we ask that you have them do so as soon as possible.\u00a0 Your endorsement of this key legislation could be the difference between yet another short-term patch and a permanent solution.\r\n\u00a0\r\nSincerely,\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \r\nJohn D. Rockefeller IV \u00a0 \r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \r\nAngus King\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/press-release/another-reap-grant-alternative-energy-nmi", "Another REAP grant for alternative energy in the NMI", "2013-11-17", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Another REAP grant for alternative energy in the NMI                                           \n              Nov 17, 2013      \t\t        \t    \n      \t            \n                    \n                                            \n          \n        \n        \n            \n    \n  \n    \n    \n    Servino & Associates, Inc. is the recipient of a $2,633 Renewable Energy Assistance grant from the Department of Agriculture. The company will use the funds to buy a 5 kilowatt, grid-tied photovoltaic system for its offices on Saipan. This is the second REAP grant announced in the Northern Marianas this month. Earlier Marianas Business Plaza was granted $500,000, also to use for solar electrical generation. Congratulations to Servino & Associates.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/press-release/165565-awarded-department-public-safety", "$165,565 awarded to Department of Public Safety", "2013-11-16", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "$165,565 awarded to Department of Public Safety                                           \n              Nov 16, 2013      \t\t        \t    \n      \t            \n                    \n                                            \n          \n        \n        \n            \n    \n  \n    \n    \n    The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced the award of $165,565 to the Commonwealth\u2019s Department of Public Safety. The grant will support state highway safety programs aimed at improving driver behavior to reduce deaths and injuries. Congratulations to DPS.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/oped/alternative-web-sites-provide-information-about-insurance-plans-under-aca_read-more-st-john-valley-times---column-alternative-web-sites-provide-information-about-insurance-plans-under-aca-", "Alternative Web sites provide information about insurance plans under ACA  Read more: St. John Valley Times - COLUMN Alternative Web sites provide information about insurance plans under ACA", "2013-11-16", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Alternative Web sites provide information about insurance plans under ACA  Read more: St. John Valley Times - COLUMN Alternative Web sites provide information about insurance plans under ACA \t\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                    By:\u00a0\r\n                    Senator Angus S. King, Jr.\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                \r\n                \r\n            Saturday, November 16, 2013\r\n            \n\t\n\r\n            \r\n            Millions of Americans across the country have expressed their frustrations with the new healthcare Web site. I count myself among those who are disappointed with the President\u2019s rollout of the Affordable Care Act. The failure to create a functioning Web site to provide people with the necessary information and resources to enroll in new insurance plans is inexcusable. Furthermore, it has left a large number of folks in the uncomfortable position of losing their existing plans, while unable to learn about new options available to them. That is why I supported the President\u2019s one year delay on the expiration of existing plans that had previously been canceled because they do not meet the ACA\u2019s standards. His proposal will allow people more time to consider their options while continuing their current coverage.\r\nHowever, despite problems with the new healthcare law\u2019s implementation, it\u2019s important to keep in mind that the purpose of the law is to offer higher quality health insurance to more people at a more affordable price. A goal that I still believe marks a step in the right direction for our country. Every year, too many lives are lost from a lack of healthcare insurance - taking an unbearable toll on our communities and the strength of our economy.\r\nSo as the White House works to resolve problems with healthcare.gov, I am encouraging people to access information about available insurance plans under the ACA through alternative resources. For example, TheHeathSherpa.com allows visitors to compare healthcare plans that meet ACA standards in the 34 states without existing marketplace Web sites, including Maine. While plans cannot be purchased through the site itself, it offers a way to learn about which options best meet their unique need and direct users to private insurance sites or telephone numbers to call to enroll. Another useful resource is enroll207.com. Enroll207 is a project started by the Maine Health Access Foundation that connects people with certified assisters who can help Mainers review options through the Maine Health Insurance Marketplace. They provide free and confidential services and a great side-by-side comparison of different policies available. To learn about other resources, feel free to contact members of my staff in Maine at 800-432-1599. It is my hope that the Administration will have successfully fixed the Web site by the end of the month at which point people in Maine and across the country will be able to enroll in new insurance plans that provide quality coverage at a lower cost. Until then, however, I remain committed to providing Mainers with as many resources as possible to learn about options available to them.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/press-release/noaa-reports-253940-lbs-fish-caught-marianas", "NOAA reports 253,940 lbs. of fish caught in the Marianas", "2013-11-15", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "NOAA reports 253,940 lbs. of fish caught in the Marianas                                           \n              Nov 15, 2013      \t\t        \t    \n      \t            \n                    \n                                            \n          \n        \n        \n            \n    \n  \n    \n    \n    The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has released the latest edition of Fisheries of the United States. NOAA reports that 253,940 pounds of fish, valued at $581,404, were harvested commercially in the Northern Marianas in 2012. Of the U.S. territories, American Samoa had the highest commercial landings both in quantity \u2013 9 million pounds \u2013 and in value \u2013 $9.7 million. Guam had the lowest reported catch: 200,000 pounds valued at $507,743. Not including the territories, U.S. commercial fishermen landed 9.6 billion pounds of seafood valued at $5.1 billion. NOAA\u2019s report can be found online at: https://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/commercial-fisheries/fus/fus12/index.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/press-release/water-resources-bill-moves-forward", "Water resources bill moves forward", "2013-11-15", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Water resources bill moves forward                                           \n              Nov 15, 2013      \t\t        \t    \n      \t            \n                    \n                                            \n          \n        \n        \n            \n    \n  \n    \n    \n    The House has appointed its members to the conference committee on the Water Resources Reform and Development Act. The conference committee will reconcile differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill and recommend final passage. The House version of H.R.3080 includes my provision doubling the waiver of the local match requirement for Army Corps projects in the Northern Mariana Islands. This will increase the current $200,000 waiver, set in 1986, to reflect inflation over the last 27 years. The new waiver should be in excess of $400,000, meaning projects can go forward without $400,000 of Commonwealth money. Last week, I joined with 29 other Members from both sides of the aisle calling for appointment of the conferees in a letter to Speaker John Boehner (Ohio) and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (California). I appreciate their quick response to our request. Typical Army Corps projects in the NMI recently have included the Rota Harbor improvements completed in 2008 and the on-going Susupe-Chalan Kanoa Drainage Plan to address flooding in those villages. If WRRDA is enacted with my provision, the planned Outer Cove Marina project and the Saipan Lagoon Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration project could each cost the Commonwealth over $200,000 less.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/blog/this-week-in-washington-judicial-nominations-budget-proposal-and-ndaa", "This Week in Washington: Judicial Nominations, Budget Proposal, and NDAA", "2013-11-15", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Skip to primary navigation Skip to main content\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n        \t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFriday, November 15, 2013\n\t\t\t\tThis Week in Washington: Judicial Nominations, Budget Proposal, and NDAA", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/this-week-in-washington-judicial-nominations-budget-proposal-and-ndaa", "This Week in Washington: Judicial Nominations, Budget Proposal, and NDAA", "2013-11-15", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "This Week in Washington: Judicial Nominations, Budget Proposal, and NDAA\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFriday, November 15, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 In his continued effort to keep folks at home up to date with his work in Washington, U.S. Senator Angus King took a few minutes to discuss the events of this past week in the nation\u2019s capital.\r\nIn his weekly recap, Senator King addressed:\u00a0\r\n \r\nHis frustration with recent Republican filibusters that have prevented the confirmation of judicial nominees to the D.C. District Court of Appeals.\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\nThe National Defense Authorization Act, which the Senate is expected to take up next week, and which also contains several important priorities for Maine\u2019s shipbuilding and footwear industries.\r\n \r\nThe full video of Senator King\u2019s weekly recap can be viewed below. A broadcast quality version of the video can also be downloaded here.\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/press-release/108923-awarded-maternal-and-child-health-services", "$108,923 awarded for Maternal and Child Health Services", "2013-11-14", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "$108,923 awarded for Maternal and Child Health Services                                           \n              Nov 14, 2013      \t\t        \t    \n      \t            \n                    \n                                            \n          \n        \n        \n            \n    \n  \n    \n    \n    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded the Commonwealth\u2019s Department of Public Health $108,923 for Maternal and Child Health Services. Public Health uses the funds to plan, promote, coordinate, and evaluate the health care of pregnant women, mothers, infants, and children with an emphasis on children with special needs and on those families that do not otherwise have access to adequate health care. Congratulations DPH!", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/press-release/major-breakthrough-liheap-funding-nmi", "Major breakthrough in LIHEAP funding for NMI", "2013-11-14", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan received word today that years of effort to increase the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) grant for the Northern Mariana Islands have paid off. The Department of Health and Human Services informed Sablan that Secretary Kathleen Sebelius had decided to provide the maximum amount permitted by law for the NMI and the other U.S. territories, almost four times more than they have been receiving since 1981. The change goes into effect on January 1 and will continue indefinitely.\nLast week, Sablan announced that the Department was releasing $50,000 in LIHEAP funding to the Northern Marianas for the current fiscal year. But at the same time the Department informed him that it was nearing completion of its analysis of the long-standing request by Sablan and other territorial representatives to raise the grant to the maximum the law allows.\n\u201cWe knew that the Secretary would be deciding whether to keep us at 0.135\u00a0percent of total national funding or give us the maximum of 0.5 percent,\u201d Sablan said. \u201cAnd we knew electricity rates and fuel costs in our islands made a strong argument for her to increase the grant.\n\u201cToday we found out that those arguments were convincing.\n\u201cI am very grateful to Secretary Sebelius and everyone on her staff, who took a long, hard look at the cost of energy in the Northern Mariana Islands and agreed to help our poorest families.\u201d\nLIHEAP grants can be used to pay for electricity, make home improvements that save energy, and, in a crisis, prevent service interruptions. As many as 300 families in the Northern Marianas have in recent years received up to $58 in monthly assistance from the federal program.\nThe number of NMI families who are eligible and the monthly aid amount can significantly increase now.\nYears of effort and persistence rewarded\nSablan identified LIHEAP funding as an opportunity to improve funding for the Northern Mariana Islands early in his congressional career. Year after year he has been among members of Congress active in defending the national program, which has been a favorite target of budget cutters.\nAt the same time, Congressman Sablan has worked to find ways to increase the specific grant to the NMI. In 2011 he wrote legislation, H.R. 3063, requiring the HHS Secretary to allocate at least 30 percent of national home energy grants, called Leveraging Incentive Grants, to the U.S. territories to supplement the LIHEAP grant. Sablan\u2019s bill gathered 9 co-sponsors.\nLater that year Sablan wrote the formal petition to Secretary Sebelius, signed by all the territorial representatives, laying out the case for her to allocate the full 0.5 percent of LIHEAP funding permitted by law. The insular areas have electricity costs as much as 4 times higher than the U.S. average, the representatives argued, and the need for home cooling year around; yet the Secretary was only granting the islands a bare minimum, 0.135 percent, of what the law allowed.\nSablan also called for a revision of the allocations among the territories based on income and population data in the 2010 Census, when it became available.\nSebelius replied in February, 2012 that \u201cHHS staff are currently working on identifying the information required to assess whether the needs of the territories are being appropriately addressed in the allocation of LIHEAP funding.\u201d\nWhen the Department had still not completed its promised analysis this year, Sablan and his territorial colleagues again wrote to Sebelius. They pointed out the long delay, asked for a date to expect completion of the work, and noted that 2010 Census data had been released showing that poverty levels in the islands were three to five times the national average. They also provided the Department with updated retail electrical prices for each of the territories.\nThis new data may have been what the Department needed. In describing the methodology used to make today\u2019s decision, Department officials explained that \u201cto determine whether it would be appropriate to increase the share of LIHEAP funds for territories, HHS compared state LIHHEE [low-income households\u2019 home energy expenditures] to an estimated territory LIHHEE using the most current and accurate data available.\n\u201cThe data indicates that the territories currently receive significantly less funding relative to need than states.\u201d\nThe Department, therefore, concluded it would \u201cincrease the territorial set-aside percentage up to the statutory cap of 0.5 percent.\u201d\nTerritorial cooperation\nCongressman Sablan, today, also issued thanks to his fellow territorial representatives for the joint effort. \u201cBecause the law treats the territories as a unit for LIHEAP, we had to approach Secretary Sebelius as a united group,\u201d Sablan said.\n\u201cWe had to gather the necessary data from our individual jurisdictions, verify it, and compile it to show the complete picture of income levels and energy costs for the territories as a whole. That required teamwork; and teamwork produced results that benefit people in all of the areas we represent.\n\u201cWe may not have a vote on the House floor, but that doesn\u2019t stop us from being effective advocates for our people.\u201d\nPuerto Rico\u2019s Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi made a similar point in his announcement of the HHS decision to increase LIHEAP for Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Marianas. He thanked \u201chis fellow territory delegates for their joint efforts, especially Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan from the Northern Mariana Islands, who was instrumental in convincing HHS to increase the annual allocation to the territories.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/king-statement-on-presidents-decision-to-allow-insurers-to-renew-canceled-health-insurance-plans", "King Statement on President’s Decision to Allow Insurers to Renew Canceled Health Insurance Plans", "2013-11-14", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "King Statement on President\u2019s Decision to Allow Insurers to Renew Canceled Health Insurance Plans\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, November 14, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) released the following statement today after President Obama announced that he would be directing his Administration to pursue an administrative fix to the Affordable Care Act that will allow health insurance companies to renew plans that do not meet the standards set forth by the new law:\r\n\u201cI have been disappointed by the Administration\u2019s flawed rollout of the Affordable Care Act, particularly its failure to create a functional website the problems with which are now preventing Mainers and Americans from finding and enrolling in new health insurance plans.\r\n\u201cI have also been troubled by the stories of people receiving health insurance cancellation notices. The fact is that President Obama reassured Americans with a simple and straightforward promise: if they liked their health insurance plan, they could keep it. That assurance, however, was clearly not accurate, which is why I am pleased that he took a step today to fully honor his promise. I agree with his decision to pursue an administrative fix that will allow individuals the opportunity to stay on their existing plans for an additional year while they explore new options once the website issues are resolved. It will allow people more time to consider their options while continuing their current coverage.\r\n\u201cIt\u2019s important to keep in mind that the entire goal of the Affordable Care Act is to offer higher quality health insurance to more people at a more affordable price, and I will work with my colleagues in pursuit of that.\u201d\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/press-release/hhs-schedules-release-liheap-funds", "HHS schedules release of LIHEAP funds", "2013-11-13", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "HHS schedules release of LIHEAP funds                                           \n              Nov 13, 2013      \t\t        \t    \n      \t            \n                    \n                                            \n          \n        \n        \n            \n    \n  \n    \n    \n    The Northern Mariana Islands is scheduled to receive $56,000 for fiscal year 2014 from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. The Department of Health and Human Services recently released the LIHEAP funding nationally. Because Congress has yet to agree on appropriations for all of FY14 the funding released this week is only 90 percent of the expected annual total. The Northern Marianas will receive $50,000 initially and the balance sometime after January 15, when fiscal 2014 appropriations should be finalized. Energy costs are high in the Marianas and LIHEAP is an important way for Congress to assist those in need. The territories\u2019 congressional representatives have petitioned the HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to increase LIHEAP grants for the island areas, which she has legal authority to do. The Department is currently conducting an analysis of the request so that any change the Secretary makes in our allotment is well-justified.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/article/angus-king-proposes-budget-compromise", "Angus King proposes budget compromise", "2013-11-13", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Angus King proposes budget compromise\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                    By:\u00a0\r\n                    Erik Wasson\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                \r\n                \r\n            Wednesday, November 13, 2013\r\n            \n\t\n\r\n            \r\n            \r\nSen. Angus King (I-Maine.) on Wednesday floated a compromise proposal to the new House-Senate budget conference committee on which he serves.\r\n\u00a0\r\nThe King plan seeks to strike a balance between entitlement cuts, tax loophole closing and tax rate reduction to get both Democrats and Republicans onboard.\r\n\r\n\r\nThe proposal would replace half of the next eight years of sequester cuts while also lowering the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 32.5 percent.\r\n\u00a0\r\nBudget conference chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said only that he welcomed suggestions from all panelists, when King referenced the plan in brief remarks during the second meeting of the budget panel on Wednesday.\r\n\u00a0\r\nSo far the group has been at logger-heads over whether any tax revenue would be included in a two-year sequester-replacement deal.\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\nThe King plan replaces $455 billion of sequestration with $200 billion in new revenue and $255 billion in entitlement reforms. The initial plan does not specify which tax breaks or which entitlement benefits would be cut.\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\nAdditional revenue from the tax loopholes would be used to lower the corporate tax rate and to create a $50 billion infrastructure stimulus fund.\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\nThe remaining sequester would be changed under the King plan using a method known as \"smoothing\" which would lower the growth of spending in out years in order to pay for bumping up near term cuts. \u00a0King told reporters that the economy is too weak now to allow sequestration in ther near term.\r\n\u00a0\r\n\"This is not the time to be creating a headwind for the economy. The very best way to reduce the deficit is to foster economic growth,\" he said.\u00a0\r\n\r\nHe said the plan should work because \"there is something in here for everybody to hate.\"\r\n\r\n\u201cFor far too long, Congress has acted irresponsibly with its budgeting process. It\u2019s time that we actually put together a plan that will instill certainty and confidence into our economy and show the American people we can still govern,\u201d King said, in a release.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/collins-king-urge-american-airlines-us-airways-to-consider-impact-of-merger-on-maine-airports-and-communities", "Collins, King Urge American Airlines, US Airways to Consider Impact of Merger on Maine Airports and Communities", "2013-11-13", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Collins, King Urge American Airlines, US Airways to Consider Impact of Merger on Maine Airports and Communities\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWednesday, November 13, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. - In a letter, U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Ranking Member of the Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, and Senator Angus King today urged the heads of American Airlines and US Airways to consider the potential impact that any reduction in service caused by the airlines\u2019 proposed merger might have on small- and medium-sized airports in Maine and on the economies of local communities.\r\n\u201cMaintaining direct access between small- and medium-sized communities and our nation\u2019s capital is important for facilitating commerce and tourism for residents, businesses, and visitors,\u201d Senators Collins and King wrote. \u201cAs you conduct your review, we urge you to make the process transparent and to evaluate the consequences of slot divestiture on the economies of small- and medium-sized communities, like the Cities of Bangor and Portland, and the surrounding regions of Maine.\u201d\r\nEarlier today, it was announced that the U.S. Department of Justice has reached an agreement with the airlines that would allow the proposed merger to proceed as long as the airlines divested certain takeoff and landing slots.\r\nSenators Collins and King have repeatedly urged federal and private officials to closely and carefully review the impact that a merger would have on Maine airports, particularly Portland International Jetport and Bangor International Airport.\r\nThe complete text of the Senators\u2019 letter is below:\r\nMr. Thomas W. Horton\r\nChairman, Chief Executive Officer and President\r\nAMR Corporation P.O. Box 619616 Dallas Fort Worth Airport, TX 75261-9616\u00a0\r\nMr. W. Douglas Parker\r\nChairman and Chief Executive Officer\r\nUS Airways Group, Inc.\r\n111 West Rio Salado Parkway\r\nTempe, AZ 85281\u00a0\r\nDear Mr. Horton and Mr. Parker,\r\nWe are writing to express our concern about the potential reduction in service to small- and medium-sized airports as a consequence of the proposed merger of American Airlines and US Airways.\u00a0 As you work with the U.S. Department of Justice to determine which slots will be divested, we urge you to consider carefully the impact on regional airports throughout the country, including those in Maine.\u00a0\r\nOfficials from the City Council of Bangor, Maine, the Bangor International Airport, and the Portland International Jetport have informed us that a reduction of slots at Reagan National Airport could result in reduced flights to Bangor, Portland, and other small- to medium-sized communities throughout the country.\u00a0 These airports are a particularly important transportation link for Maine and other states that rely on tourism to help fuel their economy.\r\nMaintaining direct access between small- and medium-sized communities and our nation's capital is important for facilitating commerce and tourism for residents, businesses, and visitors.\u00a0 As you conduct your review, we urge you to make the process transparent and to evaluate the consequences of slot divestiture on the economies of small- and medium-sized communities, like the Cities of Bangor and Portland, and the surrounding regions in Maine.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/king-offers-budget-proposal-to-conference-committee", "King Offers Budget Proposal to Conference Committee", "2013-11-13", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "King Offers Budget Proposal to Conference Committee\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWednesday, November 13, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 During the second public meeting of the Budget Conference Committee today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) offered his colleagues a preliminary proposal to mitigate the impact of sequestration and to promote economic growth.\r\n\u201cAs members of the Budget Conference Committee, we not only have a tremendous opportunity, but an obligation, to work together to reach a budget agreement that sets our country on a path to fiscal stability. For far too long, Congress has acted irresponsibly with its budgeting process. It\u2019s time that we actually put together a plan that will instill certainty and confidence into our economy and show the American people we can still govern,\u201d Senator King said.\r\n\u201cThe proposal I introduced today will most likely not be the final answer, but with only a month to go before the committee reaches its deadline, my plan is intended to be a contribution to the discussion that will be taking place over the next several weeks. I look forward to working with my colleagues on the committee, hearing their thoughts, and finding a path forward.\u201d\r\nThe \u201cGrande\u201d plan \u2013 a reference to Starbuck\u2019s middle-sized drink \u2013 is intended to be a middle-of-the-road, compromise plan that would alleviate roughly half of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2014-2021 sequester, which amounts to approximately $455 billion, over the course of eight years. The sequester relief would be paid for with $200 billion in revenues generated by closing corporate tax loopholes and $255 billion in savings generated from entitlement reforms. The plan raises more than $525 billion in new revenues over ten years by closing corporate tax loopholes.\r\nMore than half of the new revenue raised would be dedicated to federal corporate tax rate reduction, bringing the rate down from 35 percent to roughly 32.5 percent. The remaining portion is dedicated to raising the sequester caps implemented by the Budget Control Act, and putting $50 billion in funds toward infrastructure investment. Sequester \u201csmoothing\u201d \u2013 the concept of leveling out the growth rate in spending cap levels by lowering future year increases \u2013 will mitigate the sequester in the early years.\r\nKey Elements of the \u201cGrande\u201d Plan\u00a0\r\nPurpose: An eight year deal, including mandatory cuts, revenues, and \u201csmoothing\u201d to substantially mitigate the effects of the FY14-21 sequester, but produce the same deficit reduction effect.\r\n\u00a0Steps:\r\n \r\nCut the FY2014-FY2021 sequester caps roughly in half through a combination of mandatory cuts ($255 billion) and revenues derived from reducing corporate tax expenditures ($200 billion).\r\nGenerate $325 billion in additional revenue from corporate tax reform to be applied to corporate rate reduction ($275 billion) and an infrastructure fund ($50 billion).\u00a0 The U.S. federal corporate tax rate would be reduced from 35 percent to 32.5 percent.\r\nApply the smoothing concept to further alleviate the sequester in the early years, and smooth out projected growth in future years to accommodate sequester relief in the early year.\r\n \r\n\u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/nmi-addressing-birth-tourism-says-governor", "NMI addressing birth tourism, says governor", "2013-11-12", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "GOVERNOR Eloy S. Inos and U.S. Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan are working with federal authorities to prevent the \u201csmall issue\u201d of birth tourism from being \u201cblown out of proportion.\u201d\nIn a joint press conference in the Fiesta Resort & Spa\u2019s Azucena Room yesterday, Inos and Sablan emphasized that women can\u2019t be denied entry to the CNMI because they are pregnant.\nThey said they want to \u201ccontain\u201d this issue for the sake of the health and safety of the female visitors themselves.\nThey also wish to avoid potential liability on the part of airlines and the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. if something bad happens to the pregnant passenger on the plane or while she is on island.\nInos said it is very risky for the hospital to accept pregnant women who haven\u2019t had prenatal care.\nFor his part, Sablan said the incident involving a pregnant tourist from China who hid at the airport should not happen again.\nThat woman, he added, should not have been allowed to board the plane in the first place.\n\u201cThey are welcome to come here and enjoy our beautiful islands. There is a way to [address this issue] without being discriminatory. I think there is something we can do. Let\u2019s keep this problem small,\u201d Sablan said adding that he and the governor are working closely with federal authorities.\nHe said the CNMI wants tourists from China to continue coming here but birth tourism \u201cis an issue that concerns all of us.\u201d\nSablan said he and the governor have been working on the issue since April when they wrote a letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security about it.\nHe said the governor has asked him to deal with the federal government, while Inos works with the airlines.\nSablan said he met with DHS officials in September and is expecting another meeting as soon as he returns to Washington, D.C.\n\u201cWe have a small issue here that we would really like to keep contained because it took us a while to create a good image for the NMI,\u201d Sablan said.\nInos, he added, \u201cis giving me some instructions on what it is I may need to do and I have taken those instructions on this one issue and in many others. On this one issue, we are very closely working together.\u201d\nAccording to Inos, birth tourism also happens in the states but focus has shifted to the CNMI because it is only four to five hours away from China.\n\u201cSo birth tourism basically has drawn the attention of the national media and, of course, the concern of folks out here and the U.S. mainland,\u201d he added.\nInos said the CNMI is not advertising birth tourism and the visa-waiver program for Chinese is for tourism and not for foreign women who want to give birth here.\nHe said his administration has already reached out to tour agencies and airlines that bring Chinese tourists to Saipan.\nHe said they have found that, in most cases, a carrier providing scheduled flights \u201cdoes not have the kind of heightened scrutiny for passengers.\u201d\n\u201cSo we have reached out and we have discussed the issue with the airlines that seem to be having this kind of situation and they promised they will ensure that their security and screening procedures are followed,\u201d Inos said.\nVariety tried to get a comment from Asiana Airlines on Saipan but its branch manager who identified himself only as Choi said only the general manager has the authority to talk on the matter. The general manager did not report for work yesterday because it was holiday.\nAsiana provides regular China-Saipan flights.\nInos said \u201cthere are still a few folks that slip through the cracks so we want to make sure that this is addressed properly. We are doing it. The congressman and I have already talked to DHS and he has been following up this matter closely on the ground in D.C. to seek help.\u201d\nHe said they have not seen any increase in birth tourism incidents. \u201cIn fact we are seeing fewer but it only takes one incident to really blow this out of proportion,\u201d he said referring to the pregnant women who hid at the Saipan airport.\nInos said \u201cmaybe we can also try to identify freelance travel agencies out there who are actually booking these individuals coming over here. And that is where we have to zero in. We are not too concerned about chartered flights because we know they are controlled by just two travel agencies. But for scheduled flights, any agency that is out there could make a booking.\u201d\nInos said that CNMI government has also reached out to the Chinese consulate in California.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/nmi-taps-dhs-chinese-govt-asiana-airlines", "NMI taps DHS, Chinese govt, Asiana Airlines", "2013-11-12", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Weeks after national media put the CNMI on the spotlight over incidences of mostly Chinese \u201ctourists\u201d coming to Saipan to give birth, Gov. Eloy S. Inos and Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (Ind-MP) said yesterday they are now working with Asiana Airlines, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the Chinese government to further minimize\u2014if not totally eliminate\u2014the so-called \u201cbirth tourism\u201d here.\u2028\u2028 \n\u201cBirth tourism\u201d refers to travel for the purpose of giving birth to an automatic U.S. citizen child in the CNMI or any other U.S. state or territory.\u2028\u2028\nInos and Sablan said a closer scrutiny found that most of those who come to Saipan solely to give birth do so by boarding Asiana Airlines\u2019 scheduled commercial flights.\u2028\u2028\nThis is contrary to reports that birth tourists were brought here through charter flights, whose travel agents have long put in place strict procedures to deter birth tourism.\u2028\u2028\nAsiana Airlines has agreed to be more vigilant in screening their passengers, Inos and Sablan said.\u2028\u2028\n\u201cIt could be a liability, too [for Asiana Airlines],\u201d the governor said.\u2028\u2028\nInos said it would be to Asiana Airlines\u2019 benefit \u201cto make sure that those things don\u2019t happen\u201d because, among other things, the airline has to immediately bring back those passengers that were not allowed entry to the CNMI for improper or lack of required documentation.\u2028\u2028\n\u201cAnd so the airline would have to pick up that cost; you have to bump somebody off going back on that flight just to make sure [those turned away are sent back immediately]. So it\u2019s an incentive for them to do the right thing,\u201d Inos said.\u2028\u2028\nBut more still needs to be done, including for Asiana Airlines to identify, for example, certain independent travel agents that book flights for birth tourists.\u2028\u2028\n\u201cThat\u2019s where we have to zero in. We\u2019re not too concerned about the chartered ones; we know they\u2019re controlled by just two travel agencies,\u201d the governor said.\u2028\u2028\nHe said despite strict policies in place, there could still be some that will slip through the cracks.\u2028\u2028Inos said people can\u2019t be sent away \u201cjust because they\u2019re pregnant.\u201d\nHe said they have to have proper documentation, among other things. \u2028\u2028\nTheir main concern is the health of these tourists coming in.\u2028\u2028The governor and the delegate said the two travel agencies based in the CNMI have been chartering flights between Saipan and China\u2014Century Tours/Tinian Dynasty and TDI\u2014but they have been carefully screening their business partners in China to avoid activities \u2028\u2028\n\u2018Small\u2019 issue\u2028\u2028\nIt was the governor\u2019s and the delegate\u2019s first joint news briefing since Inos became governor in February.\u2028\u2028\nAt the briefing, Sablan and Inos repeatedly said birth tourism in the CNMI is \u201csmall\u201d compared to what\u2019s happening in U.S. states, especially on West Coast.\u2028\u2028\nBoth officials, however, could not say how many Chinese \u201ctourists\u201d\u2014as opposed to Chinese residents\u2014gave birth to the CNMI in recent period.\u2028\u2028\nThey also could not say the number of individuals that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection has sent back to their country of origin for not meeting documentation requirements for certain pregnant tourists and their companions.\u2028\u2028\nThe key issue, according to Inos and Sablan, is that the CNMI is doing all it can to ensure that a \u201csmall\u201d issue becomes \u201cmuch, much smaller.\u201d\u2028\u2028\n\u201cI don\u2019t know if we can eliminate, but maybe minimize this thing. We haven\u2019t seen any major increase in this situation. In fact we\u2019re seeing less and less. But it only takes one incident to really blow this out of proportion but we\u2019re dealing with it,\u201d the governor said.\u2028\u2028\nThe governor also pointed out that the CNMI has never made any announcement nor intended to become a destination for birth tourism.\u2028\n\u2028He added that when the CNMI was still in control of its borders, there was also strict review of visitors\u2019 entry permit to deter questionable activities.\u2028\u2028\nInos conceded that when the CNMI gained access to Chinese tourists without U.S. visas and the CNMI being the \u201cclosest U.S. border, the focus has shifted over to the CNMI.\u201d \u2028\u2028\nBut the governor pointed out that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection has done a \u201cgreat job\u201d securing the CNMI\u2019s borders.\u2028\u2028The governor also said the recent incident wherein a pregnant Chinese broke her water bag at the airport \u201cshouldn\u2019t happen here.\u201d\u2028\u2028\nSablan said the individual \u201cshould not have boarded the flight.\u201d\u2028\u2028\nThe United States is one of a few countries that observe jus soli, which grants automatic citizenship to children born within its territory, regardless of the parents\u2019 nationality or citizenship.\u2028\u2028\nRisks to CNMI\u2028\u2028\nSablan said the CNMI wants to ensure the issue becomes too insignificant so as not to risk the U.S. visa waiver for CNMI-bound Chinese tourists.\u2028\u2028\nDHS\u2019 decision to waive U.S. visa requirement for Chinese and Russian tourists has brought substantial tourism economic activities to the CNMI.\u2028\u2028\nOnce DHS decides to lift that waiver, the impact on the CNMI would be devastating.\u2028\u2028\n\u201cChina [arrival] is huge for us here and we want to make sure it continues to grow. There may be ways that I don\u2019t think I\u2019m at liberty to discuss. There may be ways to do this in an amicable manner and we\u2019re working with federal partners,\u201d Sablan said.\u2028\u2028\nThe delegate said the CNMI continues to welcome tourists from China to enjoy the CNMI\u2019s \u201cbeautiful islands,\u201d \u201cgreat weather\u201d and \u201cgorgeous waters.\u201d\u2028\u2028\nThe governor, for his part, said the CNMI\u2014particularly the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp.\u2014is also liable if the issue is not controlled.\u2028\u2028\nThese include CHC accepting women to deliver babies without knowing whether they underwent prenatal checkup or their medical history.\u2028\u2028\nMoreover, these tourists are not eligible for Medicare and if the women are unable to pay, CHC takes on the burden.\u2028\u2028\u201cWhat I\u2019m saying is, if something happens along the way, the delivery or after delivery, say the baby is not functioning properly or something like that, and the mother just walked away, I hate to see that happen, but it could be a problem,\u201d Inos said.\u2028\u2028\nBut he said to his knowledge, no baby of a tourist has been abandoned at CHC.\u2028\u2028Moreover, those who come to the CNMI for birth tourism come financially prepared, the governor said.\u2028Inos also said one area that can be looked at is the private clinics that provide prenatal checkups to Chinese tourists.\u2028\u2028\nWorking with Chinese government\u2028\u2028\nThe governor, in responding to a media question, said his office has reached out to the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles, California to address the matter at hand.\u2028\u2028\u201c\nWe\u2019ve opened the door, we brought the subject up and they\u2019re willing to sit down and discuss about this matter,\u201d Inos said.\u2028\u2028\nEngaging the feds\u2028\u2028\nIn April this year, Inos and Sablan jointly wrote a letter to DHS, seeking actions to address birth tourism.\u2028\u2028\nSablan said he has been following this up with DHS and he expects to have another meeting with DHS when he gets back to Washington, D.C. this week.\u2028\u2028\nHe said he continues to engage the CNMI\u2019s federal partners.\u2028\u2028For example, the federal government could enter into an agreement with signatory airlines on additional conditions imposed on passengers that board the airlines.\u2028\u2028\n\u201cWe\u2019re not there yet but Governor Inos and I have started engaging federal authorities,\u201d the delegate added.\u2028\u2028\nHigh fees as deterrent\u2028\u2028\nThe CNMI government is also looking at increasing the cost of baby delivery at CHC for tourists as \u201ca \u201cdisincentive\u201d or \u201cdeterrent\u201d to birth tourism, and not as a revenue-generating measure for the hospital.\u2028\u2028\n\u201cBut listen, there\u2019s a lot of money in China and they\u2019re willing to pay whatever it costs to get their citizenship,\u201d he said.\u2028\u2028\nHe said any increased fee would have to vetted through regulatory process.\u2028\u2028\nThe governor said he would also like to see a proposal to impose security deposit to ensure all expenses are covered.\u2028\u2028\nEarlier, the idea of raising the cost of a birth certificate from the current $20 to $50,000 for babies of tourists was also explored.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/press-release/delta-airlines-allows-use-peds-flights", "Delta Airlines allows use of PEDs on flights", "2013-11-12", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Delta Airlines allows use of PEDs on flights                                           \n              Nov 12, 2013      \t\t        \t    \n      \t            \n                    \n                                            \n          \n        \n        \n            \n    \n  \n    \n    \n    Delta Airlines passengers taking off from or landing in Saipan may now use smartphones, tablets, e-readers, MP3 players, and other personal electronic devices (PEDs) during most of their time on board. The Federal Aviation Administration lifted a long-standing ban after finding that radio signals from PEDs do not pose a threat to aircraft navigation systems. Delta was the first airline to apply for and receive FAA approval to implement the new policy, but neglected to include flights into U.S. territories. Thanks to quick work from Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi (D-Puerto Rico), Delta was alerted to the oversight and amended its policy. Restrictions are still in place outside of the U.S., so Delta passengers between Narita and Saipan will be able to use their PEDs when taking off or landing in the Northern Marianas, but not in Japan. Using PEDs for voice communications while airborne remains prohibited. To learn more about Delta\u2019s policy go to https://news.delta.com/index.php?s=18&item=176. Information from the FAA can be found at https://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/ped/.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/king-recommends-temporary-alternative-to-healthcaregov", "King Recommends Temporary Alternative to Healthcare.gov", "2013-11-12", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "King Recommends Temporary Alternative to Healthcare.gov\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, November 12, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Angus King is recommending the website TheHealthSherpa.com as a temporary alternative for those experiencing difficulties with Healthcare.gov.\r\nThe site, created by George Kalogeropoulos, Ning Liang and Michael Wasser of San Francisco, California, allows users to quickly and easily compare healthcare plans covered under the Affordable Care Act in the 34 states without existing marketplace websites, including Maine. Plans cannot be purchased through the HealthSherpa site itself, but users are directed to private insurance sites or offered telephone numbers to call to enroll.\r\n\u201cHealthSherpa offers a user-friendly platform to quickly browse through available health insurance plan options, including monthly premium costs, coverage plans, and possible premium subsidies,\u201d Senator King said. \u201cI recommend that Mainers who are having trouble with Healthcare.gov use HealthSherpa as a temporary alternative until the federal website functions properly.\u201d\r\nhttp://www.thehealthsherpa.com/\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/press-release/house-leaders-urged-move-water-resources-development-bill", "House leaders urged to move on water resources development bill", "2013-11-11", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "House leaders urged to move on water resources development bill                                           \n              Nov 11, 2013      \t\t        \t    \n      \t            \n                    \n                                            \n          \n        \n        \n            \n    \n  \n    \n    \n    I joined Representative Edward Whitfield (R-Kentucky) and 28 of my colleagues in a letter urging Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Democrat Leader Nancy Pelosi (California) to appoint members to the conference committee on the Water Resources Reform and Development Act, so we can get a final vote on the bill. In October, the House passed its version, H.R. 3080, with my provision doubling the waiver of local match requirements for Army Corps projects in the Northern Marianas and other territories. The waiver provision will adjust the $200,000 waiver put in place in 1986 to an amount that reflects inflation since then. The new waiver should be in excess of $400,000, making Army Corps work, like the Garapan-Susupe drainage project, cheaper for the NMI.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/king-honors-service-men-and-women-in-observance-of-veterans-day", "King Honors Service Men and Women in Observance of Veterans Day", "2013-11-11", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "King Honors Service Men and Women in Observance of Veterans Day\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMonday, November 11, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 In observance of Veterans Day, U.S. Senator Angus King today released the following statement thanking the brave men and women of our armed forces, and those who served before them, for their exceptional service to our country. Veterans Day was first proclaimed by President Woodrow Wilson on November 11, 1919. It is an official federal holiday that honors all of America\u2019s veterans for their selfless courage in the face of danger and unwavering commitment to the defense of our great nation.\r\nBelow is Senator King\u2019s full statement.\r\n\u201cFor generations, the brave men and women of our armed forces have stood proudly in defense of this country. Their tireless efforts and unfailing bravery have kept us safe in times of peril. \u00a0This Veterans Day, we reflect upon their service and the debt of honor that we owe them and their families. It is a time for us to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice, those who have returned safely to our shores, and the future generations of veterans to whom we must rededicate ourselves.\u00a0On battlefields from Bunker Hill to Baghdad and Kandahar, their unparalleled professionalism and selfless sacrifice exemplify the best of America: strength, loyalty, and unwavering dedication to the welfare of others.\u00a0\r\n\u201cWe must also bear in mind that we remain a nation at war, and today, there are tens of thousands of service men and women serving in Afghanistan and other places far from the safety of home.\u00a0They, and the generations of Americans who have proudly worn the uniform before them, deserve the unwavering support of a grateful nation. No veteran should have to live on the streets of a country they defended.\u00a0 No veteran should have to endure a lengthy backlog to receive the benefits that they earned. All veterans deserve only the highest quality of care and support that our country can offer; fulfilling that promise is one of our most sacred duties.\u201d\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/press-release/federal-assistance-marianas-farmers-and-ranchers-available", "Federal assistance for Marianas farmers and ranchers available", "2013-11-10", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Federal assistance for Marianas farmers and ranchers available                                           \n              Nov 10, 2013      \t\t        \t    \n      \t            \n                    \n                                            \n          \n        \n        \n            \n    \n  \n    \n    \n    USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) reminds farmers and ranchers that several programs continue to be available to assist in planning and implementing conservation practices in their farmlands. These programs include the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program, Agricultural Management Assistance Program, and the Conservation Stewardship Program. These programs provide financial and technical assistance focusing in best conservation practices in farm plots that help the soil, water and air. Applications for 2014 are due at NRCS offices by close of business on January 17, 2014. To find out if you are eligible for any of these program, contact the Saipan Service Center at (670) 233-3415 or visit NRCS at: www.pia.nrcs.usda.gov.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/press-release/kilili-congratulates-marianas-business-plaza-500000-solar-power-grant", "Kilili congratulates Marianas Business Plaza on $500,000 solar power grant", "2013-11-09", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "\u201cFederal support is there for well-thought-out business plans that meet the needs of the community and fit our national energy policy goals,\u201d said Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan. The Congressman was congratulating Marianas Business Plaza owner Erick van der Maas on the announcement today that he is the recipient of a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture\u2019s Rural Energy for America Program. The grant will be used, together with $1.8 million of private financing, to construct a 650 kilowatt solar power system over the parking lot at the Business Plaza in Susupe.\nThe Marianas Business Plaza project was one of only five projects nationwide to receive the maximum allowable REAP grant of $500,000. Another of the maximum grants went to a solar project in Maryland; and three were for projects converting biomass to energy.\nAgriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the award of 422 grants today with a total value of $14.2 million.\n\u201cBecause $500,000 is the maximum grant that can be awarded by the Rural Energy for America Program,\u201d noted Sablan, \u201cthe Marianas Business Plaza has clearly done an excellent job of justifying the planned facility and demonstrating its economic feasibility.\n\u201cMany people have talked about moving us in the direction of larger scale renewable energy, but Mr. van der Maas is demonstrating that it can really be done. I congratulate him on this success.\u201d\nThe Rural Energy for America Program provides grants and loan guarantees to farms and small businesses to install solar and other renewable energy systems. REAP financing may also be used to make energy efficiency improvements to non-residential buildings and for other energy conservation purposes in rural areas.\n\u00a0\u201cHaving a solar power electrical generation system on this scale in such a public place will have a substantial impact on how we all think about the energy future of the Northern Marianas,\u201d Sablan said.\n\u201cI hope that it will encourage more energy entrepreneurs in the Northern Mariana Islands and speed our shift away from expensive and nonrenewable fossil fuels.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/media/novembers-inside-maine-on-wgan-with-senator-murrary-part-1", "November's Inside Maine on WGAN with Senator Murrary, Part 1", "2013-11-09", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Skip to primary navigation Skip to main content\n\n\t\n\n    \n    \n        \n            \n            \n                \n\t\n    \n\t\n    \n\t\n    \n\t\n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n                \n                \n                \n                \n                \n                \n                \n            \n             November's Inside Maine on WGAN with Senator Murrary, Part 1", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/media/novembers-inside-maine-on-wgan-with-senator-portman-part-2", "November's Inside Maine on WGAN with Senator Portman, Part 2", "2013-11-09", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Skip to primary navigation Skip to main content\n\n\t\n\n    \n    \n        \n            \n            \n                \n\t\n    \n\t\n    \n\t\n    \n\t\n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n                \n                \n                \n                \n                \n                \n                \n            \n             November's Inside Maine on WGAN with Senator Portman, Part 2", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://sablan.house.gov/press-release/report-chamber-product-over-politics", "Report to Chamber: product over politics", "2013-11-08", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Report to Chamber: product over politics                                           \n              Nov 8, 2013      \t\t        \t    \n      \t            \n                    \n                                            \n          \n        \n        \n            \n    \n  \n    \n    \n    Making opportunities and staying focused on the long game is how to get results for the people of the Northern Mariana Islands, not playing politics. That was my message to the Saipan Chamber of Commerce. Getting the submerged lands around our islands returned to us in September, helping the hospital stay open this year with $27 million in new Obamacare money, driving us to the legislative five-yard line on a $33 million program to transition the NMI into the national food stamp program \u2013 these were the examples I used of opportunities I made in Congress to help our Commonwealth. Even with a Republican-led House I have been able to get NMI measures signed into law by working on both sides of the political aisle. I also reported to the Chamber on recent enactment P.L. 113-34, rescheduling minimum wage increases. Business and workers asked me to begin work on that change last year, when our economy looked much worse than it does today. I recognize that federal law is a one-size-fits-all solution, even though our economy has lots of variation. So, I encouraged individual Chamber members to decide for themselves and pay more as business improves. Our Commonwealth Legislature, too, should look at the $3.05 local minimum wage, because the federal minimum only applies to businesses making over $500,000. Raising wages \u2013 subject to economic realities \u2013 benefits our entire community. So, I will continue to support H.R. 1010, which raises the U.S. minimum to $10.10/hour. Under current law, minimum wage increases in the Northern Marianas stop when we reach $7.25/hour, but I want us to keep increasing beyond that and pay workers more.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/article/senate-intelligence-committee-approves-amendment-for-some-accountabilty-when-using-lethal-force", "Senate Intelligence Committee approves amendment for some accountabilty when using lethal force", "2013-11-08", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senate Intelligence Committee approves amendment for some accountabilty when using lethal force\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                    By:\u00a0\r\n                    Contributed \r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                \r\n                \r\n            Friday, November 8, 2013\r\n            \n\t\n\r\n            \r\n            WASHINGTON, D.C. -\u00a0The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence approved an amendment on November 5 that would require an independent group to conduct a \"red-team analysis\" if the government is considering the legality or the use of targeted lethal force against a known U.S. person located outside the U.S. who is involved in international terrorism.\r\nThe committee adopted the provision as an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2014 Intelligence Authorization Act. The Committee approved the Authorization Act by a vote of 13-2 on Tuesday.\r\nU.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) authored the amendment and introduced it first in May as S. 1035, the Targeted Strike Oversight Reform Act of 2013.\r\n\"Our amendment aims to provide an additional layer of accountability within the decision-making process when the government concludes that a U.S. person is engaged in international terrorism and that lethal force against them may be necessary to prevent an attack,\" Senator King said. \"In such a distinctive case, this amendment would ensure that an independent group (or \"red team\") reviews the facts and that the details of that review are shared with the Congressional Intelligence Committees. As I have said repeatedly, the executive branch should not serve as the judge, the jury and the executioner in these cases, and I believe this amendment is a vital step forward in balancing our critical national security needs with the basic constitutional rights that we cherish as Americans.\"\r\nSenator Rubio said, \"This commonsense legislation also improves accountability and oversight of counterterrorism policy by requiring this and future administrations to share important information about these programs with Congress and the intelligence community's inspector general.\"\r\nThe King-Rubio amendment is identical to the Targeted Strike Oversight Reform Act of 2013, which would ensure independent oversight of cases where the head of a U.S. intelligence agency has determined that a U.S. person is engaged in international terrorism against the U.S., and the government is considering the legality or the use of targeted lethal force against that individual. In such cases, the TSOR Act would trigger several notifications and independent reviews, including:\r\n-Notification to the Director of National Intelligence (DNI).\r\n-Requirement that the DNI establish an independent \"red-team,\" led by an individual who does not report to the intelligence agency making the determination, to conduct an alternative analysis and report its findings within 15 days.\r\n-Notification to the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community.\r\n-Notification to the congressional intelligence committees regarding the identity of the U.S. person and the results of the red-team alternative analysis.  In early February, Senator King wrote to Senators Feinstein and Chambliss, Chair and Vice Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee respectively, requesting that the committee consider legislation to provide an appropriate check on the executive branch's procedure for determining whether using lethal force in a foreign country against a U.S. citizen would be lawful.\r\nThe letter was a follow-up to Senator King's suggestion to John Brennan during his confirmation hearing that an independent alternative analysis in the case of a targeted-strike against an American citizen should be considered. 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