{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/in-november-podcast-king-highlights-service-and-activism-of-maine-veterans", "In November Podcast, King Highlights Service and Activism of Maine Veterans", "2017-11-25", "2017", "2017-11", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "In November Podcast, King Highlights Service and Activism of Maine Veterans\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tSaturday, November 25, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tNORWAY, ME \u2013 U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) today released the November edition of his Inside Maine podcast. In this edition, Senator King speaks with Carmine Pecorelli, a veteran of World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, about time in the military and how he\u2019s continued his lifetime of service as a volunteer advocate for veterans. Senator King then speaks to Deo Lauria, a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel and the outgoing District Service Officer for the American Legion at Togus. Senator King and his guests discuss the importance of serving Maine veterans.\r\n\u201cMaine has a long and storied history of military service that continues to this day, as our state has one of the highest percentages of veterans in the country,\u201d said Senator King. \u201cThese are men and women who deserve our deepest gratitude for their military service \u2013 but it\u2019s important to recognize that their efforts continued after they took off the uniform. Carmine and Deo are phenomenal examples of that continued work; pillars of service above self, these men exemplify how vibrant and vital Maine\u2019s veterans community is. It was my pleasure to speak with them and highlight the good work they do for Maine\u2019s veterans. \u201d\r\n\u00a0\r\nSince arriving in Washington, Senator King has been a strong advocate for veterans issues. This was particularly true in November: over Veterans Day weekend, he joined members of the community to observe Veterans Day at Northern Maine Veterans\u2019 Cemetery in Caribou, where he provided keynote remarks and participated in the wreath laying cemetery. He also spoke at the opening of the Maine Troop Greeters Museum at Bangor International Airport, and presented World War II Veteran and Penobscot Tribal Elder with a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol. Earlier in the month, Sen. King also announced his support for two bills to protect and support American veterans.\r\nThese are just the latest examples of Senator King\u2019s continued efforts for Maine\u2019s veteran population. Through his work on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator King has supported multiple amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that support American veterans. In the Fiscal Year 2018 NDAA, Senator King\u00a0cosponsored an amendment authored by Senator Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) that would encourage cooperation and integration between the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense with their electronic health care record systems to improve the transition from active duty to veteran status and ensure that veterans won\u2019t have to wait to gain access to the health care services they have earned. He also supported an amendment authored by Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va.) that would encourage the Secretaries of Veterans Affairs and Defense to assess the feasibility of establishing a joint office to house an interagency task force on suicide prevention. Senator King supports the coordination between the departments so that those who have served do not slip through the cracks. He is a strong supporter of the\u00a0Veterans Choice Program, which helps veterans across Maine and the nation receive health care within their communities and allows veterans in Northern Maine to seamlessly utilize community care as they formerly did under the Access Received Closer to Home (ARCH) pilot.\u00a0In August, the President signed into law\u00a0Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act,\u00a0legislation he cosponsored that would overhaul the Department of Veteran Affairs\u2019 (VA) appeals process.\r\nThe \u201cInside Maine Podcast with Senator Angus King\u201d is a 30-minute program that aims to help keep Maine people informed about issues of the day, how they affect life in the state, and how they factor into Senator King\u2019s work as one of two independents in the U.S. Senate. Senator King\u2019s podcast builds on his existing radio show that airs on Newsradio WGAN in Portland, Maine between 10 and 11 a.m. on almost every last Saturday of the month.\r\nA link to the November podcast can be found HERE.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/in-november-podcast-king-highlights-service-and-activism-of-maine-veterans"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.7440328374505043, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}