press: releases: 1,802 rows where party = "Independent" and year = 2015 sorted by date descending

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1,802 rows where party = "Independent" and year = 2015 sorted by date descending

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url	title	date ▲	year	month	party	chamber	state	member_name	bioguide_id	domain	date_source	text	has_text	collected_at	updated_at
http://sablan.house.gov/2015-year-review	2015 - The Year in Review	2015-12-31	2015	2015-12	Independent	Senate	MP	Gregorio Sablan	S001177	sablan.house.gov	legacy	2015 will be remembered in part as the year of Typhoon Soudelor. Complete recovery is still to be accomplished, but federal assistance helped local hands respond to the immediate emergency and will continue to aid in restoration of homes and public infrastructure. 2015 was also a year of significant accomplishment in Washington. January 16% NAP benefit increase for Saipan takes effect - Food stamp beneficiaries on Saipan received a 16 percent increase in their benefits. The Saipan increase followed a 28 percent increase for Tinian and 62 percent for Rota and the Northern Islands that took effect in 2014. Seniority pays off in Committee assignment - Six years of seniority allowed the Northern Marianas Delegate to win promotion to Vice-Ranking Member for the Natural Resources Committee. February H.R. 851 aims to increase federal funding for PSS - As it became apparent that the Elementary and Secondary Education Act would finally be reauthorized, I introduced legislation to increase federal education funding for our Public School System a move that paid off in December. March Presidents budget includes funding for Rota National Park study - The study was only authorized in the National Defense Authorization Act in December 2014, but the President immediately proposed funding. April Community Health Centers, CHIP benefit from doc fix - The Kagman Community Health Center was assured of funding through 2017 in Public Law 114-10. The law also extended the CHIP program, which will provide $1.4 million for health insurance for children from low-income families in the Northern Marianas in 2016. June Geothermal explorations get green light - CUC got the go-ahead to use technical assistance funds provided by Congress to continue exploring geothermal potential on Saipan. Hot water deep below the surface could generate electricity and lower the cost of power. July Foxx-Messer-Sablan Act would help students select college - Along with Education and the Workforce Committee members Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Luke Messer …	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://sablan.house.gov/fema-obligates-12-million-cuc-soudelor-repairs	FEMA obligates $1.2 million for CUC Soudelor repairs	2015-12-31	2015	2015-12	Independent	Senate	MP	Gregorio Sablan	S001177	sablan.house.gov	legacy	FEMA obligates $1.2 million for CUC Soudelor repairs Dec 30, 2015 The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced this week a grant of $1,194,653.70 to the Northern Mariana Islands. The funds are intended to be passed through to the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation for costs of restoring power on Saipan following Typhoon Soudelor. These public assistance funds are authorized under Section 406 of the Robert T. Stafford Act and should continue to be obligated for a variety of public infrastructure that was damaged during the storm. FEMA provides 90 percent of funding; the Commonwealth provides 10 percent, a reduction of the usual 25 percent match.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://sablan.house.gov/uscis-assures-action-pending-cw-petitions	USCIS assures action on pending CW petitions	2015-12-31	2015	2015-12	Independent	Senate	MP	Gregorio Sablan	S001177	sablan.house.gov	legacy	USCIS assures action on pending CW petitions Dec 30, 2015 The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has responded to my calls for action on delayed renewals of Commonwealth-only worker permits by moving CW applications submitted over 90 days ago for permits that expire this week to the front of the line for processing about 800 in all. Extra staff have also been added to clear the backlog of CW applications. USCIS has told me that they expect to act on these 800 CW petitions by the end of this week. Another 2,000 applications that were not submitted before the recommended 90 days will also receive the extra staff attention I called for. I urge employers with applications that are more than 90 days old to contact the congressional office. I also recommend that employers submit applications for renewals as early as possible they may do so up to 180 days prior to expiration.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://sablan.house.gov/working-together-new-torres-administration	Working together with the new Torres administration	2015-12-31	2015	2015-12	Independent	Senate	MP	Gregorio Sablan	S001177	sablan.house.gov	legacy	Working together with the new Torres administration Dec 31, 2015 Our new Governor, Ralph DLG Torres, led the response and recovery to Typhoon Soudelor; and the congressional office assisted by making sure that every federal resource he called for was provided fully and quickly. In a meeting with Governor Torres this week I pledged to continue that model of cooperation and partnership with his new administration for the benefit of the people of the Northern Mariana Islands. I thanked the Governor, too, for leading us all through these days of grief with grace and courage.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/old-man-wanted-more-than-money-in-branson-bank-robbery	Old man wanted more than money in Branson bank robbery	2015-12-31	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	Old man wanted more than money in Branson bank robbery By: Harrison Keegan Thursday, December 31, 2015 Joseph Cyrus could barelyget the words out. He knew what he wanted to say, but he didn't want to break down in the courtroom. Cyrus' lawyer told him it was OK. Hecould wait until the sentencing hearing in a few months if he wanted.But the 77-year-oldCyrus couldn't wait. A proud man, Cyruscouldn't go another day without explaining himself. "I wanted to be caught, your honor," Cyrus said from his wheelchair last month at the federal courthouse in Springfield."I wanted to get some help from the United States government." A masked Cyrus robbed the Central Bank on James Epps Road in Branson on Oct. 16, pointing what he says wasa plastic BBgunat the tellers. The reason he committed the crime, he said, was to get access to health care in the federal prison system. Continue reading here.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/for-the-wealthiest-a-private-tax-system-that-saves-them-billions	For the Wealthiest, a Private Tax System That Saves Them Billions	2015-12-29	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	For the Wealthiest, a Private Tax System That Saves Them Billions By: NOAM SCHEIBER and PATRICIA COHEN Tuesday, December 29, 2015 WASHINGTON The hedge fund magnates Daniel S. Loeb, Louis Moore Bacon andSteven A. Cohenhave much in common. They have managed billions of dollars in capital, earning vast fortunes. They have invested millions in art and millions more in political candidates. Moreover, each has exploited an esoteric tax loophole that saved them millions in taxes. The trick? Route the money to Bermuda and back. With inequality at its highest levels in nearly a century and public debate rising over whether the government should respond to it through higher taxes on the wealthy, the very richest Americans have financed a sophisticated and astonishingly effective apparatus for shielding their fortunes. Some call it the income defense industry, consisting of a high-priced phalanx of lawyers, estate planners, lobbyists and anti-tax activists who exploit and defend a dizzying array of tax maneuvers, virtually none of them available to taxpayers of more modest means. In recent years, this apparatus has become one of the most powerful avenues of influence for wealthy Americans of all political stripes, including Mr. Loeb and Mr. Cohen, who give heavily to Republicans, and the liberal billionaireGeorge Soros, who has called for higher levies on the richwhile at the same time usingtax loopholes to bolster his own fortune. Continue reading here.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://sablan.house.gov/week-congress-december-23-2015	THIS WEEK IN CONGRESS - December 23, 2015	2015-12-28	2015	2015-12	Independent	Senate	MP	Gregorio Sablan	S001177	sablan.house.gov	legacy	In this issue: Bill introduced to pay for earned income tax credit in NMI. I have introduced legislation,H.R. 4309, that would use federal funds to cover the cost of the earned income tax credit in the Northern Mariana Islands and other U.S. insular areas. The EITC provides extra money to U.S. workers, who have low wage jobs, up to $6,000 annually. Here in the Northern Marianas, where incomes are half the national average, the EITC would put more money into peoples pockets and into our local economy. Unlike other forms of welfare that go to people without jobs, the EITC is only paid to those who are working. It rewards work. The EITC would apply in the same way as the Child Tax Credit that many families now receive. Taxpayers file for the credit on their CNMI tax return; and then the federal government gives the money to the CNMI to cover the cost. The Commonwealth tried to provide the EITC in the 1990s, but had to stop because the program was too expensive. Getting tax law changed is not easy to do in Congress. And what I am proposing costs money, so it is even more difficult. But our new Speaker, Paul Ryan, wants to reform the tax code perhaps in the next Congress. My proposal starts the discussion and prepares us for the work that could get done in 2017 or 2018. New Marianas High School cafeteria approved. Marianas High School students will be getting a new cafeteria and kitchen valued at $1.4 million. The U.S. Department of Agricultures Food and Nutrition Service approved use of 2015 Nutritional Assistance Grant funds for the project this week. The Public School System asked for approval in September. I registered support with FNS Administrator Audrey Rowe and have been working with the agency ever since to clear procedural hurdles. The present cafeteria, built in 1969, was designed to serve 450 students. The new cafeteria will be five times larger. This will allow the current enrollment of 1,604 students to all be served in two lunch periods of 30 minutes each. At the recommendation of FNS the new faci…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/new-minimum-wages-in-the-new-year	New Minimum Wages in the New Year	2015-12-28	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	New Minimum Wages in the New Year By: The Editorial Boarrd Monday, December 28, 2015 In five states and nine cities including California, New York, Oregon and Washington, D.C. voters and lawmakers will consider proposals in 2016 to gradually raise minimum wages to $15 an hour. The ballot initiatives and pending legislation will build on momentum from this year, in which 14 states and localities used laws, executive orders and other procedures to lift wages for all or part of their work forces to $15 an hour. In New York City, for instance, the minimum wage for workers in fast food and state government will rise to $10.50 on New Years Eve, and to $15 by the end of 2018. In the rest of New York, the minimum for those workers will reach $15 an hour in mid-2021. InLos Angeles County, including the city of Los Angeles, the minimum wage for most workers will rise to $10.50 by mid-2016 and to $15 by mid-2020. Seattle and San Francisco are also phasing in citywide minimums of $15 an hour, while five other cities Buffalo and Rochester in New York; Greensboro, N.C.; Missoula, Mont.; and Pittsburgh are gradually raising their minimums to $15 for city workers. Minimum-wage raises are examples of states and cities leading in the absence of leadership by Congress, which has kept the federal minimum at $7.25 an hour since 2009. State and local increases are also potent shapers of public perception. It was only three years ago that a walkout by 200 or sofast-food workersin New York City began theFight for $15, now a nationwide effort to raise pay and support unions. Two years ago SeaTac, Wash., home to an international airport,voted inthe nations first $15-an-hour minimum for some 6,500 workers in the city, on and off airport property. Since then, $15 an hour has gone from a slogan to a benchmark. Continue reading here.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/-20-people-now-own-as-much-wealth-as-half-of-all-americans	20 People Now Own As Much Wealth as Half of All Americans	2015-12-26	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	And theres a stark racial divide at the top. The 100 richest households own more assets than the entire African-American community (there are just two black people on theForbes400 list, one of whom is Oprah Winfrey). And just 182 individuals on theForbeslist have more assets than Americas entire Hispanic population. But Chuck Collins, director of IPSs Program on Inequality and the Common Good and a co-author of the report, tellsThe Nationthat their study likely underestimates the scope of the problem. Our wealth data is a tip of the iceberg, he says. So much wealth among the ber-rich is hidden, either in offshore tax havens or in these loophole trusts where money is shuffled around into private corporate accounts or between different family members, and it disappears from taxation or any sort of oversight or accountability.So theres a huge amount of escaped wealth that isnt even factored into these statistics. And Collins says its only getting worse. These inequalities really undermine our quality of life, he says. We need to explain to people who say So what, I dont care how much theForbes400 has that it really does touch on all of our lives, deeply and profoundly.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/now-its-even-easier-for-candidates-and-their-aides-to-help-super-pacs	Now its even easier for candidates and their aides to help super PACs	2015-12-26	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	Now its even easier for candidates and their aides to help super PACs By: Matea Gold Saturday, December 26, 2015 The Federal Election Commission has quietly given the green light to federal candidates who want to solicit contributions for super PACs by meeting in small groups so small that there can be just two other people in the room. In addition, the little-noticed advisory opinion gives permission to a candidates campaign consultant and other aides to solicit large donations for a super PAC, as long as they make clear that they are not making the request at the direction of the candidate. The decisions which came in response to a request from two Democratic super PACs, including one with close ties to Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) further erode the boundary between campaigns and their independent allies at a time when they are already engaged in unprecedented collaboration. Federal candidates are still not permitted to explicitly ask a donor to give more than $5,000 to a super PAC. But the latest decision means that an elected official or candidate can meet privately with just one wealthy donor and one super PAC operative to discuss fundraising for the group, said Ellen Weintraub, one of two Democrats on the six-member panel who opposed loosening the rules. Continue reading here.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://sablan.house.gov/new-marianas-high-school-cafeteria-approved	New Marianas High School cafeteria approved	2015-12-24	2015	2015-12	Independent	Senate	MP	Gregorio Sablan	S001177	sablan.house.gov	legacy	New Marianas High School cafeteria approved Dec 23, 2015 Marianas High School students will be getting a new cafeteria and kitchen valued at $1.4 million. The U.S. Department of Agricultures Food and Nutrition Service approved use of 2015 Nutritional Assistance Grant funds for the project this week. The Public School System asked for approval in September. I registered support with FNS Administrator Audrey Rowe and have been working with the agency ever since to clear procedural hurdles. The present cafeteria, built in 1969, was designed to serve 450 students. The new cafeteria will be five times larger. This will allow the current enrollment of 1,604 students to all be served in two lunch periods of 30 minutes each. At the recommendation of FNS the new facility will also include a full kitchen, where students will be able to learn cooking and nutritional skills for their own benefit and as part of the MHS vocational curriculum. Federal NAG funds previously built cafeterias at San Vicente Elementary and Dandan Middle schools. Congratulations to PSS and all the MHS Dolphins.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/-shutting-down-planned-parenthood-would-catapult-women-into-poverty	Shutting Down Planned Parenthood Would Catapult Women Into Poverty	2015-12-23	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	Shutting Down Planned Parenthood Would Catapult Women Into Poverty By: Bryce Covert Wednesday, December 23, 2015 Already forgotten in the aftermath of the San Bernardino shootings is a more persistent terrorist threat to average Americans: right-wing extremists. Robert Lewis Dear, who shot and killed three people at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs, has since pleaded guilty to being a warrior for the babies. His actions follow a long tradition of violence against abortion providers. That violence is increasing: The number of clinics reporting threats and targeted intimidation has increased from about 25 percent to more than 50 percent since 2010. Dears terrorism hasnt affected the GOPs congressional crusade against the womens-healthcare provider, however. Immediately after the shooting, Senate Republicans said they would proceed with efforts to defund Planned Parenthood, which currently receives about $500 million from the federal government. About 80 percent of Planned Parenthoods clients are low-income (which is measured as being at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty line). Unintended pregnancies among poor women have been increasing, while those among well-off women are falling. What terrorists like Dear and Republicans in Congress want is basically the same: to shut down Planned Parenthood and deny women access to abortions. If they got their wish, it would serve only to make poor women poorer and increase the number of unintended pregnancies. Indeed, unintended pregnancies are already concentrated among low-income women, an imbalance that has been increasing. The rate of such pregnancies among women with incomes below the poverty line jumped 56 percent from 1994 to 2008, while for higher-income women it actually fell by 24 percent. In 2008, the unintended-pregnancy rate for poor women was more than five times that of the most well-off. All of this means that poor women have higher rates of unplanned births as well as …	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/bernie-sanders-to-rein-in-wall-street-fix-the-fed	Bernie Sanders: To Rein In Wall Street, Fix the Fed	2015-12-23	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	Bernie Sanders: To Rein In Wall Street, Fix the Fed By: Sen. Bernie Sanders Wednesday, December 23, 2015 WALL STREET is still out of control. Seven years ago, theFederal Reserveand the Treasury Department bailed out the largest financial institutions in this country because they were considered too big to fail. But almost every one is bigger today than it was before the bailout. If any were to fail again, taxpayers could be on the hook for another bailout, perhaps a larger one this time. To rein in Wall Street, we should begin by reforming the Federal Reserve, which oversees financial institutions and which uses monetary policy to maintain price stability and full employment. Unfortunately, an institution that was created to serve all Americans has been hijacked by the very bankers it regulates. The recent decision by the Fed to raise interest rates is the latest example of the rigged economic system. Big bankers and their supporters in Congress have been telling us for years that runaway inflation is just around the corner. They have been dead wrong each time. Raising interest rates now is a disaster for small business owners who need loans to hire more workers and Americans who need more jobs and higher wages. As a rule, the Fed should not raise interest rates until unemployment is lower than 4 percent. Raising rates must be done only as a last resort not to fight phantom inflation. What went wrong at the Fed? The chief executives of some of the largest banks in America are allowed to serve on its boards. During the Wall Street crisis of 2007, Jamie Dimon, the chief executive and chairman of JPMorgan Chase, served on the New York Feds board of directors while his bank received more than $390 billion in financial assistance from the Fed. Next year, four of the 12 presidents at the regional Federal Reserve Banks will be former executives from one firm: Goldman Sachs. Continue reading here.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/122315	News December 23	2015-12-23	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	News December 23 Wednesday, December 23, 2015 Senator Sanders Sanders: Fix the Fed To rein in Wall Street, we should begin by reforming the Federal Reserve, which oversees financial institutions and which uses monetary policy to maintain price stability and full employment. Unfortunately, an institution that was created to serve all Americans has been hijacked by the very bankers it regulates, Sen. Bernie Sanders wrote in The New York Times. Sandra BlandSen. Sanders said late Monday night that Sandra Bland would not have died in police custody if she were a white women, CNN, The Associated Press, The Guardian, Houston Chronicle and The Huffington Post reported. Unlikely Alliance Sen. Sanders spends much of his time railing against millionaires and billionaires, but he has different sentiments when speaking about one of the richest men in Burlington, Tony Pomerleau, Burlington Free Press reported. World Ramadi For the first time, Iraqi forces engaged Islamic State fighters within the city center of Ramadi on Tuesday, reaching the edge of the inner government district in an attempt to seize the critical western provincial capital after months of approach and maneuvering, The New York Times reported. National Virginia Gun Safety Virginia will no longer recognize concealed-handgun permits issued by 25 other states, its attorney general announced Tuesday, a stark change in a state known for its expansive gun rights, The New York Times reported. Vermont GMOs The latest attempt in Congress to block states from passing GMO labeling laws has failed. Its good news for Vermont, which is poised to become the first state in the country to implement mandatory GMO labeling on July 1st, WAMC reported.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/following-sanders-investigation-vermont-secures-discount-on-life-saving-drug-	Following Sanders Investigation, Vermont Secures Discount on Life-Saving Drug	2015-12-23	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	BURLINGTON, Vt., Dec. 23 Following up on U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) investigation on the skyrocketing cost of generic drugs and letters the senator sent to officials urging them to seek a discount on naloxone, Vermonts attorney general signed a deal with Amphastar Pharmaceuticals for a 20 percent rebate on the drug used by first-responders as an opiate overdose antidote. The opioid abuse epidemic in our country is a public health emergency that must be addressed, and no company should jeopardize the progress being made in tackling this emergency by overcharging for a critically important drug like naloxone, said Sanders, who serves as the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security. It is a tragedy for my state of Vermont. It is a tragedy all over this country. The number of heroin deaths are growing very, very significantly. Drug overdose deaths hit a record high last year in the United States. Tragically, that included 83 Vermonters. Vermont Attorney General Bill Sorrell reached an agreement last Friday with Amphastar Pharmaceuticals to address concerns with the 2014 price increase of the opioid antidote drug naloxone. Under the agreement, Vermont will receive a $6 rebate per vial. Since last fall, Sanders and Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, have been investigating the increasingly high prices being charged for naloxone and other drugs. In July, Sanders and Cummings sent letters to the United States Conference of Mayors, the National Association of Counties, and the Associations of National Governors, Lieutenant Governors, and Attorneys General to urge their members to follow the lead of New York and other states that are demanding affordable prices for a critical drug used by first responders nationwide. We encourage all of your members to consider negotiating agreements with Amphastar to make naloxone more widely available in every state, Cummings and Sanders wrote.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://sablan.house.gov/investors-told-hire-construction-workers-through-h2b-visa-process	Investors told to hire construction workers through H2B visa process	2015-12-22	2015	2015-12	Independent	Senate	MP	Gregorio Sablan	S001177	sablan.house.gov	legacy	Marianas Variety- U.S. Congressman Gregorio Camacho Kilili Sablan on Tuesday said new investors such as Honest Profit can hire temporary workers using the H-2B visa program if they want to proceed with construction projects. Guam hires foreign workers, including construction workers, through the H-visa process. Rep. Joseph Leepan T. Guerrero earlier asked Sablan to look into the delay in the processing of Honest Profits petitions for CW workers. The investor wants to construct a new hotel in San Antonio. Variety learned from other employers that they, too, are still waiting for a response from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for CW petitions submitted in August. Sablan said H-2B visas are for workers who are only needed for a specific project and a specific length of time. In the rest of the U.S. there is a limit on the number of H visas each year. But there is no limit here in the Marianas because of the language I put into .S.S Public Law 113-235 last December. That law allows for an unlimited number of H visa construction workers to work in the Marianas without using up any CW permits. He said CW permits for construction workers are limited. There are only 12,999 CW permits available this year. Those CW permits are too valuable to our existing businesses to use for temporary construction workers. CW permits are limited. We can have 12,999 in 2016 but by 2019 that number is supposed to go to zero, Sablan said. We may need to stretch out that transition period further. I do not know yet. But I do know that with every year that goes by CW permits will become more and more valuable and should, in my opinion, only be used for workers we cannot get through any other means. Sablan said Guerrero had not written to him or met with him to discuss the issue. But I would explain the situation to him if he asks. Sablan said there are other companies with CW permits for construction workers because the employers were able to justify their claims that no U.S. workers were available for those jobs. When an employer …	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://sablan.house.gov/kilili-proposes-federally-funded-earned-income-tax-credit-program-nmi	Kilili proposes federally funded Earned Income Tax Credit program for NMI	2015-12-22	2015	2015-12	Independent	Senate	MP	Gregorio Sablan	S001177	sablan.house.gov	legacy	Marianas Variety- U.S. Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan has introduced a measure that will provide federal funds for the CNMI Earned Income Tax Credit or EITC program. Sablans H.R. 4309 will allow taxpayers in the Northern Marianas to receive a refundable tax credit if they have earned income in a given year. The earned income tax credit is an important public policy because it rewards people for working, Sablan said in a media statement. Even if people have to work for low wages, which many people do in the Northern Marianas, it will still be worthwhile to get a job because there will be this extra supplemental income from the government, Sablan said. Acting Gov. Ralph Torres on Tuesday praised Sablan for introducing the bill. I commend and appreciate Congressman Sablans efforts to extend a federal cover-over for the cost the CNMI would pay for the Earned Income Tax Credit. This is an important incentive for low-income residents. The EITC program is supposed to work in tandem with [other] programsto be a safety net for low-income families while supporting self-sufficiency through gainful employment, but the [EITC] has been unavailable in the CNMI. He added, This is an issue we have brought up during the formation of the Governors Special Commission on Economic Opportunity. In order to build a stronger society we need all the resources we have at our disposal to encourage greater workforce participation rates among our people and provide them the tools they need to succeed. I thank Congressman Sablan for his efforts on this issue and will follow the progress of this legislation closely. Sablan said the commonwealth tried to provide the EITC to its people in the 1990s but had to discontinue the program because it was too expensive for the CNMI government. Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands have an EITC program in place and pay for it using local funds. Sablans bill would cover the cost with federal funds. This would work in the same way that families in the Northern Marianas are now getting the refundable …	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://sablan.house.gov/many-cw-permits-expiring-dec-31-kilili-uscis-working-remedy-delay	WITH MANY CW PERMITS EXPIRING ON DEC. 31- Kilili, USCIS working to remedy delay	2015-12-22	2015	2015-12	Independent	Senate	MP	Gregorio Sablan	S001177	sablan.house.gov	legacy	Saipan Tribune- A 48-year-old wait staff at a restaurant is having sleepless nights as his CW-1 permit has yet to be adjudicated by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service less than a month before his current permit expires on Dec. 31, 2015. Sonny (not his real name) is one of probably hundreds of CW-1 permit holders who are on pins and needles waiting for USCIS decision on their renewal permits. Under USCIS rules, a CW-1 permit holder should stop work immediately after his permit expires. But Sonny, who hails from the Philippines, said that stopping from work is not an option as the father of six has living expenses to meet. Are we just going to stop eating and using electricity? How about the rent in our apartment and payment of utilities? How are we going to pay for gas for our cars? Whos going to pay for all of that? And besides its Christmas and the New Year. I really hope USCIS approves my permit soon, he told Saipan Tribune. For many businesses such as hotels, the idea of stopping as much as a third of their workforce from working on one of the busiest nights of the year, Dec. 31, is also not an option. As of Dec. 1, 2015, USCIS has approved a total of 9,195 beneficiaries under the CW-Only Nonimmigrant Transitional Worker program and denied 1,092. The 9,195 counts against the 2015 cap of 12,999 set by the USCIS earlier in the year. Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (Ind-MP) said he is aware of the anxiety not only on the part of CW-1 permit holders but their employers as well. He said a number of businesses have already approached him about the delay in the issuance of CW-1 renewal permits. The congressional office continues to work with employers who come seeking our help with their CW visa petitions. I cannot name the companies or petitioners because when anyone comes to us for assistance, their case is treated with complete confidentiality, he told Saipan Tribune in an email. He also confirmed what USCIS told Saipan Tribune about the current number of approved and denied CW-1 petitions. And I can repo…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://sablan.house.gov/fy16-funding-tax-extenders-approved	FY16 funding, tax extenders approved	2015-12-21	2015	2015-12	Independent	Senate	MP	Gregorio Sablan	S001177	sablan.house.gov	legacy	FY16 funding, tax extenders approved Dec 20, 2015 On Friday, The House and Senate passed, and the President already signed, an appropriations and tax bill, providing $1.067 trillion in funding for the federal government for the rest of fiscal year 2016 and extending a variety of tax provisions. Highlights of funding and tax provisions that benefit the Northern Marianas include: $22.5 billion for Pell Grants, which is the same as the 2015 enacted level. When combined with mandatory funding, these discretionary funds will enable the maximum grant to increase to an estimated $5,915, an increase of $140 in the 2016-2017 school year for NMC students. $6.35 billion to fully fund the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program in FY16. The amount is lower than the FY15 enacted level due to decreases in program participation and is expected to provide full benefits to participants. WIC provides nutritional foods and services to nutritionally at-risk low-income pregnant women, new mothers, infants and young children in the Northern Marianas. The Northern Marianas WIC program received $5.4 million in FY15. $638 million for the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant, an increase from the FY 2015 enacted level. The Northern Marianas received $456,074 in FY 2014 to help address the health needs of mothers, infants and children, including children with special health care needs and their families. Increases in funding for major housing programs: $19.63 billion for Section 8 Tenant-Based Rental Assistance, an approximate increase of $324 million from the FY15 enacted level. Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance increases $890 to $10.62 billion. And the HOME Investment Partnership program is funded at $950 million, a $50 million increase from FY15.The Community De…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://sablan.house.gov/nmi-educators-apply-now-loc-summer-institutes	NMI educators: Apply now for LOC Summer Institutes	2015-12-21	2015	2015-12	Independent	Senate	MP	Gregorio Sablan	S001177	sablan.house.gov	legacy	NMI educators: Apply now for LOC Summer Institutes Dec 20, 2015 The application period for the Library of Congress 2016 Summer Teacher Institutes is now open, and educators from the Northern Marianas are encouraged to apply. The application deadline is February 29, 2016. The highly acclaimed Summer Teacher Institutes provide educators with the tools and training to effectively utilize the Librarys rich collection of primary sources in the classroom. Educators will also be given the resources to share what they learn with their colleagues in their respective districts. Five weeklong institutes will be offered from June to July next year, including one institute focused on science, engineering, and technology. The week-long training is free, but participants are responsible for the costs of travel to Washington, DC, and room and board. To learn more about the Summer Teacher Institutes, and to apply, visit: https://www.loc.gov/teachers/professionaldevelopment/teacherinstitute/.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://sablan.house.gov/soudelor-commendations-added-congressional-record	Soudelor commendations added to Congressional Record	2015-12-21	2015	2015-12	Independent	Senate	MP	Gregorio Sablan	S001177	sablan.house.gov	legacy	Soudelor commendations added to Congressional Record Dec 20, 2015 In a statement to the U.S. House of Representatives last week, I gave an account of the damage we suffered in Typhoon Soudelor and the response that followed. And I gave thanks to all who made possible our remarkable rebound from adversity. More than four months after one of the worst typhoons in memory, the initial recovery is substantially complete, and long-term rebuilding is well under way. In fact, the Federal Emergency Management Agency transitioned its recovery operations back to the Region IX office in San Francisco this week. Assistance from FEMA and other federal agencies will continue; and when all is said and done, the Northern Marianas will have received an estimated $100 million in federal disaster aid to help us get back on our feet. But it is the hard work and charity of so many individuals within our community and from outside who have really made our recovery possible. I cannot put a dollar value on that human effort; but I wanted to recognize and thank everyone and make a permanent memorial of their accomplishment in the official record of the U.S. Congress.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://sablan.house.gov/week-congress-december-18-2015	THIS WEEK IN CONGRESS - December 18, 2015	2015-12-21	2015	2015-12	Independent	Senate	MP	Gregorio Sablan	S001177	sablan.house.gov	legacy	In this issue: _________________________________________________________________________ Soudelor commendations added to Congressional Record. In a statement to the U.S. House of Representativesthis week, I gave an account of the damage we suffered in Typhoon Soudelor and the response that followed. And I gave thanks to all who made possible our remarkable rebound from adversity. More than four months after one of the worst typhoons in memory, the initial recovery is substantially complete, and long-term rebuilding is well under way. In fact, the Federal Emergency Management Agency transitioned its recovery operations back to the Region IX office in San Francisco this week. Assistance from FEMA and other federal agencies will continue; and when all is said and done, the Northern Marianas will have received an estimated $100 million in federal disaster aid to help us get back on our feet. But it is the hard work and charity of so many individuals within our community and from outside who have really made our recovery possible. I cannot put a dollar value on that human effort; but I wanted to recognize and thank everyone and make a permanent memorial of their accomplishment in the official record of the U.S. Congress. FY16 funding, tax extenders approved. The House and Senate today passed, and the President already signed,an appropriations and tax bill, providing $1.067 trillion in funding for the federal government for the rest of fiscal year 2016 and extending a variety of tax provisions. Highlights of funding and tax provisions that benefit the Northern Marianas include: $22.5 billion for Pell Grants, which is the same as the 2015 enacted level. When combined with mandatory funding, these discretionary funds will enable the maximum grant to increase to an estimated $5,915, an increase of $140 in the 2016-2017 school year for NMC students. $6.35 billion to fully fund the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program in FY16. The amount is lower than the FY15 enacted level due…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://sablan.house.gov/feature-nmi-gets-100-million-federal-disaster-aid	FEATURE: NMI gets $100 million in federal disaster aid	2015-12-20	2015	2015-12	Independent	Senate	MP	Gregorio Sablan	S001177	sablan.house.gov	legacy	Marianas Variety- The following is a statement made to the U.S. House of Representatives on Dec. 15, 2015 and included in the U.S. Congressional Record. MISTER Speaker, on the night of August 2nd and through the early morning of August 3rd this year, Typhoon Soudelor lashed through the Northern Mariana Islands, causing widespread destruction to homes, businesses, and infrastructure, uprooting the lives of the people I represent here in Congress. Today, I want to reflect on that event, and on the exceptional grace and generosity that have made recovery possible. The typhoons impact was especially grave on Saipan, the most populated island in the Northern Marianas. Soudelor rendered hundreds of families homeless overnight. It also decimated infrastructure knocking out power and water systems, shutting down the ports, ravaging the college, schools and other public buildings. Survival is a way of life in our islands. We are accustomed to bracing ourselves through tropical storms and picking ourselves up when skies clear. But the sheer ferocity of Typhoon Soudelor caught us all off-guard. Even the National Weather Service failed to foresee the force of this storm. That there was no loss of life is testament to the resilience and resourcefulness of our people. And we are grateful to Providence for sparing us. As long as we live, those of us who experienced Soudelor will not forget the wreckage we saw the morning after. Nor will we forget the hardship that followed, the long hours in line for food and fuel and other necessities, the days of physical suffering and distress, the weeks without power and running water. Soudelor tested our infrastructure, our government, and our capacity as a community to deal with disaster. Now, however, four months after the storm, I can report that conditions are greatly improved, since that long and terrifying night in August. Electricity is restored, and residents have daily water service. Streets have been cleaned in our villages and commercial districts. Students are in school. Bus…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://sablan.house.gov/24-hour-water	24-hour water	2015-12-18	2015	2015-12	Independent	Senate	MP	Gregorio Sablan	S001177	sablan.house.gov	legacy	Marianas Variety- NOW that 96 percent of Saipans population has access to 24-hour water and the work of the Water Task Force has been handed over to the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation, I would like to add my congratulations and thanks to everyone responsible. I join the Acting Governor in his praise of Mr. Pete Sasamoto and his Water Task Force colleagues for a job well done. Additionally, I want to acknowledge the partnership of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which has been a guiding hand throughout this process. I understand that Saipan was the only major population area in the U.S. without 24-hour water; and Regional Administrator Jared Blumenfeld, Pacific Islands Program Manager John McCarroll, and the staff at EPAs Region IX office in San Francisco partnered with the congressional office and we made it our mission to fix that. Achieving 24-hour water would not have been possible without a substantial increase in funding beginning in 2009. As EPA reported in its review of Consolidated Grants program accomplishments for Fiscal Year 2014, the achievement of having the public water supply system provide 24 hour service to 95 percent of its population[is] a result of the increase in [State Revolving Fund] funding . Before 2009 the Commonwealth was getting about $1 million annually from the Safe Drinking Water Act and Clean Water Act State Revolving Fund grants that Congress provides. Beginning with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in 2009 and in every fiscal year from 2010 to today, annual funding has always exceeded $6 million a 619 percent increase over pre-2009 levels and a seven year total of $51.6 million. I made this increase a priority when I came to office in 2009 and have worked to keep the change in place in every annual appropriation since then. In fact, in the fiscal 2016 appropriation that we expect to see enacted this week there should be an additional $6.5 million, bringing the eight year total for the Northern Marianas to $58.1 million. Without this increased funding from…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/king-supports-government-funding-bill-with-important-provisions-for-maine-	King Supports Government Funding Bill with Important Provisions for Maine	2015-12-18	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	ME	Angus King	K000383	www.king.senate.gov	legacy	King Supports Government Funding Bill with Important Provisions for Maine Legislation averts shutdown, avoids fiscal uncertainty of years past Friday, December 18, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) voted for an omnibus appropriations bill that will fund the government through September 2016, extend tax policies that support American families and businesses, and contains a host of other provisions important to Maine. Though Senator King had concerns about how the costs of the tax deal will add to the national debt, he was not willing to vote to shut down the government or sacrifice the numerous provisions that will benefit the people of Maine. By passing this bill, weve avoided another government shutdown, managed to extend or enhance several tax provisions important to Maine families and businesses, and given our economy some semblance of calm and predictability for the coming fiscal year. But unfortunately, the tax provisions in this bill are a short-term solution to a long-term problem, said Senator King. We cannot continue to mortgage our childrens future with these massive, last minute agreements even though this negotiating process was more deliberate and inclusive than it has been in the past. I hope that in the coming years, we can find a way to pay for expiring tax provisions and return to a more thoughtful, regular appropriations process that allows us to responsibly invest in our future, grow the economy, and leave our kids and grandkids with an opportunity to succeed rather than a mountain of debt. An omnibus appropriations bill is legislation that combines various smaller government funding bills into one large package that can be passed all together at once, usually to avoid a pending fiscal deadline. The omnibus legislation passed today was negotiated by Congressional leaders and the Obama Administration in order to avoid a government shutdown by funding federal departments, agencies, and programs over the next fiscal …	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-opposes-spending-package	Sanders Opposes Spending Package	2015-12-18	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement today opposing the omnibus and tax extenders bills: Millions of Americans are unemployed and working longer hours for lower wages, yet this spending package gives more tax breaks to billionaires, encourages large corporations to ship jobs overseas and makes worse an already corrupt campaign finance system. Scientists tell us that we must act immediately to combat climate change, but this bill will lift the crude oil export ban and encourage the burning of more fossil fuels. And 16 million children are living in poverty in this country, but Congress has decided to cut food and nutrition services for our most vulnerable and increase the already bloated defense budget. While there are some important and positive provisions in this bill like the expanded Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit, the truth is we cannot afford another spending package that expands the power and wealth of the billionaire class at the expense of everyone else. Congress must pass legislation that make our rigged political and economic systems work once again for the vast majority of Americans not just the 1 percent.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/in-letter-to-president-king-calls-for-increased-funding-to-address-opioid-epidemic	In Letter to President, King Calls for Increased Funding to Address Opioid Epidemic	2015-12-17	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	ME	Angus King	K000383	www.king.senate.gov	legacy	In Letter to President, King Calls for Increased Funding to Address Opioid Epidemic Thursday, December 17, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) wrote a letter to President Barack Obama urging him to increase funding in the 2017 Fiscal Year budget to address the prescription drug and heroin epidemic in Maine and across the country. In the letter, Senator King underscored his call for a comprehensive approach to combat drug addiction and support the communities dealing with this public health and safety crisis. As you are well aware, addiction to opioids, such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, and heroin is tearing at the fabric of our communities and families and devastating peoples lives across the country, Senator King wrote in the letter. Addressing this epidemic will require a multi-faceted approach, including a strong commitment to prevention, treatment, enforcement and various measures to support communities feeling its acute effects. []Ultimately, the opioid and heroin crisis we face demands an aggressive approach at the federal level to create lasting solutions on behalf of families and communities in Maine and across the United States. Senator Kings letter also discussed how increased funding for programs and initiatives like Maine Healthy Communities, Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) and Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) will be balanced by significant savings in the long run through decreases in emergency care and long-term treatment, as well as a reduction in crime associated with heroin use and distribution. The most significant savings however, is that of saving valuable young lives and saving families and communities the pain of watching people struggle with opioid dependence and so often dying. Senator Kings letter also outlines the tragic story of Michael Fielders, of Eliot, Maine, who died of a suspected heroin overdose in November while waiting for treatment. Michaels parents have been vocal about addressing the opioid c…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/king-warns-tax-extender-deal-will-shift-costs-to-future-generations-	King Warns Tax Extender Deal Will Shift Costs to Future Generations	2015-12-17	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	ME	Angus King	K000383	www.king.senate.gov	legacy	King Warns Tax Extender Deal Will Shift Costs to Future Generations Thursday, December 17, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) joined with his colleagues Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) to express concern about the cost of the tax extenders package set to come before the Senate tomorrow. Despite his support for many of the tax policies in the legislation, such as permanent enhancements to tax credits for working families and investment incentives for businesses, Senator King worries that the $680 billion package negotiated by Congressional leadership will saddle future generations with debt because it is not offset by other spending reductions or revenue increases. This bill should be called the Tax Your Grandchildren Act, because were cutting our own taxes, but were borrowing the money that otherwise would be collected, and the kids are going to have to pay it back, at some point, with interest, said Senator King. Ultimately for me, this is an issue of ethical stewardship. [] Our generation is not keeping our infrastructure up, is not adequately providing for the common defense, and is shifting the costs from us to our children. Thats not stewardship, that is inter-generational theft. The Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015, a $680 billion agreement reached by Congressional leaders, would extend many expired tax provisions for families and businesses and carries an enormous cost without containing any offsets in spending or revenue increases. Despite Senator Kings support for many of the bills individual policies such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Research and Development tax credit, and tax provisions that support renewable energy he is concerned that using this year-end, unpaid tax extenders package to advance these policies is fiscally irresponsible and only shift taxes to future generations. Senator King has long believed that Congress needs to stop making short-sighted decisions that pass along long-ter…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/121715	News December 17	2015-12-17	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	News December 17 Thursday, December 17, 2015 Senator Sanders Andrea Mitchell Interview MSNBCs Andrea Mitchell was joined by Sen. Bernie Sanders, to discuss his plan for the American fight against ISIS. Sanders also commented on last nights Republican presidential debate. Mosque Visit Wednesday, Sen. Bernie Sanders joined members of three faiths - Christianity, Islam and Judaism - at Masjid Muhammad in Washington to discuss racial and religious tensions in national politics, ABC, The Huffington Post, The Washington Post, WRC-TV in Washington and National Journal reported. As a politician who has aligned himself with civil rights causes for decades, Sanders seemed comfortable talking about the issue of religious tolerance, according to The New York Times. Drug Prices A new report requested by Sen. Sanders found that Medicaid could have saved $1.4 billion over the past decade if companies were required to offer rebates whenever prices for best-selling generic drugs exceeded the inflation rate. The federal budget bill, which was passed last month, included a provision authored by Sen. Sanders and Rep. Cummings requiring generic drug makers to offer state Medicaid programs rebates tied to inflation, STAT News reported. Fed Rate Hike Sen. Sanders has critiqued the Federal Reserves decision to raise interest rates, stating that, The Fed should act with the same sense of urgency to rebuild the disappearing middle class as it did to bail out Wall Street banks seven years ago, The New York Times, PBSNewsHour,The Associated Press, The Hill,The Washington Post,Fortune and Business Insider reported. Bernie Beans Capitol Grounds Cafe and Roasters announced a new, special edition coffee called Bernie's Beans, named after Vermont Senator and Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders, FOX44 reported. World Cuba Cuba and the United States reached an agreement Wednesday night that will allow U.S. commercial airlines to begin operating flights to the island for the first time in decades, acc…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/skyrocketing-generic-drug-prices-cost-taxpayers-14-billion-new-report-finds	Skyrocketing Generic Drug Prices Cost Taxpayers $1.4 Billion, New Report Finds	2015-12-17	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	Skyrocketing Generic Drug Prices Cost Taxpayers $1.4 Billion, New Report Finds Thursday, December 17, 2015 WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 Skyrocketing generic drug prices cost taxpayers an additional $1.4 billion over the last decade according to a new report from the Department of Health and Human Services inspector general, undertaken at the request of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Prices of top-selling generic drugs rose faster than inflation 22 percent of the time over the 10-year study. If a rebate had been applied on generic drugs rising faster than inflation Medicaid would have saved more than $700 million in 2013 and 2014 alone. It is unacceptable that Americans pay, by far, the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs. The United States is the only major country on earth that does not in one form or another regulate prescription drug prices and the results have been an unmitigated disaster. This report further demonstrates that we need a new approach to stop skyrocketing drug prices in this country, said Sanders. The IG report confirms that skyrocketing drug prices are not just an isolated problem caused by one or two CEOs motivated by greed, but a systemic injustice that enriches corporate executives at the expense of Americans in desperate need of their medications. Unfortunately, House Republicans have not sent a single letter to a single drug company requesting a single document to investigate these abuses, said Cummings. Sanders and Cummings Medicaid Generic Drug Price Fairness Act included in the 2015 budget deal requires generic drug manufacturers to pay back the Medicaid program if prices of their drugs rise faster than the rate of inflation. The passage of the generic drug inflationary rebate will save the federal government $1 billion over the next decade, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Sanders and Cummings have urged Cong…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/collins-king-congratulate-alba-technic-for-winning-head-health-challenge-	Collins, King Congratulate Alba-Technic for Winning Head Health Challenge	2015-12-16	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	ME	Angus King	K000383	www.king.senate.gov	legacy	Collins, King Congratulate Alba-Technic for Winning Head Health Challenge Winthrop-based company is one of five winners nationwide to receive award from National Institute of Standards and Technology, National Football League, Under Armour, and General Electric Wednesday, December 16, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today congratulated Alba-Technic, LLC, one of five companies nationwide to win the Head Health Challenge III. The challenge is an open innovation competition held by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the National Football League, Under Armour, and General Electric (GE) to support the discovery, design and development of advanced materials that better absorb and dissipate impact. Alba-Technic has been doing innovative and exciting things in Winthrop to advance head health and safety, and were thrilled that this Maine company is being recognized so prominently at the national level, said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement. As we learn more and more about brain injuries and brain trauma, the need for new protective technologies becomes that much clearer and Alba Technic has an important role to play. We commend the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the NFL, Under Armour, and GE for organizing this competition, and look forward to following Alba Technic as it continues to compete for additional prize money and, more importantly, develop this potentially life-saving material. Winthrop-based Alba-Technic has developed a patented, shock-absorbent honeycomb material with an outer layer that diverts the energy from a fall or hit. The material is normally soft and compliant, but upon impact, the outer layer changes into a hard shell to spread the energy and protect the user from injury. As one of the competition winners, the company will receive $250,000 to advance their work in developing its state-of-the-art material. A panel of leading experts in the field of materials scie…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senators-collins-and-king-announce-that-usda-is-now-accepting-applications-for-the-rural-energy-for-america-program-funding	Senators Collins and King Announce that USDA is Now Accepting Applications for the Rural Energy for America Program Funding	2015-12-16	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	ME	Angus King	K000383	www.king.senate.gov	legacy	Senators Collins and King Announce that USDA is Now Accepting Applications for the Rural Energy for America Program Funding Wednesday, December 16, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting applications for funding through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), which provides guaranteed loan financing and grant funding to agricultural producers and small rural businesses to purchase or install renewable energy systems or make energy efficiency improvements. REAP funding will make it possible to rehabilitate housing, encourage energy efficiency, and help improve facilities throughout Maine, said Senators King and Collins in a joint statement. We encourage Maine farmers and rural small business owners to apply for these loans, which provide vital opportunities to install energy efficiency measures that save money, better protect the environment, and boost economic growth. Funding available through the REAP guaranteed loan program includes financing for renewable energy systems and making energy efficiency improvements, such as efficient lighting conversions, motor upgrades, building envelope improvements, HVAC upgrades, and more. Loan amounts can range from $5,000 to $25 million and can cover up to 75 percent of the total eligible project cost. For more information, you may contact Brian Wilson at 990-9168 or brian.wilson@me.usda.gov, or you may visit http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/rural-energy-america-program-renewable-energy-systems-energy-efficiency/me. ###	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senators-collins-king-announce-approval-of-1-billion-toward-additional-destroyer-likely-to-be-built-at-biw-	Senators Collins, King Announce Approval of $1 billion Toward Additional Destroyer Likely to be built at BIW	2015-12-16	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	ME	Angus King	K000383	www.king.senate.gov	legacy	Senators Collins, King Announce Approval of $1 billion Toward Additional Destroyer Likely to be built at BIW Wednesday, December 16, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senators Susan Collins, a senior member of the Defense Appropriations Committee, and Angus King, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, announced today that the final omnibus bill includes $1 billion toward the construction of an additional DDG-51 destroyer. This destroyer would likely be built at Bath Iron Works. This destroyer would be in addition to those already included in the current multi-year procurement contract. The omnibus bill will be considered by Congress later this week. As a senior member of the Defense Appropriations Committee, Senator Collins requested the funding toward the additional DDG-51 to help meet combatant commander requirements for destroyers across the globe. Senator Collins successfully advocated for the inclusion of the $1 billion in funding in the Senate Defense Appropriations Bill. The House Defense Appropriations Bill, however, allocated no funding for this additional destroyer. Following weeks of negotiations between the House and Senate regarding the bill, the omnibus bill appropriates the full $1 billion in funding toward this additional ship, affirming the strategic importance of our Navy and shipbuilding programs. Our destroyers are the workhorses of the Navy, and I am proud of the highly skilled, hardworking men and women at Bath Iron Works who continue to deliver the highest quality ships for our nations sailors, said Senator Collins. The power of presence cannot be taken for granted or ignored, which is why the investments for this new destroyer funded by this bill are so necessary. In a time of serious budget constraints for our Defense Department, this important investment underscores the value and importance of our naval assets to the security and stability of our country. The equation is simple: fewer ships means less presence, less security at home, and …	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-fed-raising-interest-rates	Sanders Statement on Fed Raising Interest Rates	2015-12-16	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement today after the Federal Reserve announced that it would raise interest rates for the first time in nearly a decade: When millions of Americans are working longer hours for lower wages, the Federal Reserves decision to raise interest rates is bad news for working families. At a time when real unemployment is nearly 10 percent and youth unemployment is off the charts, we need to do everything possible to create millions of good-paying jobs and raise the wages of the American people. The Fed should act with the same sense of urgency to rebuild the disappearing middle class as it did to bail out Wall Street banks seven years ago."	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://sablan.house.gov/5-day-spending-bill-keeps-government-open	5-day spending bill keeps government open	2015-12-15	2015	2015-12	Independent	Senate	MP	Gregorio Sablan	S001177	sablan.house.gov	legacy	5-day spending bill keeps government open Dec 15, 2015 The House passed a short-term appropriation bill last Friday and sent it to the President for signature into law. H.R. 2250 will keep the lights on in the federal government until midnight on December 16. Without enactment of H.R. 2250 funding would have ended that Friday. The President is expected to sign the bill, so critical federally-funded programs in the Northern Marianas will continue for now. Legislation providing funding for the rest of fiscal year 2016 is expected to be introduced on Monday.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://sablan.house.gov/new-education-law-means-millions-nmi-schools	New education law means millions for NMI schools	2015-12-15	2015	2015-12	Independent	Senate	MP	Gregorio Sablan	S001177	sablan.house.gov	legacy	Millions of dollars in new funding for Northern Mariana Islands schools will result from the Every Student Succeeds Act, signed by President Obama on Thursday, December 12, 2015. The new law reforms education policy nationwide, but also contains proposals from my bill, H.R. 851, that apply specifically to the U.S. insular areas. Section 1014 of the law raises the set-aside of Title I-A grant funds going to the islands. The Congressional Research Service projects Northern Marianas funding will go up from the current $6.8 million to $11.1 million, beginning next October. Increasing school funding was a top goal when I came to office in 2009. Our annual Title I-A grant then was just $3.6 million, so funding will have tripled by 2017. The Every Student Succeeds Act also makes the Northern Marianas eligible for Preschool Development and Education Innovation and Research grants, two competitive programs now open only to states. Thanks to Committee Chairman John Kline (R-Minnesota) and Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-Virginia) for helping me get changes I proposed into the new law. And thanks to Congresswoman Amata Radewagen (R-American Samoa) for working with me in a bipartisan fashion to make sure our island youth have the education they will need to succeed in life and to contribute to the prosperity of our communities 10, 20, 30 years into the future.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/king-colleagues-send-letter-to-homeland-security-urging-more-rigorous-screening-of-visa-applicants-on-social-media-	King, Colleagues Send Letter to Homeland Security Urging More Rigorous Screening of Visa Applicants on Social Media	2015-12-15	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	ME	Angus King	K000383	www.king.senate.gov	legacy	King, Colleagues Send Letter to Homeland Security Urging More Rigorous Screening of Visa Applicants on Social Media Tuesday, December 15, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) joined with 24 Senators in sending a letter a to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary, Jeh Johnson, expressing concern about the reported lack of consistency in how the agency monitors the social media activity of people applying for U.S. Visas. The letter comes after reports that the female assailant involved in the San Bernardino terrorist attack earlier this month, who entered the country on a K-1 fianc visa, may have expressed radical jihadist sentiments on social media. We write to express our deep concern regarding reports that critical background information of individuals participating in American visa programs has been largely omitted from the visa security screening process, wrote the Senators in their letter. Ensuring that the screening processes for our nations visa programs are rigorous and comprehensive must be a top priority, as these programs are critical to our security, our economy, and for our bilateral relationships with nations around the world. We look forward to working with you to establish a more robust social media background check process for all visitors and immigrants to the United States. In the letter, which was led by Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), the Senators asked DHS for more information on how social media background checks are used in the Visa review process now, and how that process can be improved. They also expressed their commitment to making sure Americas Visa programs have rigorous and comprehensive screening processes. Also signing the letter were Senators Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Christopher Murphey (D-Conn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Cory Booker (D-…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/pharma-bros-latest-move-targets-latinos	Pharma Bro's Latest Move Targets Latinos	2015-12-15	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	Pharma Bro's Latest Move Targets Latinos By: Daisy Hernandez Tuesday, December 15, 2015 After dropping $2 million on aWu-Tang Clan album, the pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli has found a new project: making an essential treatment unaffordable for poor immigrants from Latin America. Shkreli, otherwise known as pharma bro, gained notoriety earlier this year when his company, Turing Pharmaceuticals, increased the price of a drug used to treat AIDS patients from around $13.50 to $750. Hes now the CEO of KaloBios Pharmaceuticals, which recently announced its plans to submit benznidazole, a treatment for Chagas diseasepurchased earlier this month, for Food and Drug Administration approval next year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about300,000 peoplein the United States have the deadly disease. Most of them are immigrants from Latin America, where as many as8 million peopleare infected. The third most common parasite disease in the world, Chagas, also known as the kissing bug disease, is transmitted via the painless bites of Triatomine insects. Untreated, it can lead to heart failure and death. Last year, researchers at the Baylor College of MedicineidentifiedChagas in several patients who hadnt traveled outside of the country, positing that they may have come into contact with the bugs through camping and hunting. That said, the risk of contracting the parasite in the U.S. remains small; most people who have the disease in the United States already had it when they arrived. Right now, doctors in the U.S. obtain benznidazole free of charge through the CDC. According to Rachel Cohen, the regional executive director of the Drugs for Neglected Disease Initiative in North America, the drug sells in Latin America for somewhere between $60 and $100 for each course of treatment. Both of these would change the moment the FDA approved benznidazole from any companyand Shkreli, in particular, seems determined to price this drug out of re…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://sablan.house.gov/500000-cnmi-coral-reef-conservation	$500,000 for CNMI Coral Reef Conservation	2015-12-14	2015	2015-12	Independent	Senate	MP	Gregorio Sablan	S001177	sablan.house.gov	legacy	$500,000 for CNMI Coral Reef Conservation Dec 13, 2015 The Commonwealth government was awarded $500,000 for its Coral Reef Conservation program this week. Congress provides the funding to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to help with protecting coral reefs against the harmful impacts of global warming, ocean acidification, degradation of water quality, and other changes in the marine environment. The grant to the Northern Marianas was part of a total of $8.5 million announced. The Commonwealth will also benefit from grants to the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council and the Nature Conservancy. See the complete list of awards here. Congratulations.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://sablan.house.gov/rhodes-scholarships-open-insular-university-students	Rhodes scholarships open to insular university students	2015-12-14	2015	2015-12	Independent	Senate	MP	Gregorio Sablan	S001177	sablan.house.gov	legacy	Rhodes scholarships open to insular university students Dec 13, 2015 The prestigious Rhodes Scholarship is now open to scholars attending university in U.S. insular areas. Thanks to the efforts of Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi (D) this opportunity, previously offered only to students at universities in the 50 states and the District of Columbia, is now available to students throughout the U.S. The Rhodes Scholarship is awarded for graduate study at the University of Oxford in England. Thirty-two U.S. students between the ages of 18 and 24 are selected each year. The scholarship covers all university fees, a personal stipend, and airfare to and from Oxford. For more information, go tohttps://www.rhodesscholar.org/.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/collins-king-statement-in-response-to-bath-iron-works-labor-contract-approval	Collins, King Statement In Response to Bath Iron Works Labor Contract Approval	2015-12-13	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	ME	Angus King	K000383	www.king.senate.gov	legacy	Collins, King Statement In Response to Bath Iron Works Labor Contract Approval Sunday, December 13, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King issued the following statement today following approval of the new labor contract between Bath Iron Works and the Local S6 Machinists Union: The ratification of the labor contract required collaboration, hard work, and compromise by all parties. This represents a significant achievement and will put BIW on a viable track moving forward as they work as a team to fulfill critical Navy requirements. Bath Iron Works and its highly-skilled workers are national strategic assets essential to our countrys defense and to our states economy. Simply put, there is no workforce better able to build the Zumwalt and Arleigh Burke-class destroyers than the men and women of BIW. We have secured funding for the construction of the DDG-1000s and the DDG-51s, and we remain strong advocates for BIWs opportunity to compete for the construction of the Coast Guards new Offshore Patrol Cutters, which would diversify BIWs workload, and make the yard more competitive for future Arleigh Burke destroyer contracts. Senator Collins is a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, and Senator King is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. ###	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/in-video-king-applauds-students-and-event-organizers-at-maine-robotics-expo-	In Video, King Applauds Students and Event Organizers at Maine Robotics EXPO	2015-12-12	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	ME	Angus King	K000383	www.king.senate.gov	legacy	In Video, King Applauds Students and Event Organizers at Maine Robotics EXPO Recorded remarks played at Augusta Civic Center highlight importance of STEM education Saturday, December 12, 2015 ARLINGTON, VA In a pre-recorded video message played today at the Maine Robotics EXPO in Augusta, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) congratulated the student participants and event organizers for their interest in and commitment to the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. In his remarks, Senator King highlighted the importance of STEM education and told the students that they can change the world through ingenuity and innovation. What a great day for Maine at the Augusta Civic Center. This is an amazing gathering of some of the best and the brightest from across Maine, said Senator King. I want you to know how important what youre doing is not only to have some fun but also to see what you can do with science, technology, engineering, and math, and how you can literally move the world. Im hoping that in this room today is the next Bill Gates or the next Steve Jobs, because the world is yours. The 3rd annual Maine Robotics EXPO welcomed more than 800 students and 2,000 guests from all over the state to the Augusta Civic Center. This full-day event is meant to inspire Maines future workforce and foster an early interest in the STEM fields. The EXPO was organized by Maine Robotics and several other groups and companies including the Robotics Institute of Maine, the Maine App Challenge, Tyler Technologies, Project>Login, and Educate Maine. Senator Kings video message is available here, and the full transcript is below: +++ What a great day for Maine at the Augusta Civic Center. What a great day for robotics for computers for programming. This is an amazing gathering of some of the best and the brightest from across Maine. I want to thank Maine Robotics, The First Lego League, Central Maine Vex, Educate Maine, Maine First Robotics Competiti…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/on-national-wreaths-across-america-day-king-honors-americas-fallen-heroes-at-arlington-national-cemetery-	On National Wreaths Across America Day, King Honors America’s Fallen Heroes at Arlington National Cemetery	2015-12-12	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	ME	Angus King	K000383	www.king.senate.gov	legacy	On National Wreaths Across America Day, King Honors Americas Fallen Heroes at Arlington National Cemetery Lays wreath on Maine Senator Hathaways grave and attends ceremony at USS Maine memorial Saturday, December 12, 2015 ARLINGTON, VA This morning, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) joined with thousands of volunteers at Arlington National Cemetery to place wreaths on the graves of Americas fallen heroes as part of the Maine-based initiative Wreaths Across America. During this powerful tribute to Americas veterans and their families, Senator King delivered remarks during a ceremony at the USS Maine Mast Memorial and placed a wreath on the grave of Maines former U.S. Senator William Hathaway, who served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. Senator King worked for former Senator Hathaway during part of his tenure in the U.S. Senate in the 1970s. Wreaths Across America is an amazing tribute to our heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice, to our heroic veterans still with us today, and to their families who stand by their side through it all, said Senator King. I was honored to participate in todays tribute and see firsthand the energy and spirit of community that make this event so special. We can and should be proud that this Maine-led effort has such a powerful impact across the country. Senator King welcomed the Wreaths Across America convoy of volunteers who arrived at Arlington National Cemetery today to lay the Maine-made balsam wreaths at the grave site of American veterans interred there. The procession down the East Coast began on December 6th in Harrington, where Patriot Guard Riders continued their tradition of escorting trucks filled with wreaths. In addition to placing an estimated 230,000 wreaths today at Arlington National Cemetery, volunteers will place wreaths at over 1,000 locations in all 50 states and in numerous national veteran cemeteries on foreign soil. Wreaths Across America was started 24 years ago by Morrill and Karen Worce…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://sablan.house.gov/kilili-every-student-succeeds-act-bring-millions-dollars-more-nmi-schools	Kilili: Every Student Succeeds Act to bring millions of dollars more to NMI schools	2015-12-11	2015	2015-12	Independent	Senate	MP	Gregorio Sablan	S001177	sablan.house.gov	legacy	Marianas Variety As a result of the Every Student Succeeds Act, public education in the Northern Mariana Islands is about to get a major boost, U.S. Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan announced Thursday. Overall, the new law will increase Title I-A funding to the insular areas by 30 percent. The Northern Marianas, however, is expected to receive a 60 percent increase over its current funding. That will bring a total of $11.1 million to the Public School System in 2017. Further increases should continue through 2020. President Obama has indicated he will sign the Every Student Succeeds Act into law on Thursday. Public school officials have told me they will use this new money to hire more teachers and reduce student-teacher ratios in our schools, Congressman Sablan said. And we know from educational research that lower student-teacher ratios improve student performance. I remain convinced that education is key to the success of our people and our economy now, and 10, 20, 30 years into the future. Sablan has been working to strengthen education funding to the Northern Marianas since he first came into office in 2009. At that time, PSS was receiving just $3.6 million in Title I-A funds. The $11.1 million that PSS can now expect in 2017 represents a 208 percent increase. I am particularly grateful because this is the only change in the Title I-A funding formula that was included in the entire bill. This is one of the most difficult changes in law that I have worked on for the Northern Mariana Islands, said Sablan. It would not have been possible without the understanding and support of Chairman John Kline and Ranking Member Bobby Scott of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. I also owe special thanks to Ranking Member Marcia Fudge of the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education. Earlier this year, Sablan introduced H.R. 851, which separated Title I-A funding for the insular areas and Bureau of Indian Education schools, and increased funds for both. Sablans proposals…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/collins-and-king-statement-in-response-to-department-of-commerces-final-countervailing-duty-order-on-supercalendered-paper-from-canada	Collins and King Statement in Response to Department of Commerce’s Final Countervailing Duty Order on Supercalendered Paper from Canada	2015-12-11	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	ME	Angus King	K000383	www.king.senate.gov	legacy	Collins and King Statement in Response to Department of Commerces Final Countervailing Duty Order on Supercalendered Paper from Canada Friday, December 11, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King released the following statement today in response to the Department of Commerces countervailing duty order on supercalendered paper from Canada that was published today: The Department of Commerces order is welcome news for the hardworking men and women of Madison Paper Industries who have for far too long fought an uphill battle against illegal and unfair provincial subsidies like the ones provided to the Port Hawkesbury Mill. The duties levied on companies that have been found to receive illegal and unfair trade advantages will help even the playing field in this important segment of the paper market. However, we remain extremely concerned with how the Department of Commerce conducted its investigation of the Canadian producers. The Department should have, as we strongly advocated, reviewed all four Canadian producers of supercalendered paper to ensure a fair and fact-based process. Rather than conduct a careful assessment of the actual subsidies received by each company, the Department relied on Port Hawkesburys and Resolutes subsidies to determine an arbitrary and unfair duty rate for Irving and Catalyst. This ill-advised decision could affect more than 1,000 Maine workers employed at J.D. Irving and the Catalyst-owned mill in Rumford. On behalf of these Maine workers, we urge the Department of Commerce to prioritize individual examinations of Irving and Catalyst through the expedited review process. ###	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/collins-king-statement-on-bath-iron-works-tentative-labor-contract-proposal	Collins, King Statement on Bath Iron Works Tentative Labor Contract Proposal	2015-12-10	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	ME	Angus King	K000383	www.king.senate.gov	legacy	Collins, King Statement on Bath Iron Works Tentative Labor Contract Proposal Thursday, December 10, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King issued the following statement today on the tentative labor contract proposal reached between Bath Iron Works andtheMachinists Union Local S6: Bath Iron Works and its highly-skilled workers are national strategic assets essential to our countrys defense and to our states economy. Simply put, there is no workforce better positioned to build the Zumwalt- and Arleigh Burke-class destroyers than the men and women of BIW. We have secured funding for the construction of the DDG-1000s and the DDG-51s, and we remain strong advocates for BIWs opportunity to compete for the construction of the Coast Guards new Offshore Patrol Cutters, which would diversify BIWs workload,and forfutureArleigh Burke destroyers. We are very pleased that BIW management and labor union leadership have worked cooperatively to reach a tentative proposal for a labor contract. Conversations with senior Navy and Coast Guard officials convince us that cost is a key consideration in nearly every shipbuilding competition. That fact underscores the importance of BIWs ongoing work to increase operational efficiency at the shipyard because it must offer cost-effective bids in order to win these contracts. Senator Collins is a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense and Senator King is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. ###	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senate-committee-passes-king-backed-bill-to-revitalize-waterfront-communities	Senate Committee Passes King-Backed Bill to Revitalize Waterfront Communities	2015-12-10	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	ME	Angus King	K000383	www.king.senate.gov	legacy	Senate Committee Passes King-Backed Bill to Revitalize Waterfront Communities Supports local efforts to strengthen Maine waterfronts and promote economic development Thursday, December 10, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senator Angus King announced today the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation has passed the Waterfront Community Revitalization and Resiliency Act, legislation he cosponsored that would boost efforts to revitalize waterfront communities. The bill now moves to the full Senate. Maines waterfront communities are not only a central part of our states heritage, but theyre also a crucial part of our states economy, generating hundreds of millions of dollars every year, Senator King said. These communities are also undergoing significant changes from modernizing outdated infrastructure to developing strategies to deal with climate change. This legislation would help streamline government resources for these communities so they can have the tools and resources needed to grow, adapt, and sustain themselves in the future. The Waterfront Community Revitalization and Resiliency Act will support community efforts to make the most of water resources by attracting water-dependent industries and investments that leverage water-proximity to sustainably revitalize neighborhoods and enhance recreation and tourism. In addition, the bill will support communities to plan for their future and help them attract private and non-profit investment. Many waterfront communities were built around their water resources years ago, and they are now working to reposition and overcome issues such as limited public access and poor alignment with modern development. In addition to adapting to economic shifts, waterfront communities are facing pressures to meet increasing demands on water resources; make resilient investments that can withstand weather extremes like storms, floods, and fluctuating water levels; and adapt to changing ecosystem conditions that range fr…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/middle-class-families-pillar-of-the-american-dream-are-no-longer-in-the-majority-study-finds	Middle-class families, pillar of the American dream, are no longer in the majority, study finds	2015-12-10	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	Middle-class families, pillar of the American dream, are no longer in the majority, study finds By: Don Lee Thursday, December 10, 2015 The nation's middle class, long a pillar of the U.S. economy and foundation of the American dream, has shrunk to the point where it no longer constitutes the majority of the adult population, according to a new major study. The Pew Research Center report released Wednesday put in sharp relief the nation's increasing income divide, which is certain to be a central issue in the 2016 presidential race. It also highlights how various economic and demographic forces have eroded long-held ideals about maintaining a strong, majority middle class. Many analysts and policymakers regard the shift as worrisome for economic and social stability. Middle-income households have been the bedrock of consumer spending, and many liberals in particular view the declining middle as part of a troubling trend of skewed income gains among the nation's richest families. Median-income voters, particularly non-college-educated men, are also at the core of billionaire Donald Trump's surprising surge in the Republican presidential campaign. His supporters' sense that their once-secure middle-class standing is in danger of slipping appears to be fueling much of the anger against the government and immigrant groups. Continue reading here.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/121015	News December 10	2015-12-10	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	News December 10 Thursday, December 10, 2015 Senator Sanders Tonight ShowSen. Bernie Sanders thinks Donald Trump's rhetoric has no place in the United States,The Huffington Post,The Wall Street Journal, CNN, Salon, Vox, MotherJones, MSNBC, KSNV-TVin Las Vegas andWCBD-TVin Charleston reported. "Throughout history, you've had demagogues trying to divert attention away from the real issues ... what somebody like a Trump is trying to do is divide us up," Sanders told Jimmy Fallon on "The Tonight Show" on Tuesday. New York Times Editorial BoardOn Monday,The New York Timeseditorial board asked readers to submit their questions for Sen. Sanders. During his visit to the editorial board on Tuesday, he picked one out of a hat, and a subsequent video of his response has been posted. Nuclear Plant Decommissioning Vermont's congressionaldelegation wants more time toallow public input fordismantling nuclear plants. The public comment periodruns until January 4th,but Sens. Sanders andPatrick Leahy, as well asRep. Peter Welch all saythat's not enough, according to WPTZ-TV in Burlington. World Pentagon Seeks Overseas Bases to Fight ISIS As American intelligence agencies grapple with the expansion of the Islamic State beyond its headquarters in Syria, the Pentagon has proposed a new plan to the White House to build up a string of military bases in Africa, Southwest Asia and the Middle East, The New York Times reported. National Gun Sales Fear of gun-buying restrictions has been the main driver of spikes in gun sales, far surpassing the effects of mass shootings and terrorist attacks alone, according to federal background-check data analyzed by The New York Times. Affirmative Action An affirmative action plan at the University of Texas seemed to be in trouble at the Supreme Court on Wednesday. By the end of an unusually long and tense argument, a majority of the justices appeared unpersuaded that the plan was constitutional, The New York Times reported. Chicago Mayor Demands Re…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-introduces-bill-to-cut-carbon-emissions-80-percent	Sanders Introduces Bill to Cut Carbon Emissions 80 Percent	2015-12-10	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	Sanders Introduces Bill to Cut Carbon Emissions 80 Percent Thursday, December 10, 2015 WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 Expanding on his ambitious plan to combat climate change, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) introduced the Climate Protection and Justice Act today to establish a price on carbon pollution. The legislation would cut total emissions 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050, fund historic investments in energy efficiency and sustainable energy technologies, return billions of dollars to working families and protect the most vulnerable communities. What the scientists tell us is that we have a relatively short window of opportunity to bring about the fundamental changes that we need in our global energy system to transform our energy system, Sanders said on the Senate floor today. It is absolutely vital that we do what many economists tell us we must and that is put a price on carbon. It is the simplest and most direct way to make the kind of cuts in carbon pollution that we have got to make if we are going to successfully transition away from fossil fuel to energy efficiency and sustainable energy. Sanders legislation would return billions of dollars to working families to ensure that the fossil fuels industry doesnt pass on unfair rate hikes. Eighty percent of revenue would be transferred from big polluters to the middle class. The legislation creates a Climate Justice Resiliency Council, which will distribute $20 billion a year in block grants to areas disproportionately affected by climate change. The bill also sets aside $3 billion each year for energy efficiency investments for towns, cities and low-income families. Other aspects of the bill include: protections for the manufacturing sector from unfair international competition; roughly $1 billion in annual investments to reduce costs for the agricultural sector while also reducing pollution; and reforms to dramatically increase energy efficiency and improve resiliency of the electrical grid. Earlier this week, Sanders intro…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-introduces-bill-to-cut-carbon-emissions-80-percent	Sanders Introduces Bill to Cut Carbon Emissions 80 Percent	2015-12-10	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	Sanders Introduces Bill to Cut Carbon Emissions 80 Percent Thursday, December 10, 2015 Expanding on his ambitious plan to combat climate change, Sen. Bernie Sanders introduced the Climate Protection and Justice Act today to establish a price on carbon pollution. The legislation would cut total emissions 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050, fund historic investments in energy efficiency and sustainable energy technologies, return billions of dollars to working families and protect the most vulnerable communities. What the scientists tell us is that we have a relatively short window of opportunity to bring about the fundamental changes that we need in our global energy system to transform our energy system, Sanders said on the Senate floor today. It is absolutely vital that we do what many economists tell us we must and that is put a price on carbon. It is the simplest and most direct way to make the kind of cuts in carbon pollution that we have got to make if we are going to successfully transition away from fossil fuel to energy efficiency and sustainable energy. Sanders legislation would return billions of dollars to working families to ensure that the fossil fuels industry doesnt pass on unfair rate hikes. Eighty percent of revenue would be transferred from big polluters to the middle class. The legislation creates a Climate Justice Resiliency Council, which will distribute $20 billion a year in block grants to areas disproportionately affected by climate change. The bill also sets aside $3 billion each year for energy efficiency investments for towns, cities and low-income families. Other aspects of the bill include: protections for the manufacturing sector from unfair international competition; roughly $1 billion in annual investments to reduce costs for the agricultural sector while also reducing pollution; and reforms to dramatically increase energy efficiency and improve resiliency of the electrical grid. Earlier this week, Sandersintroducedthe American Clean Energy…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://web.archive.org/web/20160225201139/http://www.king.senate.gov/news/video-and-audio/view/king-urges-military-leader-to-cut-off-flow-of-heroin-at-southern-border	King Urges Military Leader to Cut Off Flow of Heroin At Southern Border	2015-12-09	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	ME	Angus King	K000383	web.archive.org	legacy	Your Neighborhood We know the value of people-to-people connections, and my state staff is committed to serving the people of Maine by getting out of the office and into your community. Click here to see where we will be this month.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/king-urges-military-leader-to-cut-off-flow-of-heroin-at-southern-border	King Urges Military Leader to Cut Off Flow of Heroin At Southern Border	2015-12-09	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	ME	Angus King	K000383	www.king.senate.gov	legacy	King Urges Military Leader to Cut Off Flow of Heroin At Southern Border Wednesday, December 9, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. During a confirmation hearing today before the Senate Armed Services Committee, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today urged the nominee for Commander of United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), which oversees all military operations in Central and South America, to work to reduce the flow of heroin from those countries into the United States. We are, at this moment in time, suffering literally from a heroin epidemic all over the country, including, tragically, in my state of Maine. What is it that you need to interdict more of those ships [carrying heroin]? Senator King asked. Were spending a lot of time here talking about the threat of ISIS and in the meantime weve got this other threat that is killing, in my state, two or three hundred people a year. Assuming that you are approved at SOUTHCOM, youre going to be at the point of this, and to the extent that you can tell us what you need not necessarily in terms of military assets, but comprehensively because this is a true crisis in this country today and supply is part of the problem, Senator King continued. Obviously we need to talk about treatment and prevention and all of those issues, but supply is part of it and my understanding is a great deal of this heroin is coming up through south of our borders. In March 2015, General John Kelly, the current Commander of SOUTHCOM, testified before the Armed Services Committee that one hundred percent of the heroin entering the United States is produced in Latin America, with approximately half of it being produced in Mexico, which is a part of United States Northern Commands area of responsibility. In his testimony today, nominee Vice Admiral Kurt W. Tidd, USN said that demand for heroin has more than doubled since 2007, and that in response, criminal organizations have increased heroin production in Mexico, Colombia, and Guatemala. In fact, according t…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senate-passes-major-education-reform-bill	Senate Passes Major Education Reform Bill	2015-12-09	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	ME	Angus King	K000383	www.king.senate.gov	legacy	Senate Passes Major Education Reform Bill Legislation includes King-backed measures to close the Homework Gap and provide greater testing flexibility for states Wednesday, December 9, 2015 WASHINGTON D.C. With the support of U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), the Senate today overwhelmingly passed the Every Student Succeeds Act, a major bipartisan education reform bill that curtails the burdensome requirements of No Child Left Behind, reduces reliance on high-stakes testing, and ensures access to a quality education for all students. Senator King released the following statement: Today is a victory for students, parents, and educators in Maine and across the country who have struggled for too long with unpredictable, top-down federal education policy that focused more on punishing schools than on promoting student achievement, Senator King said. This bipartisan bill will replace the broken No Child Left Behind law and finally turn the federal government into a partner in education rather than the obstacle it has been by empowering those who know our students best with the ability to make the decisions that will improve their futures. I commend Maines congressional delegation for their terrific work in reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, said Duke Albanese, former Maine Commissioner of Education and Senior Policy Advisor at the Great Schools Partnership. Educators and policymakers across Maine have been waiting for nearly eight years for Congress to act to ensure that the authority to set education policy is returned to the states and to school districts. This legislation will ensure that the needs and goals of Maine students can be adequately met by those closest to them. This is an important day for students, parents, and educators across the country, and I am pleased that Congress has finally completed the important task of reauthorizing this important law. The legislation also includes provisions authored by Senator King that will gr…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/how-pfizer-set-the-cost-of-its-new-drug-at-9850-a-month	How Pfizer Set the Cost of Its New Drug at $9,850 a Month	2015-12-09	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	How Pfizer Set the Cost of Its New Drug at $9,850 a Month Process of setting the price for breast-cancer treatment shows arcane art behind rising U.S. drug prices By: Jonathan D. Rockoff Wednesday, December 9, 2015 Days beforePfizerInc.was to set the price for anew breast-cancer drug called Ibrance, it got a surprise: A competitor raised the monthly cost of a rival treatment by nearly a thousand dollars. Three years of market researcha stretch that started almost as soon as the new treatment showed promise in the laboratorywas suddenly in doubt. After carefully calibrating the price to be close to rivals and to keep doctors and insurers happy, Pfizer was left wondering if its list price of $9,850 a month for the pills was too low. What do you think if we take that up? askedAlbert Bourla,Pfizers executive overseeing cancer drugs, speaking to his colleagues at the final price-setting meeting last January. It was a tricky issue. Drug companies have been reaching for new heights of pricing. They routinely raise the cost of older medicines and then peg new ones to these levels. Continue reading here.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/120915	News December 9	2015-12-09	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	News December 9 Wednesday, December 9, 2015 Senator Sanders Tonight Show Sen. Bernie Sanders appeared on the NBCs Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Huffington Post, ABC News, TIME, The Hill, The Daily Beast and Buzzfeed reported. He slammed Donald Trump one day after his call to ban Muslims from entering the United States. Sanders said that Trump's rhetoric would not work in the United States and that he "look[ed] forward to beating Donald Trump." Rachel Maddow Sen. Sanders sat down with Rachel Maddow on MSNBC Tuesday night. Sanders gave his take on what is going on in the Republican primary, the fear and racism that has taken hold of part of the country and his trip to Baltimore earlier in the day. VIDEO, VIDEO Climate PlanA pair of bills from Sen. Sanders seeks to create millions of new jobs in clean energy fields through tax changes and worker training,The HillandWPTZ-TVin Burlington reported. Gawkerreported that Sanders' climate plan makes him the only major presidential candidate of either party to call for a carbon tax. World Climate Negotiations Despite a domestic agenda consumed by his response to last weeks terrorist attack in California, President Obama is closely tracking the United Nations climate change negotiations outside Paris, Secretary of State John Kerry said in an interview on Tuesday, The New York Times reported. Beijing Shuts Down Residents across this city awoke to an environmental state of emergency on Tuesday as poisonous air quality prompted the government to close schools, force motorists off the road and shut down factories, The New York Times reported. National Visa Waiver Program The House overwhelmingly passed legislation that would overhaul the visa waiver program and bar those from Iraq, Syria, Iran, and Sudan, or those who have visited those countries in the last five years, from traveling to the United States, CNN reported. San Bernardino Investigators believe San Bernardino shoo…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://sablan.house.gov/air-force-divert-comments-due-december-15	Air Force Divert comments due by December 15	2015-12-08	2015	2015-12	Independent	Senate	MP	Gregorio Sablan	S001177	sablan.house.gov	legacy	Air Force Divert comments due by December 15 Dec 7, 2015 The public review period for the U.S. Air Force Revised Draft Environmental Impact Statement for proposed divert airfield activities remains open until December 15. The purpose of the divert airfield is to give the Air Force backup capacity in the Marianas region in the event planes cannot use Andersen Air Force Base on Guam because of a natural disaster or military attack. The revised draft EIS, now open for comment, includes a Saipan-only, a Tinian-only, and a hybrid alternative that divides activities between the two islands. The original deadline of December 1 was extended by the Air Force at the request of Acting Governor Ralph Torres because of the disruption caused by Typhoon Soudelor. The revised draft EIS is available at https://www.pacafdivertmarianaseis.com/docs.html. Comments can be submitted at https://pacafdivertmarianaseis.com/comment-form.html.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://sablan.house.gov/congress-passes-5-year-highway-bill-increases-nmi-funding	Congress passes 5-year highway bill, increases NMI funding	2015-12-08	2015	2015-12	Independent	Senate	MP	Gregorio Sablan	S001177	sablan.house.gov	legacy	Transit and safety programs worth $1.2 million annually and an additional $1 million in highway construction funds for the Northern Mariana Islands over the next five years are part of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, passed by both the House and Senate on Thursday, December 3, 2015. The five-year, $305 billion surface transportation reauthorization bill retained a provision, Section 1115, to increase annual funding for the Territorial Highway Program from $40 to $42 million, which the Northern Mariana Islands shares with American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The $2 million increase in annual THP funds was contained in the House reauthorization bill, the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act, but not the Senate bill, the Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act. I am thankful that conferees decided that funding increases, though relatively small, should apply to all areas of our country and not just the states. The measure now heads to the White House, and President Obama is expected to sign shortly.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://sablan.house.gov/house-passed-education-bill-boost-funds-nmi-schools	House-passed education bill to boost funds for NMI schools	2015-12-08	2015	2015-12	Independent	Senate	MP	Gregorio Sablan	S001177	sablan.house.gov	legacy	House-passed education bill to boost funds for NMI schools Dec 7, 2015 A major increase in federal education funding for our schools is one step closer to becoming law. The House passed the Every Student Succeeds Act last Wednesday and the Senate is expected to do the same this week. The bipartisan bill, S. 1177, includes a provision I have been working on intensely all year that increases Title I funding for the Northern Mariana Islands and other insular areas. Title I assists areas with a high percentage of students from low-income families. My provision is designed to give the insular areas about 30 percent more funding than we have been receiving. For the Northern Marianas, the Congressional Research Service estimates Title I to increase to $11.1 million in 2017, up by $4.3 million from the 2016 funding of $6.7 million. The change is contingent upon overall Title I funding increasing so that states, as a whole, do not lose funding because of the change for insular areas. But appropriations for education are expected to rise in 2017. Every Student Succeeds also makes the NMI eligible to compete for Preschool Development Grants and Education Innovation and Research Grants, two competitive grant programs previously open only to states. The President has signaled he will sign the bill into law.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://sablan.house.gov/typhoon-soudelor-update-week-18	Typhoon Soudelor Update - Week 18	2015-12-08	2015	2015-12	Independent	Senate	MP	Gregorio Sablan	S001177	sablan.house.gov	legacy	As our community continues to heal from Typhoon Soudelor, FEMA and SBA made some important announcements this week. The SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Center (DLOC) has relocated to the Juan A. Sablan Memorial Building, Office of the Governor on Isa Drive in Capitol Hill, Saipan. The DLOC hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. 4:30 p.m. Additionally, FEMA is winding down recovery operations on Saipan and closing the Joint Field Office on December 18, 2015. Approximately 20 personnel will remain until that time to coordinate the transition with the Commonwealth government and various volunteer agencies. Your congressional office will continue to work with residents requiring assistance with respect to FEMA issues. As of December 4, FEMA has granted more than $24 million in assistance to individuals and households and obligated nearly $5 million for public assistance. As of November 30, SBA has approved 361 home loans totaling approximately $13 million, and 104 business loans totaling more than $10 million. FHWA announces $609,000 in highway repair funding. The Federal Highway Administration, Department of Transportation has awarded the CNMI Department of Public Works $609,063 in Emergency Relief program grant funds. Emergency Relief funds may be issued for the repair or reconstruction of federal-aid highways that are seriously impacted by natural disaster. Typhoon Soudelor caused widespread damage to traffic signal heads, poles, signs and guardrail across the island. Program funds will be used to help make permanent repairs necessary to restore highways to pre-disaster conditions. Congratulations to DPW. Volunteer debris cleanup in Kagman last Saturday. The Commonwealth Advocates for Recovery Efforts, or C.A.R.E., and United 4 Saipan continued their community cleanup efforts last Saturday, December 5 in Kagman from 8:30am - 12:00pm. Volunteers assistted in sorting storm debris that was then collected and disposed of by the CNMI Department of Public Works and the Saipan Mayors office. To help with the project, volunt…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/collins-king-announce-trade-adjustment-assistance-for-displaced-expera-mill-workers	Collins, King Announce Trade Adjustment Assistance for Displaced Expera Mill Workers	2015-12-08	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	ME	Angus King	K000383	www.king.senate.gov	legacy	Collins, King Announce Trade Adjustment Assistance for Displaced Expera Mill Workers Tuesday, December 8, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that the petition for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for the 195 workers displaced by the closure of the Expera Specialty Solutions pulp mill in Old Town has been approved by the U.S. Department of Labor. It is our hope that this announcement brings relief to the many hard-working men and women at the Old Town mill who, through no fault of their own, lost their jobs as a result of increased foreign competition, said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement. TAA assistance will help these workers get back on their feet by providing them with the opportunity to acquire the new skills and new training necessary to prepare for jobs in other industries. It is a crucial lifeline for workers in Maine and across the nation. In October, Senators Collins and King sent a letter to Labor Secretary Thomas Perez urging him to quickly approve this assistance. This June, the Senate passed a bipartisan reauthorization of Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA), which was based upon The Trade Adjustment Assistance Enhancement Act of 2015 that Senator Collins co-authored with Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR). 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. In the 2013 fiscal year alone, more than 700 Mainers used TAA programs, and more than 70 percent of those participants found employment within three months of completing their retraining programs. In addition, of the participants who found employment, more than 90 percent were still employed in their new jobs six months later. ###	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/king-fischer-introduce-bipartisan-paid-leave-bill	King, Fischer Introduce Bipartisan Paid Leave Bill	2015-12-08	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	ME	Angus King	K000383	www.king.senate.gov	legacy	King, Fischer Introduce Bipartisan Paid Leave Bill Strong Families Act Would Provide Tax Incentives to Employers Who Provide Paid Family or Medical Leave Tuesday, December 8, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) announced this morning they have reintroduced legislation that would offer employers incentives to voluntarily provide paid family or medical leave to their employees. The bill, known as S. 2354 The Strong Families Act, offers new options for working families. Senator King released the following statement: Because of our countrys outdated family leave policies, working parents too often have to struggle to balance the needs of their families and the needs of their job. Thats not how it should be in America today and thats why this legislation aims to provide them with the flexibility they need to succeed in both. By bringing family leave policies into the 21st century, we can make it easier for working Americans to make a living and take care of their families at the same time all of which will only help strengthen our workforce and allow us to better compete in todays global economy. Im pleased to join with Senator Deb Fischer to reintroduce this common sense and much-needed bill. Senator Fischer released the following statement: Im proud to join my friend Senator Angus King to reintroduce a bill to provide needed flexibility for working families. Employees face the increasingly complicated demands of caring for aging parents and young children while balancing careers and workplace schedules. Our bipartisan legislation is an important step forward to offer more workers, particularly low-wage, hourly workers, peace of mind and the opportunity to earn pay while meeting needs at home. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993 requires employers of 50 or more employees to provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave. This time can be used for events like the birth or adoption of children, serious medical issu…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/king-statement-on-mainegeneral-health-cyber-breach	King Statement on MaineGeneral Health Cyber Breach	2015-12-08	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	ME	Angus King	K000383	www.king.senate.gov	legacy	King Statement on MaineGeneral Health Cyber Breach Tuesday, December 8, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, issued the following statement today following an announcement by MaineGeneral Health that its computer network had been breached: Numerous Maine businesses, including those in the health care sector, have told me that they are confronting thousands of attempts to hack their systems and steal sensitive data. Unfortunately, thats the sad reality of todays world where the click of a mouse can have seriously damaging consequences, Senator King said. I have contacted the FBI to inquire about the extent and severity of the data breach and will work with the both the Bureau and MaineGeneral to remedy the situation and to safeguard personal information. I will also continue to work to connect Maine businesses with cyber experts in the federal government so that they know where to turn to rapidly respond and prevent further losses. Everyone in Maine, in one form or another, shares personal information with businesses. Its just commonplace today. But its also why Maine people deserve the enhanced protection that would come as a result of Congress passing long-overdue cyber-security information sharing legislation. Todays breach further underscores how we need to push this bill across the finish-line to give Maine businesses, both large and small, improved tools to better protect themselves against cyber-attacks. Over the past few years, Senator Kings office has been in frequent contact with a variety of Maine businesses in the health, defense, financial, education, and consumer products sectors to understand how cyber-attacks and data breaches impact them. According to the Maine Credit Union League, data breaches over the past year in have cost Maine credit unions approximately $2 million to replace debit and credit cards and an additional $500,000 to cover fraud. Furthermore, one Maine healthcare provider …	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senate-passes-collins-king-resolution-marking-december-12-2015-as-wreaths-across-america-day	Senate Passes Collins, King Resolution Marking December 12, 2015 as “Wreaths Across America Day”	2015-12-08	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	ME	Angus King	K000383	www.king.senate.gov	legacy	Senate Passes Collins, King Resolution Marking December 12, 2015 as Wreaths Across America Day Tuesday, December 8, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced that the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution designating Saturday, December 12, 2015 as Wreaths Across America Day. On December 12th, a convoy of volunteers is scheduled to arrive at Arlington National Cemetery to lay approximately 230,000 Maine-made balsam wreaths at the grave site of each American veteran interred there. This is the 24th consecutive year that Morrill and Karen Worcester, owners of Worcester Wreath Company in Harrington, Maine will make this generous donation. The procession to Arlington began on December 6th in Harrington where Patriot Guard Riders continued their tradition of escorting the wreath trucks down the East Coast. In addition to Arlington National Cemetery, volunteers will place wreaths at over 1,000 locations in all 50 states and in numerous national veteran cemeteries on foreign soil. Wreaths Across America is a powerful demonstration of respect and appreciation for our veterans both those that weve lost and those still with us that reminds them and their families that we are eternally grateful for their service and sacrifice, said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement. And this proud tradition, still going strong after the Worcesters started it 24 years ago, is built on the same spirit of generosity that helps make the holiday season so special. We are honored to join with the countless volunteers and supporters who come together to make Wreaths Across America possible and share in honoring and remembering those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. The resolution is available HERE and the full text is below: +++ Whereas, 24 years before the date of adoption of this resolution, the Wreaths Across America project began with an annual tradition that occurs in December, of donating, transporting, and placing 5…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-introduces-major-clean-energy-jobs-package	Sanders Introduces Major Clean Energy Jobs Package	2015-12-08	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	WASHINGTON, Dec. 8 As part of his plan to create a sustainable, clean-energy economy, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) introduced legislation today that would significantly reduce carbon pollution and help put us on a path to more than double the size of the American clean energy workforce to 10 million by 2030. Together, the incentives in the American Clean Energy Investment Act of 2015 and The Clean Energy Worker Just Transition Actwould drive over $500 billion in clean energy investments between now and 2030. The bills, both co-sponsored by Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), would create new sustainable energy jobs and allocate $41 billion to helping oil, gas and coal workers as they transition out of the fossil fuel industry. The costs for these proposals are completely offset by repealing all subsidies for fossil fuels and ending the tax breaks that encourage corporate inversions. We have amoral responsibility to help working families in the fossil fuel industry find new jobs, Sanders said. We must act now to reenergize our manufacturing base, bolster our clean energy economy and protect the livelihoods of these workers and the communities they support. Coal communities have been under pressure for decades as coal-mining jobs have been lost due to more efficient mining practices, competition from cheaper natural gas and the publics desire to move to cleaner sources of energy. The Clean Energy Worker Just Transition Act would helpcoal miners and other fossil fuel workers and their families by connectingdisplaced workerswith new job opportunitiesthrough vocational education and job skills programs. The bills would also provide support so transitioning workers and their families could maintain family-level wages, health care and pensions until they are able to start new jobs. The American Clean Energy Investment Act of 2015 would stimulate a strong sustainable economy by spurring massive new investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency. Through the permanent extension of import…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-introduces-major-clean-energy-jobs-package	Sanders Introduces Major Clean Energy Jobs Package	2015-12-08	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	Sanders Introduces Major Clean Energy Jobs Package Plan Would More Than Double the Clean Energy Workforce Tuesday, December 8, 2015 As part of his plan to create a sustainable, clean-energy economy, Sen. Bernie Sanders introduced legislation today that would significantly reduce carbon pollution and help put us on a path to more than double the size of the American clean energy workforce to 10 million by 2030. Together, the incentives in the American Clean Energy Investment Act of 2015 and The Clean Energy Worker Just Transition Actwould drive over $500 billion in clean energy investments between now and 2030. The bills, both co-sponsored by Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), would create new sustainable energy jobs and allocate $41 billion to helping oil, gas and coal workers as they transition out of the fossil fuel industry. The costs for these proposals are completely offset by repealing all subsidies for fossil fuels and ending the tax breaks that encourage corporate inversions. We have amoral responsibility to help working families in the fossil fuel industry find new jobs, Sanders said. We must act now to reenergize our manufacturing base, bolster our clean energy economy and protect the livelihoods of these workers and the communities they support. Coal communities have been under pressure for decades as coal-mining jobs have been lost due to more efficient mining practices, competition from cheaper natural gas and the publics desire to move to cleaner sources of energy. The Clean Energy Worker Just Transition Act would helpcoal miners and other fossil fuel workers and their families by connectingdisplaced workerswith new job opportunitiesthrough vocational education and job skills programs. The bills would also provide support so transitioning workers and their families could maintain family-level wages, health care and pensions until they are able to start new jobs. The American Clean Energy Investment Act of 2015 would stimulate …	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://sablan.house.gov/new-aafes-troop-store	New AAFES Troop Store	2015-12-07	2015	2015-12	Independent	Senate	MP	Gregorio Sablan	S001177	sablan.house.gov	legacy	New AAFES Troop Store Dec 7, 2015 About 4,000 service members and families in the Northern Marianas can look forward to a new, improved Army & Air Force Exchange Troop Store on Saipan. The AAFES is expected to announce the winning bidder shortly. Construction of the 5,000-square-foot facility will take about one year. I have been working on expanding the store since my first days in Congress. A feasibility study in the 2011 National Defense Authorization Act was an early milestone. But the possibility of unexploded ordnance on the site has caused delays. Now the project is really moving forward. (Image credit: Building elevations drawing for the AAFES troop store, developed by EMCE Consulting Engineers and Architects Pacific, Inc. Additional plans and drawings are available here.)	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://sablan.house.gov/week-congress-december-07-2015	THIS WEEK IN CONGRESS - December 04, 2015	2015-12-07	2015	2015-12	Independent	Senate	MP	Gregorio Sablan	S001177	sablan.house.gov	legacy	House-passed education bill to boost funds for NMI schools Congress passes 5-year highway bill, increases NMI funding Air Force Divert comments due by December 15 Typhoon Soudelor Update - Week 18 OPPORTUNITIES - Federal contracts, grants, jobs for/in the Marianas Highlights in the Legislative Program House-passed education bill to boost funds for NMI schools. A major increase in federal education funding for our schools is one step closer to becoming law. The House passed theEvery Student Succeeds Acton Wednesdayand the Senate is expected to do the same next week. The bipartisan bill, S. 1177, includes a provision I have been working on intensely all year that increases Title I funding for the Northern Mariana Islands and other insular areas. Title I assists areas with a high percentage of students from low-income families. My provision is designed to give the insular areas about 30 percent more funding than we have been receiving. For the Northern Marianas, the Congressional Research Service estimates Title I to increase to $11.1 million in 2017, up by $4.3 million from the 2016 funding of $6.7 million. The change is contingent upon overall Title I funding increasing so that states, as a whole, do not lose funding because of the change for insular areas. But appropriations for education are expected to rise in 2017. Every Student Succeeds also makes the NMI eligible to compete for Preschool Development Grants and Education Innovation and Research Grants, two competitive grant programs previously open only to states. The President has signaled he will sign the bill into law. Congress passes 5-year highway bill, increases NMI funding. Transit and safety programs worth $1.2 million annually and an additional $1 million in highway construction funds for the Northern Mariana Islands over the next five years are part of theFixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, passed by both the House and Senateon Thursday. The five-year, $305 billion surface transportation reauthorization bill retained a p…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/king-announces-two-portland-high-school-students-as-interns-in-scarborough-office	King Announces Two Portland High School Students as Interns in Scarborough Office	2015-12-07	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	ME	Angus King	K000383	www.king.senate.gov	legacy	King Announces Two Portland High School Students as Interns in Scarborough Office Monday, December 7, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senator Angus King announced today that Oona Mackinnon Hoban and Eamonn Dundon of Portland High School will serve as part-time interns in his Scarborough office. The internship, which will provide both students with school credit, is the result of a collaborative effort with the nonprofit Jobs for Maines Graduates (JMG) and Portland High School aimed at giving local students an opportunity to learn more about the work of a U.S. Senators office through observation, assistance, and mentoring. Im delighted to welcome Oona and Eamonn to my Scarborough office. Both of them are outstanding students and hard workers, and I look forward to having them involved in the legislative process on behalf of the people of Maine, Senator King said. I also want to thank everyone at Jobs for Maines Graduates for working with my office to make this internship possible and applaud them for all of their meaningful work to help students across the state. We are extremely pleased with the continued development of the relationship being forged between Portland High School and Senator Kings office, said Eric Moynihan, JMG Expanded Learning Opportunities Coordinator at Portland High School. This tremendous opportunity is the second internship offered to PHS students by the Senators office in three years. Expanded Learning Opportunities like these internships provide relevant, real-world experiences, are invaluable to the student and are an integral piece of the Portland High School model of education. A junior at Portland High School, Oona Mackinnon-Hoban is involved in student government, the drama program, and numerous other clubs, including the Womens Rights Club and the Shakespeare Club. Outside of school, she is a member of the girl choir Musica de Filia, and also enjoys writing in her spare time. She was a national semifinalist at the American Legion Oratorical Contes…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senators-collins-and-king-attend-wreaths-across-america-ceremony-at-us-capitol	Senators Collins and King Attend Wreaths Across America Ceremony at U.S. Capitol	2015-12-07	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	ME	Angus King	K000383	www.king.senate.gov	legacy	Senators Collins and King Attend Wreaths Across America Ceremony at U.S. Capitol Monday, December 7, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King took part in the Wreaths Across America Capitol wreath laying ceremony this morning in Washington. Beginning in 2007, and each December since, Wreaths Across America, based out of Columbia Falls, Maine, has placed a Remembrance Wreath at the U.S. Capitol Building. The wreath laid at the U.S. Capitol is adorned with flags representing each branch of the U.S. Armed Forces and POWs/MIAs, and decorated with a red bow. During the ceremony, which coincided with similar ceremonies at all 50 state capitols across our country, Senators Collins and King delivered remarks and joined in a moment of silence to reflect on the holiday season and to honor and remember our nations veterans and their families for their service and sacrifices. Wreaths Across America is a powerful demonstration of respect and appreciation for our veterans both those that weve lost and those still with us, said Senators Collins and King. The mission of Wreaths Across America is: Remember. Honor. Teach. Thanks to the spirit of this Maine-made tradition, we will remember and honor Americas veterans this holiday season, while also teaching generations to come of the sacrifices that have been made to secure our freedoms and to defend our liberty. A convoy of volunteers and approximately 248,000 Maine-made balsam wreaths departed from Maine this past Sunday, December 6th, and is scheduled to arrive at Arlington National Cemetery on December 12th. Between 30,000 and 40,000 volunteers are expected to lay the wreaths at the graves of each American veteran. This is the 24th consecutive year that Morrill and Karen Worcester, owners of Worcester Wreath Company in Harrington, Maine will make this generous donation. In addition to Arlington National Cemetery, volunteers will place more than 900,000 wreaths at over 1,000 locations in all 50 states and numerou…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-announces-key-provisions-for-vermont-schools-in-education-law-overhaul	Sanders Announces Key Provisions for Vermont Schools in Education Law Overhaul	2015-12-07	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	WASHINGTON, Dec. 7 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) announced today that new legislation, agreed to by House and Senate negotiators, will give Vermont and other states much more control over how public schools are held accountable for student performance. Sanders, a member of the Senate education committee, helped draft the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to replace the much-maligned No Child Left Behind education law, whichinaccurately stigmatized Vermont schools for supposedly low performance. I think it is wrong to judge schools solely on the basis of narrow tests. We have to work on what kind of criteria we really need, Sanders said. What we in Vermont understand is a kid is more than a test. We want kids to be creative. We want kids to be critical thinkers. We also want schools held accountable for factors other than test scores, including how they meet the challenges of students from low-income families. The new measure would include a pilot program that could help Vermont shift from annual standardized tests to a new system for assessing student performance. Under the legislation, factors that were Vermonts priorities such as a childs learning growth from year to year, student and teacher engagement, access to advanced coursework and school climate and safety will become criteria in assessing school performance. The legislation recognizes the huge opportunity barriers that poverty places on low-income children by authorizing an extra $1.2 billion nationwide to fund the neediest schools, including $41 million over the next four years for struggling Vermont schools. Vermont would also benefit from a new formula for rural school funding that could steer an extra $1.3 million a year in federal funds to the state and the reauthorization of funding for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, which provides over 5,500 children afterschool programing in Vermont every day.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-obama-oval-office-address	Sanders Statement on Obama Oval Office Address	2015-12-06	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	BURLINGTON, Vt. U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders on Sunday issued the following statement after President Barack Obama delivered an address from the Oval Office: President Obama is right. ISIS will be destroyed with an international coalition in which Muslim troops on the ground are supported by the United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia and other leading powers. We must learn the lesson of Iraq.American troops should not be engaged in perpetual warfare in the Middle East. Further, as we destroy ISIS, it is essential that we do not allow fear and division to undermine the constitutional rights that make us a free people.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-statement-on-obama-oval-office-address	Sanders Statement on Obama Oval Office Address	2015-12-06	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	Sanders Statement on Obama Oval Office Address Sunday, December 6, 2015 Sen. Bernie Sanders on Sunday issued the following statement after President Barack Obama delivered an address from the Oval Office: President Obama is right. ISIS will be destroyed with an international coalition in which Muslim troops on the ground are supported by the United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia and other leading powers. We must learn the lesson of Iraq.American troops should not be engaged in perpetual warfare in the Middle East. Further, as we destroy ISIS, it is essential that we do not allow fear and division to undermine the constitutional rights that make us a free people.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/120515	News December 5	2015-12-05	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	News December 5 Saturday, December 5, 2015 Senator Sanders Climate ChangeSen. Sanders hed push negotiators meeting at a climate summit in Paris to embrace aggressive moves to reduce carbon emissions,Radio Iowareported. We have a real crisis, Sanders told O. Kay Henderson. Criminal JusticeSen. Sanders has made a pledge to abolish private prisons in the federal system a centerpiece of his criminal justice reform platform, expounding on it in speeches, tweets and a bill that he introduced in the Senate,SalonandThe New York Observerreported. The bill would reestablish federal parole, the abolition of which three decades ago was a key ingredient in fueling the explosive growth of the American prison system. Sanders has explained the negative consequences of for-profit prisons in the criminal justice system, which have replaced health reforms as a means to fix problems like drug addiction and poverty. Pharmaceutical IndustryReutersreported that the antitrust division of the U.S. Department of Justice has subpoenaed Mylan N.V. for information relating to the marketing, pricing and sale of its generic doxycycline antibiotic products, the drug-maker said on Friday. Sen. Sanders and Democratic Representative Elijah Cummings opened an investigation last fall into 14 drug companies, including Mylan and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, over price increases of generic drugs. In February, Sanders and Cummings asked the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' enforcement arm to investigate generic drug price increases. Sunday Shows Sen. Sanders will be on CBSs Face the Nation on Sunday along with Donald Trump and Chris Christie, The Associated Press reported. World ISIS Financing The United States and Russia are negotiating a new resolution at the United Nations Security Council intended to strengthen international efforts to cut off revenues that the Islamic State raises to govern territory and spread its ideology, The New York Times reported. National San Bernardino Shoo…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/americas-100-richest-people-control-more-wealth-than-the-entire-black-population	America's 100 Richest People Control More Wealth Than the Entire Black Population	2015-12-04	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	America's 100 Richest People Control More Wealth Than the Entire Black Population By: Josh Harkinson Friday, December 4, 2015 It's well known that America's wealthiest have been getting richerat the expense of the middle class. But the trend looks even starker when you look at the racial aspects. According to a new report from theInstitute for Policy Studies, the combined wealth of those on the Forbes 400 list of America's richest dwarfs that of the nation's entire black or Latino populations. The report found that the 100 richest US citizens control about as much wealth as all of the nation's 42 million African Americans. The total wealth of the nation's 55 million Latinos stacks up to that of the 186 richest Americans. This can be explained in part by the rapid erosion of the black and Latino middle classes. African Americans' net worth relative to whites has fallen by more than half since 2000: The average white family today has net assets of $141,900, compared with just $11,000 for black familiesabout the same paltry sum as back in 1985. Latinos have seen similar declines in net worth relative to whites. There are many reasons for this slide: Black and Latino families were disproportionately exposed to risky subprime mortgages, had smaller amounts of inherited wealth, and were more susceptible to job and wage cuts during the Great Recession. And because these families are less likely than white families to own homes and stocks, they haven't benefited as much from the subsequent recovery. Continue reading here.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-congressional-democrats-file-amicus-brief-supporting-obamas-immigration-executive-actions	Sanders, Congressional Democrats File Amicus Brief Supporting Obamas Immigration Executive Actions	2015-12-04	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 Sen. Bernie Sanders, Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and 215 members of Congress last night filed an amicus brief in support of the Department of Justices petition for Supreme Court review of the presidents immigration executive actions. President Obama did exactly the right thing when he took action to protect DREAMers and the parents of children who are citizens or legal permanent residents. I am confident that the Supreme Court will support the presidents authority to defend aspiring Americans, Sanders said. We must work to unite families, not tear them apart. The members argue in the brief that Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) and expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) are consistent with congressional intent and the Executives longstanding legal authority to establish national immigration enforcement priorities and exercise discretion in the enforcement of our immigration laws. As stated in the brief: Congress has granted the Secretary [of Homeland Security] broad discretion in determining how to carry out the immigration laws, and has explicitly directed the Secretary to establish policies and priorities for enforcement of those laws. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling would effectively strip the Executive of broad authority to make discretionary judgments on how best to enforce the nations immigration laws where Congress has not prescribed a specific action, and would devastate millions of individuals, families, and communities across the nation. Full text of the amicus brief can be found here.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/king-cotton-introduce-legislation-to-strengthen-counterterrorism-tools-in-wake-of-paris-san-bernardino-attacks	King, Cotton Introduce Legislation to Strengthen Counterterrorism Tools in Wake of Paris, San Bernardino Attacks	2015-12-03	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	ME	Angus King	K000383	www.king.senate.gov	legacy	King, Cotton Introduce Legislation to Strengthen Counterterrorism Tools in Wake of Paris, San Bernardino Attacks Thursday, December 3, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. In the wake of the brutal terrorist attacks in Paris last month, as well as initial reports that this weeks attack in San Bernardino may be tied to terrorism, U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) today introduced legislation that would ensure that U.S. counterterrorism officials have the necessary tools to track suspected terrorists and prevent terrorist attacks in the United States. The first line of defense against terrorism is intelligence, and today, our government is reliant on telecommunication companies to retain records that we use to connect the dots that can help us prevent attacks, Senator King said. Our legislation would simply require that U.S. officials are provided with adequate warning if a company decides it no longer will hold these vital records, allowing time to ensure that we dont lose a potentially valuable tool in the battle against terrorism. Our Intelligence Community and Law Enforcement professionals are skilled at connecting the dots to thwart and respond to terrorist attacks. But if there are no dots to connect, those skills wont do us any good, Senator Cotton said. The King-Cotton legislation will help preserve metadata currently stored by phone carriers by forcing them to notify the federal government if they change the amount of time they retain billing records to less than 18 months. This will give Congress and the Executive Branch an opportunity to respond before those dots are lost forever. Signed into law on June 2, 2015, the USA Freedom Act requires the government to apply to the FISA Court for an order to retrieve call detail records, which include telephone numbers and not the content of calls from telecommunications carriers. As of that date, the Act gave the government 180 days to end its bulk collection of call detail records, which expired on November 2…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/king-opposes-effort-to-repeal-affordable-care-act	King Opposes Effort to Repeal Affordable Care Act	2015-12-03	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	ME	Angus King	K000383	www.king.senate.gov	legacy	King Opposes Effort to Repeal Affordable Care Act Thursday, December 3, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) voted against legislation that would repeal the Affordable Care Act and deny federal funding to Planned Parenthood facilities across the country: The Affordable Care Act has provided thousands of people in Maine and millions more across the country with affordable, high-quality health insurance, Senator King said. Rather than try to take that away, Congress should focus on how we can improve and strengthen the law so that we can extend health insurance to even more people in this country who need it. Thats how we best serve the people who sent us here and, frankly, they deserve nothing less. Today, the Senate voted and, regrettably, passed legislation that would repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The President has said he will veto the bill. Todays vote represents the 16th time that the Senate has voted to repeal all or part of the ACA. The House of Representatives has voted more than 50 times to do the same. The Affordable Care Act provides more than 70,000 people in Maine with health insurance. In addition to lowering health care costs, the landmark health care law, which has been upheld by the Supreme Court multiple times, prohibits insurance companies from denying coverage to people due to pre-existing conditions, eliminates lifetime caps on insurance, and allows children to remain on their parents insurance until the age of 26. The law has also contributed millions of dollars in funding to community health centers across the state of Maine, which serve the health care needs of hundreds of thousands of people. The legislation would also eliminate all federal funding to Planned Parenthood facilities across the country, including the four that operate in Maine, which provide important family planning, cancer screenings, and basic preventive health care services. Senator King voted in favor of an amendment offered by Senator Susan Coll…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/transportation-bill-with-king-backed-measures-passes-senate	Transportation Bill with King-Backed Measures Passes Senate	2015-12-03	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	ME	Angus King	K000383	www.king.senate.gov	legacy	Transportation Bill with King-Backed Measures Passes Senate Bill also renews Export-Import Bank, streamlines federal permitting process, and delivers regulatory relief to small banks Thursday, December 3, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. With the support of U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), the Senate tonight overwhelmingly approved a long-term transportation bill that authorizes $305 billion in funding over the next five years for vital transportation infrastructure projects across the country. The bill will result in increased highway and transit funding for Maine and also includes several provisions either authored or strongly supported by Senator King. Our countrys aging transportation infrastructure has been crumbling under our feet as Congress passed one short-term fix after the other. With this bill, Congress has crafted a long-term solution that provides stable and predictablefunding to improve our transportation network, bolster commerce, and put people to work doing it, Senator King said. The bill is by no means perfect, but at the end of the day, its a step forward for the American people and our country. The legislation passed this evening, titled the FAST Act, would provide an increased and stable source of funding for highway, transit, and other infrastructure projects, and is the product of extensive bipartisan negotiations between leaders in the Senate and House of Representatives. If signed into law, the legislation will provide Maine with a five percent increase in highway funding and an eight percent increase in transit funding in the first year of the bill and result in a 15 percent increase in highway funding and an 18 percent increase in transit by the last year. For more information on how the bill will impact infrastructure projects in Maine, clickHERE. Senator King has repeatedly called for a long-term highway solution and has been critical of Congress for passing 36 short-term highway extensions over the past several years, which has only created…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/-wonkblog-there-have-been-334-days-and-351-mass-shootings-so-far-this-year	The San Bernardino shooting is the second mass shooting today and the 355th this year	2015-12-03	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	The San Bernardino shooting is the second mass shooting today and the 355th this year By: Christopher Ingraham Thursday, December 3, 2015 Authorities in San Bernardino, Calif.,saying 14 people were killed and 14 others were injured in a mass shooting on Wednesday at a center for people with developmental disabilities.This is at leastthe third mass shooting since therampage in Colorado Springs last Friday. Here's a look at the year's mass shootings, including today's. The San Bernardino shooting isthe 355th mass shooting this year, according toa mass shooting trackermaintained by the Guns Are Cool subreddit.The Reddit trackerdefines mass shootings as incidents in which four or more people, including the gunman, are killed or injured by gunfire. The Mass Shooting Tracker is different from other shooting databases in that it uses a broader definition of mass shooting the old FBI definition focused on four or more people killed as part of a single shooting. Continue reading here.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/120315	News December 3	2015-12-03	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	News December 3 Thursday, December 3, 2015 Senator Sanders San Bernardino ShootingSen. Bernie Sanders quickly responded to the shootings in San Bernardino, California,The New York Times,CBS NBC, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Reuters and Business Insider reported. Sen. Bernie Sanders noted that "mass shootings are becoming an almost-everyday occurrence" in the United States: "Mass shootings are becoming an almost-everyday occurrence in this country. This sickening and senseless gun violence must stop." Republican BudgetSen. Sanders took to the floor to lead the Democratic opposition to the Republican budget,VTDigger,.Mic and MSNBCreported. The last thing we need is a budget reconciliation bill that throws 17 million Americans off of health insurance and denies nearly 3 million women the health care they need by defunding Planned Parenthood, Sanders said. Sanders argued that rather than seeking to defund Planned Parenthood, lawmakers should boost support for it. Climate ConferenceScience-denying Republicansintent on derailing local, national and global attempts to avert a looming climate crisishave their priorities all wrong, Sen. Sanders said on Tuesday. I find it unacceptable that many of my Republican colleagues are more worried about campaign contributions theyre getting from the Koch brothers and others in the fossil fuel industry than they are about preserving the planet for our children and grandchildren, Sanders said in a statement urging the U.S. to take the lead in stopping global warming,EcoWatch reported. Transportation Bill Sen. Sanders announced that a $305 billion transportation bill agreement reached will provide nearly $1.1 billion to Vermont to help improve the state's roadways. According to the senator's office, he legislation would allow Vermont to become more competitive for federal funding and lowering the cost of borrowing federal funds for rural projects, FOX44 in Burlington reported. Social Security Sens. Patrick Leahy and Sande…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-calls-for-common-sense-gun-safety-legislation	Sanders Calls for Common-Sense Gun Safety Legislation	2015-12-03	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 Following the mass shooting in San Bernardino, California, yesterday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) joined with his Democratic colleagues in the Senate to call for sensible gun safety legislation. A full copy of his remarks is below. Here is the very sad truth and that is that it is very difficult for the American people to keep up with the mass shootings that we seem to see almost every day. Yesterday, San Bernardino, a few days ago, Colorado Springs, before that Roseburg, Oregon, before that Chattanooga, Tennessee, and on and on it goes. The San Bernardino shooting was the 355th mass shooting this year. Gun violence has reached epidemic levels in the United States. Over the past decade, 275,000 Americans have been killed by guns. Let me paraphrase what President Obama said recently. And what he said is, this is not an easy problem to solve. But just because it is not an easy problem to solve does not mean that we should not do everything that we can. Now the bad news is that this nation is divided over gun legislation. Thats a simple fact. Thats a political reality. But the good news is there is a broad consensus, perhaps 60, 70 percent of the American people who agree on common sense gun safety legislation. And here is what that consensus is about, supported by a strong majority of the American people. We need to significantly expand and improve background checks. Who is arguing that people who should not have guns because of a criminal background, because of mental problems should not be able to purchase guns? Very few Americans disagree with that. We need to renew the assault weapons ban. We need to end the sale of high capacity magazines. We need to make gun trafficking a federal crime and give law enforcement the tools they need to get illegal guns off the streets. We need to close the gun show loophole, as well as loopholes that allow gun purchasers to buy a gun after the waiting period expires without a completed background check. We need to close loopholes that allow domestic a…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/collins-king-announce-application-period-for-assistance-to-firefighters-grants	Collins, King Announce Application Period for Assistance to Firefighters Grants	2015-12-02	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	ME	Angus King	K000383	www.king.senate.gov	legacy	Collins, King Announce Application Period for Assistance to Firefighters Grants Wednesday, December 2, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins, Co-Chair of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, and Angus King, a member of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will begin accepting applications for grant funding through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program on Monday, December 7th at 8:00 a.m. The application period will close on January 15, 2015 at 5:00 p.m. The AFG Program funding assists fire departments and nonaffiliated ambulance and emergency medical service organizations in meeting their firefighting and emergency response needs. The program provides federal funding that enables these organizations to purchase equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training, and other resources to better protect the public and emergency personnel. The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program provides invaluable support to protect the firefighters and emergency health professionals who risk their lives protecting us every day, said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement. We encourage Maine fire departments and emergency organizations to utilize this program for help obtaining the vital resources they need to do their jobs. Grant guidance for fire departments and other organizations interested in applying for AFG grants is available at www.grants.gov and at http://www.fema.gov/firegrants/afggrants/index.shtm. Applicants that require assistance should go to www.fema.gov/grants, or contact the AFG Help Desk at firegrants@fema.gov or by calling 1-866-274-0960. ###	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/collins-king-applaud-196-million-for-maine-water-infrastructure-projects	Collins, King Applaud $19.6 Million for Maine Water Infrastructure Projects	2015-12-02	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	ME	Angus King	K000383	www.king.senate.gov	legacy	Collins, King Applaud $19.6 Million for Maine Water Infrastructure Projects Wednesday, December 2, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today applauded an announcement from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that the State of Maine will receive $19.6 million to support water infrastructure projects. The funds will be used to upgrade sewage plants and drinking water systems, replace aging infrastructure, and bolster water projects essential to environmental protection and public health safety across the state. Maintaining strong water infrastructure is critical to ensuring the health of Maine people, Senators Collins and King said in a joint statement. We welcome this funding from the EPA, which will help upgrade water treatment systems that will result in improved water quality and public health. The $19.6 million is distributed as follows: The Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) program, administrated by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Maine Municipal Bond Bank (MMBB), received $10.8 million. EPAs funding provides low-interest loans for water quality protection projects to make improvements to wastewater treatment systems, control pollution from stormwater runoff, and protect sensitive water bodies and estuaries. The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) program, administrated by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and MMBB, received $8.8 million. EPAs funding provides low-interest loans to finance improvements to drinking water systems, with a particular focus on providing funds to small and disadvantaged communities and to programs that encourage pollution prevention as a tool for ensuring safe drinking water. According to the EPA, since the beginning of this program, approximately $497 million has been awarded to Maine for the construction, expansion and upgrading of clean water infrastructure resulting in decreased pollutant loadings to waterbodies through…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/in-wake-of-paris-attacks-collins-king-cosponsor-bipartisan-bill-to-strengthen-visa-waiver-program	In Wake of Paris Attacks, Collins, King Cosponsor Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Visa Waiver Program	2015-12-02	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	ME	Angus King	K000383	www.king.senate.gov	legacy	In Wake of Paris Attacks, Collins, King Cosponsor Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Visa Waiver Program Wednesday, December 2, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, members of the Senate Intelligence Committee, have joined with Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) to introduce bipartisan legislation that would strengthen the security of the Visa Waiver Program to help prevent terrorists from entering the United States. Protecting the safety and security of the people of Maine and across our country remains our most important consideration as we seek to combat ISIS, said Senator Collins. While most of the refugees are fleeing the same terrorists in their home countries that concern us as Americans, we must assume that ISIS will exploit any opportunity to attack the American people, our allies in Europe, or Muslims who do not share their extremist ideology. This bipartisan legislation tightens the Visa Waiver Program to help prevent Islamic terrorists and other radical extremists from hijacking the program to enter the United States from trusted countries without a visa and the scrutiny it entails. The Visa Waiver Program is an important tool that has increased the ease of travel between member countries and improved security measures associated with that travel, Senator King said. But with an increasing number of citizens from visa waiver countries traveling to the Middle East and North Africa to train and fight in support of terrorism, its critical that we ensure the program cant be exploited as a potential gateway to the United States. Thats why Congress should immediately strengthen the Visa Waiver program to reflect the realities of todays world. Doing so will help deny terrorists an opportunity to do us harm and take a substantial step towards better protecting the American people. The Visa Waiver Program allows citizens of participating countries, including most of those in Europe, to travel to the United States withou…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/king-scores-legislative-hat-trick-in-federal-highway-bill	King Scores Legislative Hat-Trick in Federal Highway Bill	2015-12-02	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	ME	Angus King	K000383	www.king.senate.gov	legacy	King Scores Legislative Hat-Trick in Federal Highway Bill Bill renews Export-Import Bank, streamlines federal permitting process, and delivers regulatory relief to small banks Wednesday, December 2, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. An agreement reached yesterday on a long-term highway funding bill includes a hat-trick of legislative victories for Maine long championed by U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine). In addition to providing an increased and stable source of funding for highway, transit, and other infrastructure projects, the legislation would (1) reauthorize the Export-Import Bank, (2) boost jobs by simplifying the federal permitting process for major projects, and (3) deliver regulatory relief to small banks. I am pleased that Senate and House negotiators have reached an agreement to move forward with a long-term bill that will provide a stable source of funding to properly invest in repairing our roads, bridges, and other vital infrastructure. After far too many short-term patches, this bill while not perfect is a positive step forward that will improve our transportation network, bolster the economy, and better protect the safety of traveling Americans, Senator King said. This bill also renews the Export-Import Bank, which supports jobs in Maine, makes significant strides in reducing government red tape to help businesses grow and thrive, and makes it easier for small banks across Maine to serve their customers, Senator King said. These measures will go a long way to supporting jobs in Maine, and I look forward to getting this much-needed bill across the finish-line. The 5-year highway bill announced yesterday titled the FAST Act will provide Maine with a five percent increase in highway funding and an eight percent increase in transit funding in the first year of the bill and result in a 15 percent increase in highway funding and an 18 percent increase in transit by the last year. For more information on how the bill will impact infrastructure projects in Mai…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senators-collins-king-announce-funding-award-for-maine-maritime-academy	Senators Collins, King Announce Funding Award for Maine Maritime Academy	2015-12-02	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	ME	Angus King	K000383	www.king.senate.gov	legacy	Senators Collins, King Announce Funding Award for Maine Maritime Academy Wednesday, December 2, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. United States Senators Susan Collins, Chairman of the Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, and Angus King, member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, today announced an award of $469,000 to the Maine Maritime Academy (MMA) from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The funding will support the Marine Engine Testing and Emissions Laboratory (METEL) at MMA. Finding practical solutions for reducing harmful emissions is a top priority, and we are pleased that the U.S. Department of Transportation has recognized the tremendous work being done by Maine Maritime Academy at its Marine Engine Testing and Emissions Laboratory, said Senators Collins and King in a statement. This investment will enable the Academy, in partnership with the University of Maine, to continue to develop emissions reductions and efficiency solutions for marine diesel engines, conduct critical research, and help to advance the maritime industry. This grant was provided through the U.S. Department of Transportations University Transportation Center Discretionary Grants. Intended to advance U.S. technology and expertise in the many disciplines of transportation through the mechanisms of education, research and technology transfer at university-based centers of excellence, the U.S. Department of Transportation chooses internationally recognized centers of excellence, fully integrated within institutions of higher learning, that serve as a vital source of leaders who are prepared to meet the nations need for safe, efficient, and environmentally sound movement of people and goods. ###	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/how-an-84000-drug-got-its-price-lets-hold-our-position_whatever-the-headlines	How an $84,000 drug got its price: Lets hold our position whatever the headlines	2015-12-02	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	How an $84,000 drug got its price: Lets hold our position whatever the headlines By: Carolyn Y. Johnson and Brady Dennis Wednesday, December 2, 2015 Gilead Sciences executives wereacutely aware in 2013 that their plan to charge an exorbitantly high price fora powerful new hepatitis C drug would spark public outrage, but they pursued the profit-driven strategy anyway,according to a Senate Finance Committee investigation report released Tuesday. "Let's not fold to advocacy pressure in 2014," Kevin Young, Gilead's executive vice president for commercial operations, wrote in an internal email.Lets holdour position whatever competitors do or whatever the headlines." Gilead gained federal approval for its drug Sovaldi in late 2013 and ultimately settled on the price of $84,000 for a 12-week course of treatment. To the company, that price seemed to deliver the right balance: value to shareholders while also not so high that insurers would "hinder patient access to uncomfortable levels," according to internal documents. But they also got more than they bargained for: an outpouring of outrage from the public, a backlash from government and private payers, and political scrutiny. The 18-month Senate committee investigation reviewedmore than 20,000 pages of company documents. The documents show it was always Gileads plan to max out revenue, and that accessibility and affordability were pretty much an afterthought," said Sen. Ron Wyden(D-Ore.), who co-led the investigation with Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), in a news conference. Continue reading here.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-announces-11-billion-for-vermont-in-transportation-bill	Sanders Announces $1.1 Billion For Vermont in Transportation Bill	2015-12-02	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	WASHINGTON, Dec. 2 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) announced today that a five-year, $305 billion transportation bill agreement reached Tuesday by House and Senate negotiators will deliver nearly $1.1 billion to Vermont to improve the states roadways. While this legislation does not have everything I would have hoped for, I am pleased it includes more than $1 billion for Vermonts roads and bridges in the coming years, Sanders said. As a member of the committee with primary jurisdiction over federal road and bridge programs, Sanders successfully fought for a funding formula that helps Vermont. The final agreement includes a 5 percent increase in funding for Vermont in the first year and a total increase of 15 percent over five years. The legislation includes several other provisions authored by Sanders that would benefit Vermont, including changes to make Vermont competitive for additional federal funding and lowering the cost of borrowing federal funds for rural projects. Sanders also secured a provision to start the process of creating a national network of recharging stations for electric vehicles. The bill also includes a 10 percent increase in funding for public transit in the first year and an overall increase of almost 18 percent over five years. This funding increase is critically important for low-income families, senior citizens, veterans and for people with disabilities in rural areas like Vermont, Sanders said. Congress is poised to pass the agreement in the coming days. The current short-term transportation bill expires on December 4. Once approved, this legislation will mark the first time since 2005 that Congress has passed a long-term highway bill. The problem isnt just roads and bridges. Our airports, railways, drinking water and waste systems, harbors and inland waterways, dams and levees, and electric grid are all suffering from a lack of investment, Sanders said. While this bill is an important first step, I will continue to fight for legislation to rebuild our nations crumbling infrastructu…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-slams-republican-budget	Sanders Slams Republican Budget	2015-12-02	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	Sen. Bernie Sanders ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, took to the floor today to lead the Democratic opposition to the Republican budget. The last thing we need is a budget reconciliation bill that throws 17 million Americans off of health insurance and denies nearly 3 million women the health care they need by defunding Planned Parenthood, Sanders said. At a time when the United States is the only major country that does not guarantee health care as a right, the proposed budget would gut the Affordable Care Act and continue the Republican witch-hunt against Planned Parenthood. Sanders called instead for a responsible budget that reverses the massive transfer of wealth from working families to the top 1 percent, stops skyrocketing prescription drug prices and puts millions of Americans back to work. He questioned why the Republican budget does not provide paid family leave, raise the minimum wage to a living wage or make college affordable for all. The reason why the American people are angry and the reason why the Congress is so unpopular, is that the Congress is not addressing the real problems that are impacting their lives each and every day, Sanders added. At a time when the rich are getting richer, poverty is increasing, and the middle class has been in a 40-year decline, we need a budget that improves the lives of all Americans, not just the people on the top.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/why-the-us-pays-more-than-other-countries-for-drugs	Why the U.S. Pays More Than Other Countries for Drugs	2015-12-01	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	Why the U.S. Pays More Than Other Countries for Drugs By: Jeanne Whalen Tuesday, December 1, 2015 Norway, an oil producer with one of the worlds richest economies, is an expensive place to live. A Big Mac costs $5.65. A gallon of gasoline costs $6. But one thing is far cheaper than in the U.S.: prescription drugs. A vial of the cancer drug Rituxan cost Norways taxpayer-funded health system$1,527 in the third quarter of 2015, while the U.S. Medicare program paid $3,678. An injection of the asthma drug Xolair cost Norway $463, which was 46% less than Medicare paid for it. Drug prices in the U.S. are shrouded in mystery, obscured by confidential rebates, multiple middlemen and the strict guarding of trade secrets. But for certain drugsthose paid for by Medicare Part Bprices are public. By stacking these against pricing in three foreign health systems, as discovered in nonpublic and public data, The Wall Street Journal was able to pinpoint international drug-cost differences and what lies behind them. Continue reading here.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/120115	News December 1	2015-12-01	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	News December 1 Tuesday, December 1, 2015 Senator Sanders Drug Prices About 7 out of 10 Americans, including two-thirds of Republicans,said Medicare, the federal health insurance program for older and disabled Americans, should be able tonegotiate lower prices for all prescription drugs.Another 13 percent support negotiations for just high-cost drugs for illnesses such as hepatitis C or cancer, according to a new poll by STAT News. More broadly, about three-quarters of the public believe the prices of brand-name prescription drugs are unreasonable, while 1 in 4 expressed that view about generics. Tax Break Deal House and Senate negotiators are working to complete a deal as earlyas this week thatwouldrevive dozens of expired tax breaks andcould also seek to scale backa controversial part of Obamacare and expand some tax benefits for low income workers. Early versions of the package circulated by lobbyists and staffers were estimatedto cost as much as $700 billion over 10 years. The deal would repeal the Cadillac Tax, which Sen. Sanders opposes, The Washington Post reported. World Pope: World Near Suicide on Climate Change Environmental negotiators meeting in Paris should strike a climate change deal to save a world "at the limits of suicide," Pope Francis said on Monday, The Washington Post reported. "I am not sure, but I can say to you 'now or never'," he told a group of reporters aboard the papal plane, en route home from Africa, according to Reuters. "Every year the problems are getting worse. We are at the limits. If I may use a strong word I would say that we are at the limits of suicide." Ukraine The United States has delivered more than $260 million in non-lethal military equipment to help the government of Ukraine in its fight against a Russian-backed insurgency, but some of the U.S.-supplied gear meant to protect and transport Ukrainian military forces is little more than junk, The Washington Post reported. National Money in Politics The rich families remaki…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/on-world-aids-day-sanders-demands-affordable-drugs	On World AIDS Day, Sanders Demands Affordable Drugs	2015-12-01	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	On World AIDS Day, Sanders Demands Affordable Drugs Tuesday, December 1, 2015 WASHINGTON, Dec. 1 On World AIDS Day, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) condemned price gouging by pharmaceutical companies on lifesaving drugs to treat the disease. The biggest problem in caring for those with AIDS is no longer mainly a medical or scientific problem the crisis is access to affordable drugs, Sanders said. People are dying in America because they can't afford to pay the outrageous prices for medicine they need to live. In the richest nation in the world, we must do everything possible to get people the medicine they need at a price they can afford. Last year, one in five Americans 35 million people were unable to afford to fill their prescriptions. The price of Daraprim, a drug taken by AIDS patients, was recently increased 5,000 percent overnight. Sanders and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) have introduced comprehensive legislation to lower the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs. Their bills would authorize the secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical companies and reduce barriers to the importation of lower-cost drugs from Canada and other countries. Sanders and Cummings have also conducted a year-long investigation into rising prices. The United States is the only major country on earth that does not in one form or another regulate prescription drug prices and the results have been an unmitigated disaster, Sanders said. We must take on the pharmaceutical industry that has been ripping off the American people and pass legislation to lower the cost of lifesaving drugs.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-slams-republican-budget	Sanders Slams Republican Budget	2015-12-01	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	WASHINGTON, Dec. 1 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, took to the floor today to lead the Democratic opposition to the Republican budget. The last thing we need is a budget reconciliation bill that throws 17 million Americans off of health insurance and denies nearly 3 million women the health care they need by defunding Planned Parenthood, Sanders said. At a time when the United States is the only major country that does not guarantee health care as a right, the proposed budget would gut the Affordable Care Act and continue the Republican witch-hunt against Planned Parenthood. Sanders called instead for a responsible budget that reverses the massive transfer of wealth from working families to the top 1 percent, stops skyrocketing prescription drug prices and puts millions of Americans back to work. He questioned why the Republican budget does not provide paid family leave, raise the minimum wage to a living wage or make college affordable for all. The reason why the American people are angry and the reason why the Congress is so unpopular, is that the Congress is not addressing the real problems that are impacting their lives each and every day, Sanders added. At a time when the rich are getting richer, poverty is increasing, and the middle class has been in a 40-year decline, we need a budget that improves the lives of all Americans, not just the people on the top.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/us-must-lead-on-climate-change-sanders-says	U.S. Must Lead on Climate Change, Sanders Says	2015-12-01	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	U.S. Must Lead on Climate Change, Sanders Says Tuesday, December 1, 2015 WASHINGTON, Dec. 1 As nearly 150 world leaders gather for a summit in Paris on climate change, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said on Tuesday that the United States must lead the world in taking bold actions to stop climate change. Calling the need to combat climate change a moral issue, Sanders agreed with Pope Francis about the urgent need to take action, The pope was right when he said the problems are getting worse and that unless we act we are at the limits of suicide, Sanders said. A member of the Senate environment and energy committees, Sanders said scientists have warned that there is a short window of opportunity to transform our energy systems away from fossil fuels and toward energy efficiency and sustainable energy. The evidence is overwhelming. When the final calculations are made, 2015 will replace 2014 as the warmest year on record. Droughts, floods and severe storms already are impacting the planet and the situation will only become worse in years to come, Sanders said. I find it unacceptable that many of my Republican colleagues are more worried about campaign contributions theyre getting from the Koch brothers and others in the fossil fuel industry than they are about preserving the planet for our children and grandchildren, the senator added.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/on-world-aids-day-sanders-demands-affordable-drugs	On World AIDS Day, Sanders Demands Affordable Drugs	2015-12-01	2015	2015-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	On World AIDS Day, Sen. Bernie Sanders condemned price gouging by pharmaceutical companies on lifesaving drugs to treat the disease. The biggest problem in caring for those with AIDS is no longer mainly a medical or scientific problem the crisis is access to affordable drugs, Sanders said. People are dying in America because they can't afford to pay the outrageous prices for medicine they need to live. In the richest nation in the world, we must do everything possible to get people the medicine they need at a price they can afford. Last year, one in five Americans 35 million people were unable to afford to fill their prescriptions. The price of Daraprim, a drug taken by AIDS patients, was recently increased 5,000 percent overnight. Sanders and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) have introduced comprehensive legislation to lower the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs. Their bills would authorize the secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical companies and reduce barriers to the importation of lower-cost drugs from Canada and other countries. Sanders and Cummings have also conducted a year-long investigation into rising prices. The United States is the only major country on earth that does not in one form or another regulate prescription drug prices and the results have been an unmitigated disaster, Sanders said. We must take on the pharmaceutical industry that has been ripping off the American people and pass legislation to lower the cost of lifesaving drugs.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://sablan.house.gov/week-congress-november-25-2015	THIS WEEK IN CONGRESS - November 25, 2015	2015-11-30	2015	2015-11	Independent	Senate	MP	Gregorio Sablan	S001177	sablan.house.gov	legacy	THIS WEEK IN CONGRESS - November 25, 2015 Nov 29, 2015 In this issue: BREAKING NEWS: Three new academy slots now available. President Obama signed the2016 National Defense Authorization Actinto law this afternoon, adding three new slots for Northern Mariana Islands students at the U.S. service academies. Section 556 of the new law increases academy positions for NMI students by one each at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the Naval Academy at Annapolis, and the Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs. This is the second time openings for the Northern Marianas have been increased. I included language in the2010 Defense Authorization (527)doubling the total slots at the time from three to six. All but one of those are currently filled, a testament to the high caliber of applicants from our islands. With the Presidents action, we now have nine positions set aside for the Northern Marianas with four openings available now for applicants in this years admissions cycle. For information about applying for a congressional nomination to a service academy, visit the congressional website athttps://sablan.house.gov/serving-you/academy-nominationsor contact yourlocal congressional office. The deadline to apply for my nomination isFriday, December 11, 2015. Erratum:In last week's e-newsletter, we mistakenly identified the school mascot of the Tinian Elementary School as the Stallion. The Colt is the mascot of Tinian Elementary School, while the Stallion is the mascot of the Tinian Junior Senior High School. Our apologies for the error. OPPORTUNITIES: Federal contracts, grants, jobs for/in the Marianas: Grants: 2016 Marine Education and Training Mini Grant Program- The National Marine Fisheries Service is soliciting competitive applications for the 2016 Pacific Islands Region Marine Educati…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/king-epa-administrator-tour-westbrook-farm-hold-roundtable-for-maine-farmers-on-clean-water-rule	King, EPA Administrator Tour Westbrook Farm, Hold Roundtable for Maine Farmers on Clean Water Rule	2015-11-30	2015	2015-11	Independent	House	ME	Angus King	K000383	www.king.senate.gov	legacy	King, EPA Administrator Tour Westbrook Farm, Hold Roundtable for Maine Farmers on Clean Water Rule King continues to press EPA to clarify rule and issue clearer compliance guidelines for Maine farmers Monday, November 30, 2015 WESTBROOK, ME Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy toured Smiling Hill Farm in Westbrook and held a roundtable with agricultural officials from across the state to discuss the EPAs Clean Water Rule and its impact on farmers in Maine. The roundtable follows a letter to the agency led by Senator King and signed by ten of his colleagues expressing concern over the ambiguity of the rule and how it may create uncertainty that could have a detrimental impact on farming operations in Maine. During the roundtable today, Senator King joined with farmers from across the state to reiterate those concerns to Administrator McCarthy, and he also pledged to continue to work with the EPA to see that the agency clarifies agricultural exemptions and provides more concise compliance guidelines for Maine farmers. No one is more committed to preserving and protecting the environment than the people of Maine. Our natural resources are not only a hallmark of our state, but theyre also the foundation of our economy, Senator King said. But for Maines farmers and for everyone who relies on the land for a living, the ambiguity of the Clean Water Rule has caused a lot of justifiable concern. Farmers here just want to know that they wont have to hire a lawyer or a soil scientist to dig something like an irrigation ditch, and the EPA owes it to them to address those concerns, clarify the rule, and provide more concise compliance guidance. Todays roundtable was a positive step in that direction, and I look forward to further engaging with the EPA to ensure that it enacts a common-sense rule that protects the environment and allows our farmers to do their jobs. Earlier this year, the EPA and t…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senators-collins-and-king-announce-more-than-400000-in-grant-funding-to-assist-maine-families-living-in-public-housing	Senators Collins and King Announce More Than $400,000 in Grant Funding to Assist Maine Families Living in Public Housing	2015-11-30	2015	2015-11	Independent	House	ME	Angus King	K000383	www.king.senate.gov	legacy	Senators Collins and King Announce More Than $400,000 in Grant Funding to Assist Maine Families Living in Public Housing Monday, November 30, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senators Susan Collins, the Chairman the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development, and Angus King today announced that several housing authorities and municipalities in Maine will receive a total of $439,537 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The grant funding will come through HUDs Family Self-Sufficiency Program and will be used to help public housing residents and individuals participating in the Housing Choice Voucher Program increase their education and gain marketable skills that will allow them to find employment and advance in their current work. Public Housing Authorities in Maine play an indispensable role in helping some of our most vulnerable citizens find safe and affordable housing, said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement. This funding will provide crucial support to individuals and families across our state, connecting them with a range of job training and educational services. HUDs Family Self Sufficiency program intends to help low-income families who receive federal housing assistance receive training and education, find jobs, save money, and eventually become financially independent. The awards are as follows: Augusta Housing Authority, $32,484 Bangor Housing Authority, $57,050 Housing Authority of the City of Brewer, $52,832 City of Caribou, $48,729 Housing Authority of the City of Old Town, $23,972 Lewiston Housing Authority, $57,820 Maine State Housing Authority, $54,031 Portland Housing Authority, $72,012 Westbrook Housing Authority, $40,607 ###	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/how-walmart-keeps-an-eye-on-its-massive-workforce	How Walmart Keeps an Eye on Its Massive Workforce	2015-11-30	2015	2015-11	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	How Walmart Keeps an Eye on Its Massive Workforce The retail giant is Always watching. By: Susan Berfield Monday, November 30, 2015 In the autumn of 2012, when Walmart first heard about the possibility of a strike on Black Friday, executives mobilized with the efficiency that had built a retail empire. Walmart has a system for almost everything: When theres an emergency or a big event, it creates a Delta team. The one formed that September included representatives from global security, labor relations, and media relations. For Walmart, the stakes were enormous. The billions in sales typical of a Walmart Black Friday were threatened. The companys public image, especially in big cities where its power and size were controversial, could be harmed. But more than all that: Any attempt to organize its 1million hourly workers at its more than 4,000 stores in the U.S. was an existential danger. Operating free of unions was as essential to Walmarts business as its rock-bottom prices. OURWalmart, a group of employees backed and funded by a union, was asking for more full-time jobs with higher wages and predictable schedules. Officially they called themselvesthe Organization United for Respect at Walmart. Walmart publicly dismissed OURWalmart as the insignificant creation of the United Food and Commercial Workers International (UFCW) union. This is just another union publicity stunt, and the numbers they are talking about are grossly exaggerated, David Tovar, a spokesman, said onCBS Evening Newsthat November. Internally, however, Walmart considered the group enough of a threat that it hired an intelligence-gathering service from Lockheed Martin, contacted the FBI, staffed up its labor hotline, ranked stores by labor activity, and kept eyes on employees (and activists) prominent in the group. During that time, about 100 workers were actively involved in recruiting for OURWalmart, but employees (or associates, as theyre called at Walmart) across the company were …	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z

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Press releases

1,802 rows where party = "Independent" and year = 2015 sorted by date descending

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