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FORT KENT, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today visited with students at the University of Maine at Fort Kent (UMFK) to discuss his work in Maine and Washington and answer questions from students. UMFK aims to create pathways for success for students in rural communities. Senator King’s discussion at UMFK continues his outreach to college students across Maine, and serves as a part of his bus tour across Maine to connect with supporters across the state in the final days before the election.
“The University of Maine at Fort Kent is central to the health and vibrance of Fort Kent’s tight-knit community and prepares its students for a successful future,” Senator King said. “That’s why it is so important we have a strong economy in rural Maine, so students can continue to live, work, and raise their families right here in our state. During my first term in the Senate, I’ve worked to expand access to rural broadband, support Maine’s farmers, and strengthen the forest products industry to accomplish just that. It was great to hear from UMFK students, educators, and members of the Fort Kent community today. Together, we can continue to build Maine’s rural economy and provide good jobs for people in Aroostook County and throughout the state.”
Throughout his time in office, Senator King has worked to be accessible to Maine students and put forward common sense legislation to make higher education more affordable. He has hosted around fifty ‘Capitol Classes’ with high school students from schools around Maine to answer their questions by video or in person and discuss his work in the Senate. When Republicans and Democrats reached a stalemate on preventing the doubling of student loan interest rates in 2013, Senator King helped broker a bipartisan deal that lowered interest rates for millions of students. The resulting law, the Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act, has saved Maine students hundreds of millions of dollars.
To promote our rural economy, Senator King helped spearhead the creation of a public-private partnership to grow and diversify Maine’s forest industry. The resulting effort – an interagency Economic Development Assistance Team (EDAT) – has committed millions of dollars to grow Maine’s forest industry and rural economies. Senator King has been an ardent supporter of expanding rural broadband, so that we can continue to close the digital divide in Maine. Senator King also introduced the ‘Invest in America Act’ which will help to grow Maine’s workforce, by creating competitive grant programs to expand the workforce, modernize training tools, and promote job creation.
Over the past few weeks, Senator King has made visits to Colby College, the University of Maine Farmington, the University of Maine at Orono, and met with Bates College Republicans and Democrats to listen to young people across Maine so he can carry back their ideas with him to Washington.
