Maine’s first Independent United States Senator, Angus King is co-chair of the Senate Arctic Caucus and member of both the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Energy & Natural Resources Committee. An advocate for Maine’s interests in the North Atlantic and Arctic region, Senator King has worked in Washington to advance Maine’s leadership in the High North. He has introduced legislation concerning U.S. military challenges and opportunities in the Arctic and has spoken widely about the economic implications of increased activity in the Arctic. King and other Maine leaders on North Atlantic and Arctic policy supported the launch of the Institute for North Atlantic Studies of the University of New England (UNE NORTH), an initiative that aims to help the next generation of leaders further responsible stewardship and sustainable economic growth in the region.

Senator King traveled to Iceland in 2015 to participate in the Arctic Circle Assembly Plenary Session, speaking to the national security, climate change, economic issues that make the region a significant policy priority for the U.S. In 2016, he joined Maine people and leaders from around the globe to attend the Arctic Council conference at the University of Southern Maine’s Portland Campus. Senator King also visited Greenland on a fact-finding mission that focused on examining the environmental and security implications of the warming Arctic climate, and traveled to Iqaluit, Canada to help usher in the United States’ chairmanship of the Arctic Council in 2015.