King Signs Letter Calling on President Trump to Restore Funding for National Sea Grant College Program

Press Release

Days after President Donald Trump released his Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 budget proposal completely eliminating the $73 million National Sea Grant College Program, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) joined with Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and 20 of their colleagues in sending a letter to the President calling on him to reconsider his proposed elimination of this critical program.

In the letter, Senator King and his colleagues highlighted the important role that Sea Grant Programs -- like the one at the University of Maine -- play in boosting local economies and preserving coastal communities, and urged him to fully fund the program in FY 2018.

"We represent senators from some of the 33 states with Sea Grant Programs and see firsthand how important these programs are to our states' economies and higher education communities. Zeroing out this funding would have a devastating impact and we strongly urge you to reconsider this decision," Senator King and his colleagues wrote. "The National Sea Grant College Program is a federal-local partnership that…creat[es] and sustain[s] nearly 3,000 local businesses and over 20,000 jobs. Sea Grant Programs are vital to local businesses, a source of good jobs, and an important part of preserving our coastal communities for generations to come. We believe zeroing out the Sea Grant program is a mistake and urge you to provide robust support for the program in the final Fiscal Year 2018 budget."

The University of Maine is one of 33 NOAA designated Sea Grant College Programs throughout the coastal and Great Lake states. In partnership with the University of Maine Cooperative extension, members of the UMaine's Marine Extension Team work on issues of concern to Maine's coastal communities, sponsor scientific research that matters to those who depend on Maine's coastal and marine resources, and help develop tomorrow's marine workforce through education programs, fellowships, and scholarships.

In addition to Senators King and Murphy, the letter was signed by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Dianne Feinstein (D-Cali.), and Al Franken (D-Minn.) joined Murphy in sending the letter.

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