Sen. Angus King and Rep. Jared Golden announced their guests for President Trump’s State of the Union address Tuesday night.
King, an independent, said Monday that Margo Walsh, the owner and founder of MaineWorks and co-founder of Maine Recovery Fund, will attend the State of the Union as his guest. Golden, a Democrat representing Maine’s 2nd District, announced that he is inviting Cynthia Phinney, president of the Maine AFL-CIO.
The other members of Maine’s congressional delegation announced their guests last week.
Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-1st District, said that Joel Clement, a climate policy expert, will be her guest. Republican Sen. Susan Collins has invited state Rep. Kathleen Dillingham of Oxford, the Republican minority leader in the Maine House.
MaineWorks is an employment company that specializes in providing job opportunities for people who are difficult to place because they are immigrants, have a record of incarceration or are in recovery from substance abuse disorder.
“Margo and her team at MaineWorks have made it their mission to tackle two of Maine’s most serious problems: the workforce shortages that plague businesses across the state, and the opioid epidemic that has devastated families and communities throughout Maine,” King said in a prepared statement.
“Her leadership is an example for all of us, and I look forward to having her join me for the State of the Union.”
Walsh said it was an honor and a privilege to attend the address with King.
“Sen. King’s continued focus on the opioid epidemic, and his efforts to reduce stigma, embody the type of leadership we need from our public officials,” she said in a prepared statement. “I’m grateful for his invitation, and look forward to further discussing the ways we can help Maine people facing personal struggles find economic stability and continued success in life.”
Phinney, a resident of Livermore Falls, is the first woman elected president of the Maine AFL-CIO, a position she has held since 2015.
“One of my top priorities in Congress is fighting for Maine’s working people. That’s something Cynthia has done every day for decades,” Golden said in a statement emailed Monday night. “… Cynthia and I are both focused on making sure we put workers and good jobs ahead of politics.”
Phinney said she is hoping the president offers proposals that will benefit working people.
“I will be listening to see if the president has proposals to make a real change to our failed trade policy that has cost Maine tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs and weakened our democracy, as well as address the health care crisis that is squeezing the working class, lowering wages and causing people to suffer,” Phinney said.
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