{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where party = \"Democrat\", state = \"ME\" and year = 2018 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/sens-collins-king-and-rep-pingree-announce-contract-award-build", "Sens. Collins, King and Rep. Pingree Announce Contract Award to Build Additional Destroyer at Bath Iron Works", "2018-12-21", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.  U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representative Chellie Pingree announced today that the Navy is exercising its option under the fiscal years (FY) 2018-2022 multiyear procurement contract awarded in September to build an additional DDG-51 destroyer at Bath Iron Works (BIW) for $910,723,811. This FY 2019 option ship is in addition to four ships the Navy awarded the shipyard under the multiyear contract. U.S. Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer called Senators Collins and King and Representative Pingree to inform them of the award.  \n\t  \n\tThe Navy's decision to build an additional DDG-51 at BIW is great news for the hardworking men and women at the shipyard. They can now spend the holidays with their families knowing that this additional ship will help keep the workload stable in the months and years ahead, said Senators Collins and King and Representative Pingree in a joint statement. The Navy's latest contract decision is a testament to the quality work being done at BIW to produce the backbone of today's Navy. We are extremely proud to represent the best shipbuilders in the world right here in Maine and work together to support them in Congress.\"  \n\t  \n\tIn addition to the five DDG-51s already funded in FY 2018 and FY 2019, the delegation will seek to ensure that Congress provides the necessary funding and statutory authority for the Navy to procure the six additional DDG-51s called for under the multiyear contract and up to three additional option ships.  \n\t  \n\tSenator Collins is a senior member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator King is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Representative Pingree is a member of the House Appropriations Committee. In September, Senators Collins and King both advocated for the passage of the FY 2019 Defense Appropriations bill, which included funding for three Arleigh Burke-class destroyers in FY 2019, while also including $250 million in advanced procurement funding for an additional destroyer in FY 2020. The legislation was signed into law.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/statement-looming-trump-shutdown", "Statement on Looming Trump Shutdown", "2018-12-21", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) released the following statement regarding the looming federal government shutdown that President Trump has welcomed despite its impact on the nation's federal workforce:\n\"Since June, seven bills that were deliberated and approved by Republicans and Democrats on the House Appropriations Committee to fund the government have been waiting for a vote. Inexplicably, Republican leadership has refused to pass these bipartisan measures. Instead, in his final act as Speaker, Paul Ryan has shown complete disregard for federal workers, many of whom must work over the holidays without a guaranteed paycheck, and is allowing the government to teeter on the verge of a shutdown to appease President Trump.  \n\t  \n\t\"In the past week, our nation has been rocked by President Trump's chaotic Administration. We've seen two of his cabinet secretaries abruptly resign; he's flippantly changed our foreign policy course in Syria via tweet; he's considered an Attorney General candidate who's openly admitted that he'd undermine the Mueller Investigation; and he's welcomed a shutdown just days before Christmas.  \n\t  \n\tCongress needs to work in the interest of the country and keep the government open. Americans are counting on us to provide stability and reassurance in the face of the Trump administration's chaos.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/house-democrats-introduce-bill-stop-research-agency-reorganization-and", "House Democrats Introduce Bill To Stop Research Agency Reorganization and Relocation", "2018-12-20", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) introduced HR 7330, the Agriculture Research Integrity Act today to block the reorganization and relocation of federal agriculture research agencies. The bill is cosponsored by Reps. Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA), Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT), Marcia L. Fudge (D-OH), Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Ann McLane Kuster (D-NH), James P. McGovern(D-MA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), and Mark Pocan (D-WI).\nUSDA Secretary Sonny Perdue has proposed moving the National Institutes of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and Economic Research Service (ERS) out of the Washington, D.C., area, in addition to shifting authority of ERS from the Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics to the Office of the Secretary.\nHR 7330, The Agriculture Research Integrity Act (ARIA), would both require the USDA to keep the agencies within the capital area and keep ERS within the purview of the Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics so it can remain free of politicization. Bill text available here.\nThe National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the Economic Research Service are already doing great work to support American farmers and consumers right where they are. Uprooting these key agencies is absolutely unnecessary and risks weakening them when our nation's food system and agricultural economy need them most, Congresswoman Pingree said. My colleagues and I have repeatedly sent this message to the Secretary. Since he's forging ahead regardless of our feedbackor the concerns of the nation's agriculture research scientiststhis bill is a necessary step. \nAll Democratic members of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture have signed onto the billReps. Bishop, DeLauro, Pingree, and Pocanas well as House Agriculture Committee members Reps. Fudge, Kuster, McGovern, and Panetta. Reps. Hoyer and Norton represent constituents in the capital area.  \n\t  \n\tI am pleased to join my colleagues in introducing legislation that would ensure the National Institute of Food and Agriculture and Economic Research Service can continue to effectively carry out their vital research missions, said Congressman Bishop. NIFA and ERS work closely with research institutions around the country and collaborate with numerous other federal agencies in the Washington, D.C. area. Abruptly relocating these agencies and politicizing their leadership will disrupt the important work they are doing, and could cause an unnecessary loss in valuable expertise through staffing losses. None of this would be helpful at a time when our farmers are facing retaliatory tariffs and years of declining commodity prices.\nThe proposal to move the Economic Research Service and National Institute of Food and Agriculture is yet another attack on science by the Trump Administration, said Congresswoman DeLauro. For years, both agencies have been invaluable resources on research and support for the food and agricultural community. This shocking proposed moveincluding the sham application process for the relocation of ERS and NIFAthreatens to politicize these agencies and undermines their ability to carry out their important missions. Congress must step up and pass this bill to prevent the Trump Administration from evading Congressional oversight authority.\nThe Economic Research Service and National Institute of Food and Agriculture generate vital information that assists farmers across America, said Congressman McGovern (D-MA). It's deeply concerning to me that the Department of Agriculture's proposed restructuring and relocation of these agencies could have a dramatic impact on their effectivenessand appears to overstep the authority granted to the USDA by Congress.\nIn the face of rising economic and environmental challenges the nation must be able to rely on sound, objective agricultural research to address these concerns, said Congresswoman Fudge. Keeping both agencies in place and the Economic Research Service free from political influence will ensure just that.\nThe proposed relocation of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture is unnecessary and could disrupt the critical research and program development that is currently taking place, said Rep. Kuster. This attempt to downsize the important role of NIFA and the Economic Research Service will hamstring our nation's ability to conduct cutting-edge research at a time when American agriculture must accelerate productivity.\nThe Economic Research Service and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture provide producers, policymakers, and academic institutions valuable data and programmatic support, said Congressman Panetta. Plans to dislocate them from key federal partners is a disservice to those requiring timely, impartial information. The Administration should strengthen budgets and address staffing shortages within these agencies, not force disruptive relocations and reorganizations.\nRelocating the Economic Research Service and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture would be extremely disruptive to the mission of the USDA and impact hundreds of federal employees, said Congressman Hoyer. I join in thanking Congresswoman Pingree for introducing this important legislation.\nThe Trump administration's proposal to reorganize and relocate two USDA agencies would threaten their independence and hinder their mission to provide critical research, said Congresswoman Norton. The Trump administration bypassed normal procedures and ignored required considerations when announcing these moves. These agencies should stay in the National Capital Region, where they belong, so federal researchers can continue to do their jobs.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-calls-usda-s-gmo-label-deceptive", "Pingree Calls USDAs GMO Label Deceptive", "2018-12-20", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) released the following statement on USDA's final standard for labeling genetically modified (GMO) food. The agency plans to use the lesser-known term Bioengineered while using a label that avoids any reference to artificial genetic alteration.\nThe USDA's plan for labeling genetically modified food is an insult to consumers. What people across the country have asked forand what Congress has passedis more information and transparency about the food on the nation's shelves. What USDA has produced is a marketing campaign aimed at putting a positive spin on GMO food. These labels should give people the facts of whether ingredients in their food have been genetically altered, plain and simple. It seems like USDA is trying to paper over those facts here. In the coming Congress, I will be working on the House Appropriations Committee to push against this deceptive campaign.\nPingree is a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, which oversees funding for USDA.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/video-pingree-highlights-funding-opportunity-expand-rural-broadband", "VIDEO: Pingree Highlights Funding Opportunity to Expand Rural Broadband in Maine", "2018-12-19", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Brunswick, MaineThis morning, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) held a press conference at CEI in Brunswick to raise awareness of the USDA ReConnect Program, a new package of grants and loans to improve Internet speeds in rural areas. Along with stakeholders in attendance, Pingree discussed the problems that slow Internet in parts of Maine creates for those who live and work there, and possibilities for how funding could be used.\nFor too many Mainers, the information superhighway looks more like a narrow dirt road riddled with potholes. This is more than just an inconvenience for themit's a severe handicap. If we can't bring their Internet speeds up quickly, our rural communities and businesses are simply going to get left behind in today's economy, Pingree said in a statement. This funding is a positive first step to addressing a key need in rural America, which is why I have been proud to advocate for it on the House Appropriations Committee. The clear level of need in many parts of Maine makes them great candidates for funding. I hope many apply and want them to know my office is prepared to help however it can.\nMaine consistently ranks among the slowest in the country for broadband speed, with an overall average of 23.8 mbps and much lower speeds in many areas of the state.\nAs a member of the Rural Broadband Caucus, Congresswoman Pingree has supported legislation to increase broadband investment and has advocated for it on the House Appropriations Committee.\n Local Stakeholder Statements \nBeing able to have access to good broadband is so important for communities. The ReConnect program can be a big boost for those rural communities working to make it so their citizens have the same opportunities to connect as Maine's urban areas, said Peggy Schaffer of the Maine Broadband Coalition. Maine can ill afford to continue with this digital divide and we are excited that this new USDA program can help provide a boost for communities to connect to the 21 century.\nMaine has about 40,000 households that we believe meet the USDA ReConnect Program's eligibility criteria, said Heather Johnson, Director of ConnectME. The combination of grant and loan funding will help our communities and their broadband service providers expand access to the extent that Maine is successful with the competitive process.\nThe Telecommunications Association of Maine (TAM) supports the efforts of the USDA and Rural Utilities Service to bring high speed broadband to rural Maine. TAM's members are all rural broadband providers and we are eager to work with communities to develop the ubiquitous high speed broadband networks necessary to provide economic opportunities and social benefits to the rural areas of the state, said Ben Sanford, Executive Director of Telecommunications Association of Maine. Additional federal support can help change the economic viability of a rural project, and we hope that the ReConnect program will spur meaningful advances in broadband access for rural communities throughout Maine.\n About the USDA ReConnect Program \nBusinesses, non-profits organizations, cooperatives, local governments, and tribes may apply for funding through USDA's new ReConnect Program to connect rural areas that currently have insufficient broadband service.\nUSDA will make available approximately $200 million for grants (applications due to USDA by April 29), as well as $200 million for loan and grant combinations (applications due May 29), and $200 million for low-interest loans (applications due by June 28).\nProjects funded through this initiative must serve communities with fewer than 20,000 people with no broadband service or where service is slower than 10 megabits per second (mbps) download and 1 mbps upload.\nApproved projects must create access speeds of at least 25 mbps upload and 3 mbps download. Priority will be awarded for projects that propose to deliver higher-capacity connections to rural homes, businesses and farms. USDA seeks to stretch these funds as far as possible by leveraging existing networks and systems without overbuilding existing services greater than 10/1 mpbs.\nFull details on the program are available at https://reconnect.usda.gov/s/", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/statement-judge-s-ruling-gop-lawsuit-against-affordable-care-act", "Statement on Judges Ruling in GOP Lawsuit Against Affordable Care Act", "2018-12-15", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "PORTLAND, MAINE Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) released the following statement regarding a U.S. district judge's ruling in Texas v. US, a Republican lawsuit seeking to strike down key provisions of the Affordable Care Act:  \n\t  \n\t\"In one fell swoop, days before Christmas, a single partisan judge's decision could strip health care access from millions of Americans. If Texas v. US is allowed to stand, it would eliminate fundamental consumer protections for tens of thousands of Mainers, including for those with preexisting conditions, threaten Medicaid expansion, and eliminate many cost saving initiatives that benefit seniors. Republicans have attempted to repeal the ACA in Congress dozens of times. As they've been unsuccessful in ripping health care from millions through the legislative process, they've turned to the courts to accomplish their goal. This absurd ruling will be appealed, and in the meantime, I want to reassure Mainers relying on the ACA's protections that their 2019 health insurance plans will proceed as expected. The midterm elections were an overwhelming affirmation that Americans want affordable healthcare and the incoming Democratic House will do everything in our power to ensure affordable health care for all.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-encourages-maine-communities-apply-new-broadband-program", "Pingree Encourages Maine Communities to Apply for New Broadband Program", "2018-12-14", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Portland, MaineCongresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) today encouraged Maine communities to apply for a new USDA program providing loans and grants to improve rural broadband access.\nSlow internet in so many Maine towns is more than just an inconvenience for the people who live thereit's a severe handicap. If we can't bring their Internet speeds up quickly, our rural communities and businesses are simply going to get left behind in today's economy, Pingree said. This funding is a positive first step to addressing a key need in rural America, which is why I have been proud to advocate for it on the House Appropriations Committee. The clear level of need in many parts of Maine makes them great candidates for funding. I hope many apply and want them to know my office is prepared to help however it can.\nPingree is a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, which appropriated the $600 million for the USDA ReConnect Program. She is also a member of the Rural Broadband caucus and has cosponsored many bills to support expansion of rural broadband.\nDetails on the Application Process provided by USDA Rural Development\nTelecommunications companies, rural electric cooperatives and utilities, internet service providers and municipalities may apply for funding through USDA's new ReConnect Program to connect rural areas that currently have insufficient broadband service.\nUSDA will make available approximately $200 million for grants (applications due to USDA by April 29), as well as $200 million for loan and grant combinations (applications due May 29), and $200 million for low-interest loans (applications due by June 28).\nProjects funded through this initiative must serve communities with fewer than 20,000 people with no broadband service or where service is slower than 10 megabits per second (mbps) download and 1 mbps upload.\nApproved projects must create access speeds of at least 25 mbps upload and 3 mbps download. Priority will be awarded for projects that propose to deliver higher-capacity connections to rural homes, businesses and farms. USDA seeks to stretch these funds as far as possible by leveraging existing networks and systems without overbuilding existing services greater than 10/1 mpbs.\nFull details on the program are available at https://reconnect.usda.gov/s/.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-scores-major-wins-local-and-organic-farming-food-waste-farm-bill", "Pingree Scores Major Wins for Local and Organic Farming, Food Waste in Farm Bill", "2018-12-11", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.Congresswoman Chellie Pingree is announcing her support for the 2018 Farm Bill released today and negotiated by the House and Senate Agriculture Committees. The legislation contains numerous provisions that Pingree introduced and fought for to support farmers serving organic and local markets, and to reduce food waste.  \n\t  \n\tShe released the following statement on the bill:\nTwo of the brightest spots in agriculture right now are the growing markets for locally sourced and organic food. Maine is a great example of how these trends are driving economic growth in rural communities that need it and inspiring a new generation of farmers.  \n\t  \n\tThe Farm Bill released this week takes a number of significant steps to better support these key areas of agriculture. I'm proud that it contains several provisions I worked with Maine and national stakeholders to introduce, such as strengthening farmer access to local and regional markets, more than doubling funding for organic research, and advancing steps to reduce food waste. And I'm excited that this legislation includes funding for a new produce prescription program that will allow us to test this innovative food-is-medicine strategy and improve health outcomes, especially among low-income families.  \n\t  \n\tThis bill is far from perfectfor one, it is a missed opportunity to reform the billions of dollars we spend on lopsided subsidies. I will continue pushing to get those much-needed reforms in the next Farm Bill. But I'm relieved that we were able to strip the worst partisan provisions from the legislation, such as denying food assistance to 2 million Americans through burdensome work requirements, weakening environmental protections, and nullifying local authority with the King Amendment. These are major victories for the American people. On the whole, I think the bill will serve Maine families and rural communities well over the next five yearsand in particular will help our farmers take advantage of the opportunities before them.\n Pingree Wins Included in Bill \nThe following are provisions from three bills that Pingree wrote, introduced in the House, and worked to ensure companion legislation was sponsored in the Senatethe Organic Agriculture Research Act, the Local FARMS Act, and the Food Recovery Act. (More info on these bills available at www.pingree.house.gov/food.\n Increasing Access to Healthy Foods: Creates a national produce prescription pilot program to implement and test the use of produce prescriptions to increase access to healthy food for low-income families.\n\t\t\n\tStrengthening Local Agriculture Programs: Creates the new Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP), consolidating several existing grant programs frequently used by small farmers, (such as Value Added Producer Grants and the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Programs) and starting a new program to assist farmers with the costs of complying with federal food safety regulations. Importantly, the programs within LAMP would receive a total $50 million of mandatory funding per yearthe first time these programs have received permanent fundingand are authorized to receive an additional $20 million of appropriated funding\n\t\t\n\tExpanding Organic Research: Scaling up annual funding for the Organic Research and Extension Initiative from $20 million in FY2019/20, to $25 million in FY2021, to $30 million in FY2022, to $50 million in FY23.\n\t\t\n\tReducing Food Waste: Bill establishes first-ever Food Loss and Waste Reduction Liaison at USDA and commissions food waste studyincluding the evaluating the effectiveness of existing food donation liability protectionsamong other food recovery initiatives.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/video-house-passes-legislation-containing-pingree-provision-help", "VIDEO: House Passes Legislation Containing Pingree Provision to Help Veterans Blindsided by Debt", "2018-12-11", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.Legislative efforts by Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) to help veterans blindsided by debt to the Department of Veterans Affairs cleared a major hurdle last night, passing the House within a broader piece of veterans legislation, S. 2248. The bill now goes on to the Senate, where it is likely to pass as the result of a pre-negotiated deal between the House and Senate veterans committees.\nDuring debate on the bill yesterday, Pingree spoke in support of the legislation and her provision.\nBecause of failure to notify, or confusingly-worded letters, many veterans in Maine and elsewhere are shocked to learn they owe debts and have missed deadlines to dispute or seek forgiveness for the alleged debt. This legislation improves the way that veterans are notified about debts that they may owe from a VA benefits program, Pingree said in her floor speech. The bill directs the VA to work with veterans service organizations to develop standard notification notices written in plain language and allows veterans to receive notices electronically. To promote accountability, the bill also requires the VA to report to Congress on the new standard, and on the VA's efforts to reduce the number of errors in its debt notification system.\nPingree's full remarks are below.\n BACKGROUND ON PINGREE'S LEGISLATION \nPingree's office has worked with multiple Maine veterans who were inadequately alerted to money they owed the VA, finding out only after it was too late to for them to take action to address it.\nAs a result, Pingree introduced the Veterans Fair Debt Notice Act, which the House unanimously passed in November 2017. The legislation mandates that the VA work with veteran service organizations to develop plain language debt notifications that clearly outline a veteran's options, and that veterans are given the option of receiving electronic notifications in addition to mailed copies.\nAfter Pingree's bill was passed in the House, Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) introduced a companion bill that also included language requiring the VA to report to Congress on how many veterans are not receiving debt notifications and how the process can be improved.\nVeterans Committees on both the House and Senate sides have recently negotiated a package of veterans legislation that includes the debt language among other provisions. It now returns to the Senate for final passage.\n TEXT OF PINGREE'S FLOOR SPEECH, AS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY \nI rise in support of the Veterans Benefit and Transition Act of 2018. It's always a good feeling to be able to speak for common sense legislation put together in a bipartisan fashion for the good of America's veterans,\nIn particular, I welcome inclusion of section 504, the Veterans Fair Debt Notice Act I introduced last year in response to frustrations veterans experienced with the VA's debt management system. It incorporates refinements made in the Senate companion bill, introduced by Senator Deb Fischer, demonstrating the bipartisan nature of this effort.\nBecause of failure to notify, or confusingly-worded letters, many veterans in Maine and elsewhere are shocked to learn they owe debts and have missed deadlines to dispute or seek forgiveness for the alleged debt. This legislation improves the way that veterans are notified about debts that they may owe from a VA benefits program.\nThe bill directs the VA to work with veterans service organizations to develop standard notification notices written in plain language and allows veterans to receive notices electronically.\nTo promote accountability, the bill also requires the VA to report to Congress on the new standard, and on the VA's efforts to reduce the number of errors in its debt notification system.\nI thank Chairmen Roe and Ranking Member Walz for their work and support, and urge passage.\nThank you.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-submits-comments-opposing-federal-rule-would-hurt-immigrant", "Pingree Submits Comments Opposing Federal Rule That Would Hurt Immigrant Families", "2018-12-10", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) has submitted official comments opposing the Trump administration's proposed public charge rule. Today is the last day to submit public comments on the proposal, which would impose new obstacles on those who wish to come to the United States legally or seek legal permanent resident, so-called green card, status.  \n\t  \n\tThe proposed rule unnecessarily overturns decades of settled policy, allows for inconsistent and arbitrary discretionary decision-making, and is unduly burdensome, while aiming to solve a nonexistent problem. It impermissibly changes the standard of likely to become a public charge' from reliance on public benefits in order to subsist, to the supplemental use of public benefits common in working poor' households across the U.S. because their employment fails to provide a living wage or employee benefits such as health insurance, Pingree wrote in her comments. The proposed rule makes fundamental changes to our nation's immigration system without involving Congress, and undermines our nation's values. The rule should be withdrawn in its entirety.  \n\t\n  \n\tCurrent law already requires qualifying immigrants to meet a common sense test to ensure they would not become a financial burden on the public under a change in status. The Trump administration would add more programs to this test, raising the barrier to legal immigration and causing harm to tax-paying immigrant families by causing them to avoid health care and nutrition services for fear of jeopardizing their green card application.  \n\t  \n\tPingree has also cosponsored legislation introduced by Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) to block implementation of the rule.  \n\t  \n\tThe proposed rule and link to comment are available here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/waterville-receives-73-million-federal-transportation-grant", "Waterville Receives $7.3 million Federal Transportation Grant", "2018-12-06", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Waterville, MaineCongresswoman Chellie Pingree announced today that the City of Waterville will receive a Department of Transportation BUILD grant for a total of $7,371,200 to make a number of improvements to its downtown streets and traffic pattern.\nSome fantastic things have been happening in Waterville's downtown over the last few yearsnew businesses, redevelopment, investment, and a resurgence of the arts, to name a few. Bringing the city's traffic flow and infrastructure up to date is key to keeping up the momentum, Pingree. This grant will fund significant changes to decrease congestion, improve safety, and increase access for pedestrians. I'm excited to see this highly anticipated project come to fruition.\nThe project will convert two downtown streets from single-direction traffic to two-way traffic, improve five intersections, and reconstruct sidewalks and major public spaces to promote accessibility and walkability throughout the downtown.\nPingree submitted a letter in support of the city's application for the grant.\nIn October, Pingree held a roundtable with stakeholders from Waterville's arts community and took a walking tour of downtown redevelopment. She has a District Office in downtown Waterville on Silver Street.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congresswoman-chellie-pingree-nominates-19-maine-students-united-states", "Congresswoman Chellie Pingree nominates 19 Maine students to United States Service Academies", "2018-12-04", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Portland, MaineCongresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) has announced her office's nominees to the United States Service Academiesthe U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, U.S. Military Academy at West Point, U.S. Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, New York. To be considered for an appointment to a service academy, applicants must be nominated by an authorized nominating source, which includes Members of Congress.  \n\t  \n\tThis group represents some of Maine's best and brightest. They have all demonstrated exceptional leadership, high academic standards, and a passion for helping others, said Pingree. Whatever happens from here, they should all be proud of themselves. We are lucky that they have chosen to offer their talents in service to the country, and it's an honor to nominate them.  \n\t  \n\tThe nominees were interviewed by a panel of six on their academic record, test scores, leadership ability, involvement in extra-curricular activities, and exemplified commitment to serving their country.  \n\t  \n\tPingree nominated several students to more than one academy. The full list of nominations is below.  \n\t  United States Naval Academy  Annapolis  \n\tWilliam Cleaves, Windham, Windham Christian Academy  \n\tWilliam Curtis, Brunswick, Brunswick High School  \n\tDante DeLorenzo, Kennebunk, Kennebunk High School  \n\tTristan Denholm, Kittery Point, R.W. Traip Academy  \n\tJ. Edward Huffard, Cape Elizabeth, Cape Elizabeth High School  \n\tCaroline Leal, York, York High School  \n\tMichael Manetti, Freeport, Cheverus High School  \n\tKara Murray, Yarmouth, Yarmouth High School    \n\tMorgan Sharp, Kennebunkport, Kennebunk High School  \n\tJacob Witham, Winslow, Winslow High School  \n\tUnited States Military Academy  West Point  \n\tRyan Fitzmaurice, Bath, Maine School of Science & Mathmatics  \n\tLuke Hill, Portland, Deering High School  \n\tCaroline Leal, York, York High School  \n\tMichael Manetti, Freeport, Cheverus High School  \n\tKara Murray, Yarmouth, Yarmouth High School  \n\tEric Quirk, Scarborough, New Mexico Military Institute, Scarborough High School (prior)  \n\tCaleb Richardson, Augusta, Cony High School  \n\t  United States Air Force Academy  Colorado Springs  \n\tWilliam Curtis, Brunswick, Brunswick High School  \n\tTristan Denholm, Kittery Point, R.W. Traip Academy  \n\tAspen Dyer, North Berwick, Noble High School  \n\tCaroline Leal, York, York High School  \n\t  United States Merchant Marine Academy  Kings Point  \n\tLouis Daukas, Cape Elizabeth, Cape Elizabeth High School  \n\tJack Hermansen, Raymond, Windham High School  \n\tGeorge Holt, Cumberland, Baxter Academy for Technology & Science  \n\tJ. Edward Huffard, Cape Elizabeth, Cape Elizabeth High School  \n\tMorgan Sharp, Kennebunkport, Kennebunk High School  \n\tAidan Willitts, Cape Elizabeth, Cape Elizabeth High School", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/falmouth-student-wins-2018-congressional-app-challenge-maine-s-first", "Falmouth Student Wins 2018 Congressional App Challenge for Maines First District", "2018-12-04", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Portland, MaineCongresswoman Chellie Pingree announced today that Falmouth High School junior John Wahlig has won the 2018 Congressional App Challenge for Maine's 1st District. His submission, Midway, aims to bridge partisan divides by providing a platform for people of different political beliefs to discuss issues.\nIt's always exciting to see the innovative apps Maine students submit for this competition. Year after year, these apps have been impressive not only for their technical detail, but for the important problems students are trying to address with them, Pingree said. John Wahlig's submission this year is no exception. He has hit on a real need for a more productive political dialogue and did a great job building a venue for it to happen. Congratulations to him and my thanks to all who participated this year.\nIn his video submission,Wahlig spelled out the need for his app. Being taught to avoid talking about politics has led to a lack of understanding of politics. Rather, we should be taught how to have civil conversations about difficult issues. This message is of the utmost importance in today's America as citizens grow more politically divided every day thanks to online echo chambers and a refusal to hear from the other side, he said. The idea (of Midway) is simple: to provide a platform that helps those on opposing sides of the political aisle find common ground through meaningful discussion.\nThis is the second consecutive year Wahlig has submitted a winning app. He and partner, Pawan Yerramilli, won the 2017 Congressional App Challenge with a program to help diagnose concussions.\nThe Congressional App Challenge is a nationwide competitionMembers of Congress must choose to participate for students in their District to be eligible. Winning apps from each District will be displayed and recognized at an event in Washington, D.C. this spring. The Internet Education Foundation coordinates the competition.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-announces-30-million-federal-investments-improve-wastewater", "Rockland and Bridgton to Receive $30 Million Federal Investments to Improve Wastewater Systems", "2018-12-04", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Portland, MaineCongresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) announced today that two communities in her DistrictBridgton and Rocklandwill receive a total of $30 million in grants and loans to make critical improvements to their wastewater systems. Funding comes from the USDA Rural Development Water and Waste Disposal Loans and Grants Program, which Pingree has defended in Congress.\nHaving good systems in place to collect and treat wastewater so it doesn't create environmental issues is crucial to the health of any community. But maintaining and updating these systems is costly for towns, said Pingree. This significant investment from USDA Rural Development will allow these communities to make critical fixes to their wastewater infrastructure without breaking local budgets. I've been proud to advocate on the Appropriations Committee for the combination of federal grants and loans that help projects like these move forward.\nIn previous budget proposals, the Trump Administration has recommended eliminating Water and Waste Disposal Grants while leaving the loan program in place. Pingree has fought successfully on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture to restore funding for the grant program.\n Project Amounts and Summaries from USDA Rural Development \n City of Rockland has been selected to receive a total of $10,000,000 ($8,028,000 loan/$1,972,000 grant). This Rural Development investment will be used to rehabilitate the city of Rockland, Maine's, wastewater treatment facility, upgrade some aging sewer collection infrastructure, and correct some Combined Sewer Overflow abatement issues. The proposed project will focus on the wastewater system as it is in need of immediate upgrades. Some of the plant's original equipment and processes are upwards of forty years old, and the overall facility is well beyond the twenty-year useful life for which it was originally designed. The rehabilitation improvements address the aging infrastructure and capacity issues in the project area, as well as restore the design capacity of the facility at a reasonable cost. The proposed upgrades will help the system operate more effectively and efficiently. The upgrades included in this project will have the greatest benefit to the distribution system, which serves 2,943 users.\n\tTown of Bridgton has been selected to receive a total of $20,437,000 ($10,437,000 loan/ $10,000,000 grant). This Rural Development investment will be used to rehabilitate the Town of Bridgton's wastewater treatment system. The proposed project is to construct a new wastewater treatment facility, upgrade some aging sewer collection infrastructure, and to expand the system which will enable additional users in the greater downtown area to have access to public wastewater services. The expansion portion of the project is expected to add 448 new users, increasing the total number of users on the system from 207 to 655. The proposed project will focus on the wastewater system/facility as it is in need of immediate upgrades. Some of the plant's original equipment and processes are upwards of thirty-five years old, and the overall facility is well beyond the twenty-year useful life for which it was originally designed. Several key unit processes at the plant are inefficient, inadequate, or obsolete. The rehabilitation improvements address the aging infrastructure and capacity issues in the project area, as well as restore the design capacity of the facility at a reasonable cost. The proposed upgrades will help the system operate more effectively and efficiently. Additional funding includes $2,000,000 from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and $443,000 from the Town of Bridgton.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-nafta-20-must-safeguard-american-jobs-outsourcing-address", "Pingree: NAFTA 2.0 Must Safeguard American Jobs from Outsourcing, Address Climate Change", "2018-11-29", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON,D.C.Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) released the following statement regarding the new North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) which President Trump is expected to sign tomorrow at the G-20 summit in Argentina:  \n\t  \n\tWhen President Trump first announced his intent to renegotiate NAFTA, I was hopeful that we could get a better deal for American workers. Sadly, once again, he has overpromised. His NAFTA 2.0 plan does nothing to enforce or improve labor standards.  \n\t  \n\tIf President Trump's NAFTA plan does not include penalties for outsourcing, corporations will continue to send jobs to Mexico, pay those workers poverty wages and flood our market with cheaply-produced goods made elsewhere.  \n\t  \n\tIt's outrageous that one week after 13 federal agencies issued a report warning of the dire effects of climate change, this plan doesn't even mention efforts to reduce greenhouse gases, hold polluters accountable or invest in renewable energy.  \n\t  \n\tI am disappointed to see more sweeteners for big Pharma in President Trump's new NAFTA deal. At a time when drug companies are raising prices and making record profits after receiving a multi-billion dollar tax cut, this deal inexplicably extends market exclusivity for drug companies. This will stifle generic competition and undercut efforts to help working Americans who cannot afford to pay more for medicine.  \n\t  \n\tI hope the Trump administration will work with Congress to address these significant issues and support American workers, as he's long promised to do.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/maine-seaweed-company-lands-600000-grant-execute-innovative-idea", "Maine Seaweed Company Lands $600,000 Grant to Execute Innovative Idea for Industry Growth: Bringing Seaweed to the Bread Aisle", "2018-11-28", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Portland, MaineCongresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) announced today that Buxton-based VitaminSea would receive a $600,000 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) USDA grant to further develop SeaKelp+, a kelp-based additive for bread.\nSome of the most exciting things about Maine aquaculture right now are consumers' growing awareness of seaweed's nutritional benefits and the innovative products local businesses are making with it. VitaminSea's efforts to develop a kelp-based bread additive has huge potential for growing not just their business, but the state's seaweed aquaculture as a whole, Pingree said. I'm excited that all the work this business has put into proving the concept's potential has led to this significant federal investment to put their plan into motion.\nVitaminSea received a SBIR Phase I grant in 2017 to prove the feasibility of adding kelp to bread and find that the costs would be not be prohibitive to bakeries that sought to use it in their products. The Phase II grant will allow the company to develop a prototype and partner with bakeries to develop their own recipes, and conduct market testing.\nPingree wrote a letter of support for the grant application. She is a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee for Agriculture, which oversees discretionary spending for the USDA.\nMore information on the grant proposal is available here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-announces-support-ocasio-cortez-s-green-new-deal-resolution", "Pingree Announces Support for Ocasio-Cortezs Green New Deal Resolution", "2018-11-27", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  On the heels of a federal report finding that climate change has had an outsize impact on New England, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today announced her support for The Green New Deal, a legislative blueprint proposed by Congresswoman-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition the nation to renewable energy sources within ten years. Pingree is the 15th House lawmaker to back Ocasio-Cortez's Green New Deal resolution.  \n\t  \n\tWe don't need another report to tell us climate change is a threat to our health, environment and economy. We must take urgent action to end our nation's reliance on fossil fuels and stop the damage greenhouse gases have done to our way of life. The Green New Deal is an important blueprint for us to fight this crisis on all fronts. Congress should not leave any thoughtful climate change solution unexplored, said Congresswoman Pingree.  \n\t  \n\tThe Green New Deal is an economic stimulus package aimed at mitigating climate change. It seeks to create green jobs by shifting the nation's energy use to fossil fuel alternatives within ten years of its passage. The resolution would also create a select House committee to focus exclusively on climate change solutions. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has also called for a select committee on climate change, which Pingree also supports.  \n\t  \n\tLook no further than Maine's lobster industry to see the looming economic crisis facing our state due to rapidly warming waters. Meanwhile rates of asthma and tick-borne illness in Maine have dramatically spiked because of fossil fuel emissions and rising temperatures, said Pingree. I see the crisis of climate change every day in my state and believe a new committee dedicated exclusively to this crisis can support the long-standing work of other House committees and help to fast-track solutions.  \n\t  \n\tLast Friday, 13 federal agencies released a long-awaited report on climate change which found that the Northeast is warming faster than the rest of the nation and rising temperatures in the Gulf of Maine will result in devastating economic consequences. Last month, the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recommended greenhouse gases be slashed by almost half by 2030 to avoid catastrophic effects of climate change.\n BACKGROUND \nFor the past six years, Pingree has served on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and the Environment. In her committee role, she has been an unrelenting advocate for renewable energy and legislative strategies to stop climate change. With Democrats in control, Pingree expects her committee will aggressively push back on the Trump administration's climate change denials and roll backs of vital environmental protections. It will also be the key committee to support funding for a green jobs agenda.  \n\t  \n\tAs a longtime organic farmer and member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Pingree has also worked to address climate change's impact on the rising cost of food production and distribution.  \n\t  \n\tRead Pingree's recent op-ed, Congress must face the unassailable reality of climate change published in the Portland Press Herald.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-thanks-coast-guard-courageous-rescue-four-maine-fishermen", "Pingree Thanks Coast Guard for Courageous Rescue of Four Maine Fishermen", "2018-11-14", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Portland, MaineCongresswoman Chellie Pingree released the following statement after the Coast Guard briefed her office on successfully rescuing the four-member crew of the Portland-based fishing vessel Aaron & Melissa II this morning.  \n\t  \n\tI am so grateful that these four Maine fishermen will be able to go home safely, both because of their own actions and a courageous Coast Guard rescue. The ocean is a dangerous place to make a living, as thousands of Mainers do every day. We are blessed to have the amazing men and women of the Coast Guard who routinely put themselves in harm's way to answer the call when in need.  \n\t  \n\tThe crew was forced to don survival suits and board a life raft after their vessel began taking on water in rough seas 50 miles south of Rockland. Once finding the raft, a Coast Guard helicopter crew deployed a swimmer and hoisted the fishermen to safety under very challenging conditions. A fixed wing aircraft, ship, and two rescue boats were also en route to the scene before the crew was rescued.\nThe Northeast Coast Guard District posted a picture of the responding crews and rescued fishermen on its Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CGAIRSTACapeCod/photos/a.172671489597649/923604141171043/?type=3&theater", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-lepage-drop-lawsuit-revoking-patient-pre-existing-condition", "Pingree to LePage: Drop Lawsuit Revoking Patient Pre-Existing Condition Protections", "2018-11-01", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "MAINE This week, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) led 45 Members of Congress in writing to Governor Paul LePage and urging him to drop his support for Texas, et al v. U.S., et al. LePage is one of two Republican Governors and 18 Republican State Attorneys General who have backed a federal lawsuit to nullify protections for Americans with pre-existing conditions under the Affordable Care Act.\nPingree's member letter to LePage was sent today along with others to 18 Republican State Attorneys General and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, who are also backing the Texas, et al v. U.S. lawsuit.  \n\t  \n\tThe text of the letter to Governor LePage is below and a signed copy can be found here.\nOctober 30, 2018\nThe Honorable Paul R. LePage  \n\tOffice of the Governor  \n\t#1 State House Station  \n\tAugusta, ME 04333-0001\nDear Governor LePage:\nPresident Trump recently tweeted, All Republicans support people with pre-existing conditions, and if they don't, they will after I speak to them. I am in total support. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said, There's nobody in the Senate that I'm familiar with who is not in favor of coverage of preexisting conditions. President Trump and Leader McConnell are clearly responding to the national sentiment that recognizes the importance of these protections. According to a recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll, 75 percent of Americans say it is very important to prevent insurance companies from denying coverage based on a person's medical history.\nAccording to the Department of Health and Human Services, as many as 133 million Americans under the age of 65 have a pre-existing health condition that would lead to a denial of insurance coverage, or coverage only at an exorbitant price. Allowing discrimination based on pre-existing conditions will be devastating to those living with chronic health challenges like asthma, diabetes, or cancer, and drive up costs for working families, small businesses, and entrepreneurs. Given that national Republican leadership is claiming to defend pre-existing conditions protections, we expect that you will immediately drop your lawsuit which, if successful, would nullify these protections.\nWe look forward to your response.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/blog-posts/arts-education-grant-announcement", "Arts Education Grant Announcement", "2018-10-30", "2018", "2018-10", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Joining SidexSide in Portland for an exciting federal grant announcement to support arts-based education in local schools.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/blog-posts/waterville-arts-tour", "Waterville Arts Tour", "2018-10-30", "2018", "2018-10", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Great morning spent in Waterville, talking with local organizations investing in the community's arts and creative economy. Amazing to see what's gone on here in last few years!", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/following-advocacy-maine-congressional-delegation-sanford-rug", "Following Advocacy from Maine Congressional Delegation, Sanford Rug Manufacturer is Victorious in Trade Zone Application", "2018-10-30", "2018", "2018-10", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.Maine's Congressional Delegation announced today that Sanford-based Flemish Master Weavers prevailed in its application for an exemption from a tariff on yarn it uses to manufacture area rugs in Maine. The ruling by the Foreign-Trade Zones (FTZ) Board helps to level the playing field for Flemish Master Weavers to compete against foreign competitors and places the company in a strong position for continued growth.  \n\t  \n\tU.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin strongly advocated for Flemish Master Weavers. In November 2016, they sent a letter to the FTZ Board calling for the approval of the company's application.  \n\t  \n\tAs one of Southern Maine's largest manufacturing employers, Flemish Master Weavers has a vital role in our state's economy and provides good jobs for Maine families, said Senators Collins and King and Representatives Pingree and Poliquin. We are pleased that, following our advocacy, Flemish Master Weavers will now be exempt from this harmful tariff. The approval of Flemish Master Weavers' application not only increases the company's competitiveness, but puts it on track to expand operations.  \n\t  \n\tJohan Moulin, the President of Flemish Master Weavers of Sanford, Maine, said, This Board approval of our application to keep rug production in Maine resulted from more than three years of intense work by our Senators and Representatives, the Governor, the City of Waterville, the Central Maine Growth Council, our attorney and consulting firm and many others. Senator Collins and Senator King were incredibly strong advocates for us at the Commerce Department in Washington. Governor LePage and Representatives Pingree and Poliquin helped us in working with the many government agencies and business groups that were instrumental in our ability to remedy, at least in large part, a major impediment to our continued growth. In this time of political division, all of them strove together to achieve a positive result for the people of Maine as well as for Flemish Master Weavers.  \n\t  \n\tFlemish Master Weavers manufactures machine-made woven area rugs and, as the smallest of only four such producers remaining in the United States, faces competition from foreign manufacturers who increasingly dominate the area rug market here at home. Flemish Master Weavers imports yarn that carries an 8.8 percent U.S. tariff. Despite being designed to protect U.S. businesses, that tariff put Flemish Master Weavers at a competitive disadvantage against the foreign competitors who enjoy duty-free access to the U.S. for the area rugs they manufacture abroad with identical yarn.  \n\t  \n\tFlemish Master Weavers has eleven high-speed looms and fully-automated packing and finishing operations. The company has indicated that it could potentially increase employment as part of a 72,000 square foot building expansion.  \n\t  \n\tThe foreign-trade zones program was authorized by Congress in 1934 and is used to support U.S. companies in competition with foreign alternatives by allowing delayed or reduced duty payments on foreign merchandise, as well as other savings. The FTZ Board licenses designated sites as foreign-trade zones.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/following-khashoggi-murder-pingree-backs-bipartisan-bill-ban-weapon", "Following Khashoggi Murder, Pingree Backs Bipartisan Bill to Ban Weapon Sales to Saudi Arabia", "2018-10-18", "2018", "2018-10", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.Seeking answers in the murder of Jamal Khassoggi, a writer and journalist who was detained and believed to be tortured and killed by the Saudi Arabian government, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) has cosponsored H.R. 7070, a bipartisan bill that would prohibit arms sales and security assistance to Saudi Arabia unless Secretary Pompeo certifies that the Saudi Arabian government did not order or direct the disappearance, imprisonment, or death of Jamal Khassoggi.\nThe Trump administration refuses to provide answers about the Saudi monarchy's involvement in the killing of Jamal Khashoggi so Congress must act to ensure the President's personal business interests have not overruled America's values and priorities. said Pingree. The Saudi monarchy is not our ally. They have conducted a brutal war in Yemen that has created a humanitarian catastrophe. They torture those who they believe to be dissidents, like Jamal Khassoggi, and treat women as second-class citizens. Rather than aid and abet this malign behavior, we should be reconsidering this relationship.\nIn addition to H.R. 7070, Pingree supports the effort by other Members of Congress to urge President Trump to invoke Global Magnitsky human rights sanctions authority against those responsible for Khashoggi's death, and has signed letters to the Administration demanding answers on whether the U.S. intercepted communications among Saudi officials discussing plans to detain Khashoggi and disclose what actions were taken to warn him of an attack.\nPingree has also been highly critical of Saudi complicity in Yemen's humanitarian catastrophe. Since 2016, she has voted for amendments, cosponsored legislation and signed letters to prevent U.S. forces from engaging in hostilities in Yemen, block the transfer of cluster munitions to Saudi Arabia and allow for access to humanitarian assistance.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-announces-over-2-million-agriculture-grants-maine", "Pingree Announces Over $2 million in Agriculture Grants for Maine", "2018-10-18", "2018", "2018-10", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Portland, MaineCongresswoman Chellie Pingree announced today that over $2 million in USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) grants will be awarded to the University of Maine and a Waterville small business to advance Maine's agricultural economy. FoodCorps, a program that offers food and agriculture education programs in several Maine communities, also received funding.\nThese grants will address key challenges in Maine organic farming, dairy processing, and food safety. I'm eager to see the tools and resources that will come out of these projects and the impact they will have on our agricultural economy, said Pingree. The bottom line is that this funding will help farmers across the state net more money from what they produce, which is why I have been a strong advocate for the USDA programs that have awarded it.\nThe University of Maine is receiving a $1,955,519 Organic Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) grant to help organic farmers improve strategies for managing weeds. (More information here.) Pingree has introduced a bipartisan bill to more than double annual funding for OREIHR 2436, the Organic Agriculture Research Act.\nThe University of Maine is also receiving a $73,219 Food Safety Outreach Program grant to find the most effective ways to deliver food safety training to Maine producers. (More information here.)\nAtlantic Corporation in Waterville will receive a $100,000 Small Business Innovation Research grant to test and develop resources for small and mid-size dairy farms to start their own small-scale pasteurization and milk processing lines. (More information here.) Pingree wrote a letter of support for this project for the benefits it could have on Maine's dairy industry, which is challenged by a limited number of processors.\nFoodCorps will receive $166,217 from the Nutrition and Agriculture Service Learning program to ramp up its food and education programs in Maine, Mississippi, and Oregon. (More information here.) Pingree was successful in getting funding for the service learning grants appropriated for the first time since it was authorized in the 2014 Farm Bill.\nIn Maine, FoodCorps service members have been vital to teaching students healthy eating habits, helping schools and organizations grow more of their own food, sharing local food options with New Mainers, and much more, said Pingree. FoodCorps members do a great job helping our communities make closer connections to the food they eat and I'm grateful that this grant will strengthen their presence.\nPingree is a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, which oversees discretionary funding for the USDA.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/job-shadowing-maine-principal", "PHOTOS: Job-Shadowing a Maine Principal", "2018-10-16", "2018", "2018-10", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "As part of National Principals Week, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree spent the morning following Westbrook High School Principal Kelli Deveaux to get a better idea of what the job is like and learn about Westbrook's challenges and opportunities.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/reps-pingree-jenkins-mcgovern-and-young-introduce-bipartisan-resolution", "Reps. Pingree, Jenkins, McGovern, and Young Introduce Bipartisan Resolution to Recognize World Food Day", "2018-10-15", "2018", "2018-10", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC  Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and David Young (R-Iowa)co-chairs of the House Food Waste Caucusas well as Lynn Jenkins (R-Kansas) and Jim McGovern (D-Mass.)co-chairs of the House Hunger Caucushave together introduced H.Res. 1113, a resolution in the House designating tomorrow, October 16, 2018, as World Food Day.\nEach year, the United States joins 130 other nations and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in celebrating World Food Day to promote global awareness and action for those who suffer from chronic hunger.\nHunger is as much a problem of access as it is of production. In many parts of the world, war, climate change, and natural disaster have seriously cut the food supply. But here in the United States we produce so much food that 40 percent of its goes to waste while 50 million Americans don't have reliable access to it, said Congresswoman Chellie Pingree. For the sake of the 1 in 5 children who are food insecure in my home state and the hundreds of millions of undernourished people around the globe, we must address both problems. I fully support the FAO's goal of zero hunger by 2030, and am proud to raise awareness of that worthy goal and World Food Day with this resolution.\nThe United States continues to be the leader in agricultural advancements, and I am proud of the great agricultural research produced in Kansas that furthers our nation's ability to be a global food producer, said Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins. Farmers and ranchers are key to bringing an end to global food shortages and preserving the lives of millions of people. Recognizing and raising awareness of October 16 as World Food Day is a great way to promote action to end hunger around the world.\nDespite how far we've come, there are hundreds of millions of people around the world who still wonder where their next meal will come from, said Congressman Jim McGovern. There's simply no excuse for the level of world hunger we currently see. We must continue the fight against food insecurity until everyone in the United States and around the world has access to the basic human right of adequate food. The U.S. and all other nations must also do more to effectively address the root causes driving the increase in global hunger  war, conflict, natural disaster and the changing climate. The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals include ending hunger by 2030. Solving hunger is possible in our lifetime  and I am proud to support World Food Day to raise awareness and support for this ambitious goal.\nWorld Food Day is a reminder that millions go hungry every day and that we must work together to ensure everyone has access to the food they need,' said Congressman David Young. \"With the global population expected to reach 10 billion by 2050, Iowans are stepping up to help underdeveloped nations by showing others how to grow nutritious food sustainably. I'm committed to raising awareness and advancing solutions to recognize how food waste undermines food security.\nThe United States and FAO share a vision for a hunger-free and healthy world that can be achieved together. The United States' robust partnership with FAO is essential to achieving global hunger targets, alleviating rural poverty, and provides an invaluable return on investment for the U.S., said Vimlendra Sharan, the Director of the FAO Liaison Office in North America said. We are grateful to see leaders in Congress continually fighting for policies that effectively reduce hunger; and today I am pleased to join these members in highlighting the everyday actions that Americans can take and continue to take in order to eradicate hunger.\nBackground on Global Hunger and World Food Day  \n\tAfter a period of decline, global hunger is on the rise again for the third year in a row. Today, over 821 million people  one out every nine people  suffer from chronic undernourishment, according to FAO's recent State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2018 report.\nProlonged conflict and extreme weather events are key driving factors reversing the progress made for over a decade. Additionally, many countries experience the double burden of hunger and obesity. Rapidly increasing obesity levels now affect one in eight adults or more than 672 million people in the world, according to FAO.\nWorld Food Day 2018 is an important opportunity to emphasize that hunger can be eradicated in our lifetime by working together. This year's theme calls for an increase in global action to achieve Zero hunger: Our actions are our future. A #ZeroHunger world by 2030 is possible.\nTo find out more ways you can take action to achieve a hunger-free world and celebrate World Food Day on October 16 and all year long, please visit http://www.fao.org/world-food-day.\nSenators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), John Boozman (R-Mont.), and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) are leading a similar resolution in the Senate.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/photos-post-911-veterans-roundtable", "PHOTOS: Post-9/11 Veterans Roundtable", "2018-10-12", "2018", "2018-10", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "On October 12, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree held a roundtable with a group of post-9/11 veterans to hear about the experiences of those who have recently made the transition backto civilian life and how we can better support them. The event was held a soon-to-open veteran-owned brewery in Freeport.\n  Brewery owner and Marine Corps veteransBrad Nadeau hopes to open the brewery on Veterans Day.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-moves-block-implementation-administration-s-latest-anti-legal", "Pingree Moves to Block Implementation of Administrations Latest Anti-Legal-Immigrant Proposal", "2018-10-10", "2018", "2018-10", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Portland, MaineCongresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) has cosponsored a bill introduced by Representative Judy Chu (D-CA) to block funding for implementation of the Trump Administration's proposed public charge rule.  \n\t  \n\tReleased today and open to public comment for the next 60 days, the rule would impose new obstacles on those who wish to come to our country legally or seek legal permanent resident (green card) status. Current law already requires such people to meet a common-sense test to ensure that they would not be a burden on the public under a change in status. The Trump Administration would add more programs to this test, raising the barrier to legal immigration and causing harm to tax-paying immigrant families by leading them to avoid health care and nutrition services if they fear it would jeopardize their green card application.  \n\t  \n\tThe Trump Administration's intent is clear: telling immigrants once again that they are not welcome in this country and making the path to citizenship as hard as possible. This rule will lead many immigrant residents to go hungry, homeless, and without health care for fear of risking their future immigration status, said Pingree. Longstanding policies already ensure that immigrants will not be a public burden, making the Administration's plan to impose new restrictions cruel, unnecessary, and unjust. I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation to stop implementation of this senseless proposal.  \n\t  \n\tCurrent text of the bill is available here: https://chu.house.gov/sites/chu.house.gov/files/documents/Chu.HR7052.Public%20Charge.pdf  \n\t  \n\tThe proposed rule and link to comment are available here: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/10/10/2018-21106/inadmissibility-on-public-charge-grounds.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-announces-over-1-million-federal-grants-maine-farmer-training", "Pingree Announces Over $1 million in Federal Grants for Maine Farmer Training and Support", "2018-10-03", "2018", "2018-10", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Portland, MaineCongresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) announced today that Maine organizations will receive more than $1 million in funding from the USDA National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to recruit and train beginning farmers as well as assist farmers with chronic health issues and disabilities. Grants will go to the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, Somali Bantu Community Association of Lewiston Maine, and University of Maine Cooperative Extension.\nTo continue the great success we've had with Maine's agricultural revitalization, it's critical that we recruit new people into farming and help them succeed. These funded programs will ensure that a wide range of Maine farmers have access to training and support, which is why I remain a strong advocate for them in Congress, Pingree said. As the first person to go through MOFGA's apprenticeship program, I can personally speak to how important that experience was in my early days of farmingI'm excited for how this grant will strengthen and expand those efforts at the organization. Funds for the Somali Bantu Community Association will help New Mainers transplant their agricultural roots into Maine soil, and the University of Maine Cooperative Extension will receive support to bring adaptive technologies and strategies to Maine farmers who deal with disabilities and chronic disease. My congratulations and thanks to all three organizations on using this funding to support Maine farming.\nOn the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Pingree has been a strong advocate for USDA NIFA programs.\nGrant details contained in links.\nMaine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association  \n\tGrant Amount: $599,913  \n\tUSDA NIFA Program: Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Development Program  \n\tProject title: Cultivating Resilience: Expanding Comprehensive Training, Support And Networking For Beginner And Advanced-Beginner Farmers In Maine  \n\tMore information: https://cris.nifa.usda.gov/cgi-bin/starfinder/0?path=fastlink1.txt&id=anon&pass=&search=R=80460&format=WEBFMT6NT\nSomali Bantu Community Association of Lewiston Maine  \n\tGrant amount: $299,400  \n\tUSDA NIFA Program: Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Development Program  \n\tProject Title: Somali Bantu Community Farming Project In Maine  \n\tMore information:https://cris.nifa.usda.gov/cgi-bin/starfinder/0?path=fastlink1.txt&id=anon&pass=&search=R=80462&format=WEBFMT6NT\nUniversity of Maine Cooperative Extension  \n\tGrant amount: $180,000  \n\tUSDA NIFA Program: Assistive Technology Program for Farmers with Disabilities  \n\tProject title: Maine AgrAbility  \n\tMore information: https://cris.nifa.usda.gov/cgi-bin/starfinder/0?path=fastlink1.txt&id=anon&pass=&search=R=81072&format=WEBFMT6NT", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-applauds-improved-hospital-rating-va-togus", "Pingree Applauds Improved Hospital Rating at VA Togus", "2018-10-03", "2018", "2018-10", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congresswoman Pingree attending Cabin in the Woods ribbon cutting at VA Togus campus with Rep. Bruce Poliquin on September 21.\nPortland, MaineCongresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) today congratulated VA Togus today on its latest hospital rating, receiving 5 out of 5 stars in a Department of Veterans Affairs report that categorized the score as a Great Improvement over the previous year.\nI applaud the staff at VA Togus on all the work that went into improving their quality care rating over the last year. This new score is a testament to their commitment to providing our state's veterans the best care possible, said Pingree. While I am encouraged to see improved results at other VA hospitals across the country as well, Congress must not let up in providing the oversight, accountability, and resources needed to continuously strengthen veteran care.\nAbout the VA's Scoring System  \n\tVeterans Health Administration uses a comprehensive performance improvement tool called Strategic Analytics for Improvement and Learning (SAIL) that includes key metrics used by the private sector as well as additional metrics that are important for addressing access to care, quality of mental health care, employee perception about the organization, nursing turnover, efficiency and capacity. Each VA medical center is assessed for overall quality from two perspectives: (1) Relative Performance compared to other VA medical centers using a Star rating system from 1 to 5 and (2) Improvement compared to its own performance from the past year.\nNational scores available here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/senators-collins-king-and-representative-pingree-announce-nearly-300000", "Senators Collins, King, and Representative Pingree Announce Nearly $300,000 for USMs TRIO Veterans Upward Bound Program", "2018-10-02", "2018", "2018-10", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.  Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representative Chellie Pingree announced that the University of Southern Maine's Veterans Upward Bound program has been awarded $275,155 from the U.S. Department of Education.\nUSM's Veterans Upward Bound program is the only one of its kind in the State of Maine, and one of two such programs in New England. Since being awarded funds, USM has been working diligently to recruit veterans for the program, said Senators Collins and King and Representative Pingree in a joint statement. We are pleased that this essential program that gives veterans the resources and support they need to succeed in postsecondary education will continue to be offered across Maine.\nThe TRIO Veterans Upward Bound grant is so important to supporting the college aspirations of veterans across Maine, said Dr. Glenn Cummings, President of the University of Southern Maine. I want to thank Senators Collins and King and Representative Pingree for their successful effort to ensure this essential grant for Maine veterans continues.\nLast month, Senators Collins and King and Representative Pingree sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Education in support of USM's grant application.\nThe University of Southern Maine's Veterans Upward Bound program will serve low-income, first-generation veterans from across the State of Maine. Of Maine's 119,058 veterans, 7,954 are low-income and 89,179 do not have a bachelor's degree and are highly likely to be potential first-generation college students. The program provides assessment and enhancement of basic skills through counseling, mentoring, tutoring, and academic instruction in the core subject areas.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/sens-collins-king-and-reps-pingree-poliquin-announce-contract-award", "Sens. Collins, King and Reps. Pingree, Poliquin Announce Contract Award to Build Four Destroyers at Bath Iron Works", "2018-10-02", "2018", "2018-10", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.  U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin announced today that Bath Iron Works (BIW) has been awarded four ships, in the amount of $3,904,735,559, over the next five years pursuant to the Navy's multiyear procurement contract. The contract includes potential options for additional ships, including one that will be awarded in fiscal year 2019. U.S. Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer called Senators Collins and King and Representative Pingree today to inform them of the award.  \n\t  \n\tWe are proud of the hardworking and highly skilled men and women at Bath Iron Works who have earned the reputation that Bath built is best built,' said Senators Collins and King and Representatives Pingree and Poliquin in a joint statement. The award of these four ships over the next five years, including the potential for additional ships, demonstrates the Navy's recognition of the high-quality destroyers BIW produces that are critical to our national security. At a time when threats to our nation are increasing, we will continue to push for an aggressive rate of growth for large surface combatants to ensure our nation's sailors have the resources they need to carry out their national security missions.  \n\t  \n\tThe delegation will work to help ensure that Congress provides the necessary funding and statutory authority for the Navy to procure ten DDG-51's and all possible option ships over the next five years.  \n\t  \n\tSenator Collins is a senior member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator King is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Representative Pingree is a member of the House Appropriations Committee. Earlier this month, Senators Collins and King both advocated for the passage of the Fiscal Year 2019 Defense Appropriations bill, which included funding for three Arleigh Burke-class destroyers in fiscal year 2019, while also including $250 million in advanced procurement funding for an additional destroyer in fiscal year 2020. The legislation passed the Senate and House and is headed to the President's desk to be signed into law.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-statement-senate-judiciary-committees-vote-advance-kavanaugh", "Pingree Statement on Senate Judiciary Committee's Vote to Advance Kavanaugh Nomination", "2018-09-28", "2018", "2018-09", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) released the following statement regarding the Senate Judiciary Committee's vote to advance Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court:  \n\t  \n\tI'm extremely disappointed by the Senate Judiciary Committee's vote to speed through Mr. Kavanaugh's nomination despite yesterday's extraordinary developments. I joined Democratic women colleagues yesterday to bear witness to Dr. Blasey Ford's courageous testimony and attended the committee debate today. I absolutely believe her accounts of those events and the years of trauma it caused her. The Senate must delay a vote on this nomination until the FBI has investigated these and the other serious accusations against Mr. Kavanaugh.  \n\t  \n\tTo be clear, I think Mr. Kavanaugh's record and bias on any number of issueswomen's reproductive rights, gun violence, and presidential power among themalready makes him unfit to serve on the Supreme Court. But to ram through his nomination while so many questions remain unanswered is an injustice to the democratic process and the American people.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-pingree-house-dems-mcconnell-postpone-kavanaugh-proceedings", "Rep. Pingree, House Dems to McConnell: Postpone Kavanaugh Proceedings", "2018-09-27", "2018", "2018-09", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.- Today, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME)joined 65 Democratic Members of Congress to send the following statement to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell:\nOnce again, we are urgently requesting that Senate leadership postpone any proceedings on Judge Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court until a thorough FBI investigation into the multiple allegations of sexual assault and misconduct has been completed.  \n\tWe have heard credible allegations from three women  Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, Deborah Ramirez, and Julie Swetnick  who bravely shared their traumatizing experiences of sexual assault and misconduct at the hands of Judge Kavanaugh.\nWe urge you to give these allegations the respect and seriousness they deserve. Anything short of that is an insult to women and girls everywhere and sends a chilling message that survivors should not come forward because they will not be believed.\nIn 1991, the Senate disrespected Anita Hill, questioned her credibility, and discounted her experiences. Now, 27 years later, Senate leadership has an opportunity to do better.\nThese courageous women have nothing to gain by speaking their truth and every reason to stay silent and avoid the harassment and death threats they are currently receiving for coming forward.\nSurvivors deserve to be heard and believed. As a lifetime appointment to our nation's highest court is on the line, we implore you to abandon the artificial timeline you have created, support these women who have come forward, and do your duty to the American people by conducting a fair and balanced nomination process.  \n\tPlease remember that the women and girls of the world are watching and looking to you for leadership. We hope you will rise to the occasion.\nThis statement was also signed by: Reps. Lois Frankel, Brenda Lawrence, Jackie Speier, Barbara Lee, Diana DeGette, Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer, Alma S. Adams, Karen Bass, Joyce Beatty, Earl Blumenauer, Lisa Blunt Rochester, Suzanne Bonamici, Madeleine Bordallo, Anthony Brown, Julia Brownley, Cheri Bustos, G. K. Butterfield, Joaquin Castro, Katherine Clark, Gerry Connolly, Elijah E. Cummings, Susan Davis, Rosa DeLauro, Val Demings, Debbie Dingell, John Garamendi, Ral Grijalva, Michelle Lujan Grisham, Colleen Hanabusa, Pramila Jayapal, Robin Kelly, Ro Khanna, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Ann McLane Kuster, Al Lawson, Sheila Jackson Lee, Ted W. Lieu, Zoe Lofgren, Nita M. Lowey, Ben Ray Lujn, Carolyn Maloney, Doris Matsui, Betty McCollum, James P. McGovern, Grace Meng, Gwen S. Moore, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Scott Peters, David Price, Mike Quigley, Jamie Raskin, Jacky Rosen, Dutch Ruppersberger, Linda Sanchez, Jan Schakowsky, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Terri Sewell, Carol Shea-Porter, Adam Smith, Mark Takano, Dina Titus, Norma Torres, Nydia Velazquez.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-congratulates-maine-musicians-prestigious-national-arts-honor", "Pingree Congratulates Maine Musicians on Prestigious National Arts Honor", "2018-09-26", "2018", "2018-09", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) today met with Maine musicians Don and Cindy Roy in her office to congratulate them on receiving National Heritage Fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The Roys, who are from Gorham, will receive the prestigious honor at an event later tonight, where Pingree will also speak.\nMaine is very proud of its Franco-American heritage, the source of many traditions that have gone on for well over a century thanks to people like the Roys. For over 40 years, Don and Cindy Roy have been standard bearers of the traditional music brought here by French-speaking Canadian immigrants and played by generations of their descendants, said Pingree. The Roys' fiddle and piano have not only created countless fans of Franco-American music, but have also inspired new performers of it as well. I'm so pleased the NEA is recognizing their contributions to this traditional art form and am thrilled to be a part of it.\nThe NEA National Heritage Fellowships recognize the recipients' artistic excellence and support their continuing contributions to our nation's traditional arts heritage.\nPingree called the Roys in June to tell them the news of winning the award. She will help present it to them at an event in Washingtontonight. More information about the Roys is available here.\nPingree is a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and the Environment, which oversees funding for the NEA. She is also a member of the National Council on the Arts and is co-chair of the Bipartisan Congressional Arts Caucus.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-s-appropriations-advocacy-leads-600000-federal-investment", "Pingrees Appropriations Advocacy Leads to $600,000 Federal Investment in Biddeford", "2018-09-26", "2018", "2018-09", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) announced today that Maine organization CEI would receive a $600,000 federal grant to help Junora, a manufacturing company in Biddeford, create 30 new jobs. Funding comes from the Department of Health and Human Services' Community Economic Development Program, which Pingree fought to restore funding for on the House Appropriations Committee.\nThis funding will help create good-paying manufacturing jobs in York County while maintaining the positive momentum of Biddeford's redevelopment. I'm grateful to CEI and Junora for bringing this federal investment to Maine and for the many working families who will benefit from it, said Pingree. These are more than just jobsthey are the beginning of careers in a field of high demand. The difference this funding will make for low-income families is why I have so strongly fought for this program in Washington.\nThe grant will aid CEI's New Maine Manufacturing Project (NewME), which would finance and assist a growing manufacturing company, Junora LTD, in creating 30 jobs23 of which would be filled by individuals with low-incomes. These high-tech manufacturing positions would come with competitive wages, a full benefits package, and tuition reimbursement to support professional advancement.\nLast year, Pingree successfully worked on the House Appropriations Committee to restore funding for the Community Economic Development Program, which had been eliminated by a subcommittee. During omnibus spending negotiations, her continued advocacy spared it from any cuts.\nPingree wrote a letter of support for CEI's application.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-pushes-federal-government-approve-maine-medicaid-expansion-plan", "Pingree Pushes Federal Government to Approve Maine Medicaid Expansion Plan", "2018-09-17", "2018", "2018-09", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) sent a letter today to the head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) urging the agency to approve the Medicaid expansion application recently submitted by the State of Maine.  \n\t  \n\tIn accordance with applicable law and precedent, I urge you to move expeditiously to complete the federal approval of Maine's SPA, thus ensuring that an estimated 70,000 adults will be able to access needed and potentially life-saving health care, Pingree wrote.  The choice to expand eligibility under the ACA is now the law in Maine. This past June, the Legislature voted to provide additional Medicaid funding in light of the expansion enactment, only to see this measure vetoed by the Governor. It is clear that the choice of Maine's citizens to ensure that more low-income people have access to health coverage has been lawfully made, notwithstanding the political motivations of Maine's Governor to the contrary. Accordingly, the Governor's statement accompanying the SPA should be disregarded in its entirety.\"  \n\t  Pingree hailed Maine's historic 2017 vote to expand Medicaid eligibility after repeated legislative vetoes by Governor Paul LePage. The law required that expanded coverage begin on July 2, 2018, but the Governor has continued to obstruct the process, deny applications, and has even asked CMS to reject the fully-funded expansion plan that the State submitted in compliance with a court order.  \n\t  \n\tIn her letter, Pingree argues that the state's application should be approved because it meets all federal statutory requirements, and that Maine applicants who have been denied due only to the callousness of Maine's Governor be granted retroactive coverage to the date consistent with Maine law.  \n\t  \n\tFull text of the letter is below and a signed copy is online.\nSeptember 17, 2018\nThe Honorable Seema Verma  \n\tAdministrator  \n\tCenters for Medicare and Medicaid Services  \n\t200 Independence Avenue, SW  \n\tWashington, DC 20201\nDear Administrator Verma:\nAs you know, the State of Maine recently submitted a State Plan Amendment (SPA) ME-18-0006, which seeks to expand Medicaid to the adult population for those with incomes up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level (effectively 138% of FPL with a federal disregard) as outlined in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA; P.L. 111-148, as amended).\nIn accordance with applicable law and precedent, I urge you to move expeditiously to complete the federal approval of Maine's SPA, thus ensuring that an estimated 70,000 adults will be able to access needed and potentially life-saving health care. A clear intention of the ACA was increased access to health insurance for the uninsured  an intention made clear by providing for the expansion of Medicaid coverage to adults with incomes up to 138% of FPL with significantly enhanced federal financing. When upholding the constitutionality of the ACA in 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius, 567 U.S. 519 (2012) at 585-586, declined to rewrite this central provision, ruling only that the Secretary may not withhold other federal participation in a State's Medicaid program if the State declines to participate in the expansion. To date, thirty-two states and the District of Columbia have wisely opted to pursue expansion, and as a result, approximately 15 million more people across the country have benefited from Medicaid coverage. The program has contributed to improved physical and financial wellbeing for these Americans and their families.\nIn 2017, Maine voters supported the expansion of Medicaid, enacting An Act to Enhance Access to Affordable Health by an indisputable margin and becoming the first state to approve expansion through the referendum process. Although the Maine Legislature had approved an expansion of Medicaid five times in the past five years, they did not have sufficient votes to overcome repeated gubernatorial vetoes. Maine's Constitution, however, does not allow the Governor to veto a measure enacted by the voters. See Me. Const. art IV, pt. 3,  19. Therefore, the choice to expand eligibility under the ACA is now the law in Maine. This past June, the Legislature voted to provide additional Medicaid funding in light of the expansion enactment, only to see this measure vetoed by the Governor. It is clear that the choice of Maine's citizens to ensure that more low-income people have access to health coverage has been lawfully made, notwithstanding the political motivations of Maine's Governor to the contrary. Accordingly, the Governor's statement accompanying the SPA should be disregarded in its entirety.\nMoreover, Maine's Medicaid Expansion Act, which became effective on January 3, 2018, and is codified at 22 M.R.S.  3174-G(1)(H), specifically requires that eligibility for such expanded coverage is to occur [n]o later than 180 days after the effective date of this paragraph Thus, Mainers became eligible for expanded Medicaid coverage effective July 2, 2018. Hundreds of Mainers who have applied since that date, in accordance with the statute, are being denied due only to the callousness of Maine's Governor. Maine's SPA should be approved with an updated and accurate effective date thus allowing for retroactive coverage consistent with the law.\nThank you for your consideration. Again, with an updated and accurate effective date, Maine's SPA providing for expanded health care through the State's Medicaid program aligns with the demonstrated will of the people and Maine law, and should be approved without delay.\nSincerely,\n  \n\tChellie Pingree  \n\tMember of Congress", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/video-pingree-takes-house-floor-recognize-arts-education-week", "VIDEO: Pingree Takes to House Floor to Recognize Arts in Education Week", "2018-09-13", "2018", "2018-09", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.During Arts in Education Week, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) took to the House floor today to recognize the important impact arts education makes on student success and growth.\nPingree is co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Arts Caucus and is also an ex-officio member of the National Council on the Arts, which advises the National Endowment for the Arts.\nAs a member of the House Appropriations Committee, she has been a successful advocate for the Department of Education's Arts in Education Program, which has helped communities in Maine and across the country bring arts into the classroom during an era of tight school budgets. The Trump Administration has twice proposed eliminating funding for the program, but it has been restored during the appropriations process.\nText of Pingree's speech as prepared for delivery\nM. Speaker \nI rise today to recognize Arts in Education week.\nI believe strongly that arts in our schools  whether it's visual art, music, drama, creative writing, or dance  are as much a component of a well-rounded education as STEM and humanities subjects.\nThe measurable benefits of a robust arts education are clear.\nThe US Department of Education has found that students in arts programming had better attendance and fewer disciplinary issues.\nBut anyone who has experienced arts education knows that its value lies well beyond what's measurable.\nIt builds confidence  teaching students how to express themselves in front of their peers and larger community.\nIt promotes diversity and inclusion  encouraging kids to engage with and learn from creative traditions that they may not be familiar with.\nAnd it can start important conversations  using fun and accessible mediums to get us thinking about hard topics.\nI thank the educators and students in Maine and across the country who commit to bringing the power of the arts into our schools and homes every day.\nThank you, I yield back.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-leads-bipartisan-push-support-local-market-opportunities-farm", "Pingree Leads Bipartisan Push to Support Local Market Opportunities in Farm Bill", "2018-09-11", "2018", "2018-09", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) today led a bipartisan letter of 43 House members urging leadership of the Farm Bill conference committee to include the Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP) in the legislation's final text. LAMP would consolidate numerous existing programs that support new market development into a single streamlined program with permanent, mandatory funding.\n\nAcross the country, farmers are looking for new markets as they deal with trade uncertainty and a strained farm economy. Meanwhile consumer interest in growing markets, such as local food, is creating new opportunities for farmers in their own communities. While USDA has a number of successful programs to help farmers take advantage of these new market opportunities, they can be hard to navigate and funding remains uncertain year-to-year, Pingree said. Putting these programs under one roof and solidifying funding would go a long way toward helping more farmers and organizations reliably access them. As conference committee members work out a final Farm Bill, including LAMP would be a sure-fire way for them to effectively support agricultural economic growth. \n\nLAMP was a provision of HR 3941, the Local FARMS Act, which Pingree introduced with Reps. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) and Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY). A companion bill, S. 1947, was introduced by Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Susan Collins (R-ME).\n\nLAMP would:\n Consolidate Value Added Producer Grants, Farmers Market/Local Food Promotion Program, Value Chain Coordinators, and planning partnerships into a new program administered by the Agricultural Marketing Service in coordination with Rural Business-Cooperative Service;\n\tMaintain purpose and eligible entities for each program;\n\tIdentify Cooperative Extension Service as the lead for outreach and technical assistance;\n\tProvide $60 million in mandatory funding and $20 million in appropriated funding;\n\tReserve 35% of funding for farmer or rancher grants; and\n\tReserve 10% of funding for projects supporting beginning, veteran, and socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers.\n Pingree's letter was signed by 42 other House members, including two RepublicansJeff Fortenberry (R-NE) and Dan Newhouse (R-WA). The letter was also signed by Reps. Sanford D. Bishop, Jr., Earl Blumenauer, G. K. Butterfield, Andr Carson, Kathy Castor, David N. Cicilline, Peter DeFazio, Diana DeGette, Rosa L. DeLauro, Adriano Espaillat, Dwight Evans, Tulsi Gabbard, John Garamendi, Jared Huffman, Marcy Kaptur, Ron Kind, Barbara Lee, Ted W. Lieu, Zoe Lofgren, Alan Lowenthal, Doris Matsui, Betty McCollum, A. Donald McEachin, Grace Meng, Seth Moulton, Richard M. Nolan, Ed Perlmutter, Mark Pocan, Jared Polis, David E. Price, Tim Ryan, Jan Schakowsky, Carol Shea-Porter, Darren Soto, Mike Thompson, Niki Tsongas, Peter Welch, Denny Heck, and Ben Ray Lujn.\n\n\nThe Honorable Pat Roberts\nChairman\nSenate Agriculture Committee\n\nThe Honorable Debbie Stabenow\nRanking Member\nSenate Agriculture Committee\n\nThe Honorable Michael K. Conway\nChairman\nHouse Agriculture Committee\n\nThe Honorable Collin Peterson\nRanking Member\nHouse Agriculture Committee\n\nDear Chairmen Roberts and Conaway and Ranking Members Stabenow and Peterson:\n\nAs you negotiate the 2018 Farm Bill, we urge you to include the Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP) in the final farm bill text.\n\nAs you know, the overall farm economy has been strained in recent years and this has necessitated the development of new markets for farmers. For example, the local and regional food industry has experienced significant grown in recent years, growing to a $8.7 billion market in 2015, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Consumer demand for local food shows no sign of slowing down, as USDA predicts that local food will reach $20 billion in sales by 2019. Especially as farmers cope with such extreme uncertainty around agricultural trade, we should do everything we can to cultivate promising domestic markets such as this.\n\nWe have seen the benefits of these new markets in our own districts, both in rural and urban communities. For example, in 2015, over 167,000 farmers across the country produced and sold food locally. The local and regional food industry has helped farmers support their local economies, preserve farmland, bridge urban and rural communities, and connect with consumers who are eager to learn more about food production. Federal efforts have been integral to the growth of these new markets, and we have the opportunity to build on these efforts in the next farm bill.\n\nWe fully support the language included in the 2018 Senate Farm Bill that would establish the Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP). LAMP would consolidate numerous existing programs that support new market development into a single streamlined program, while maintaining the purpose and eligible entities for each existing program. For example, the Value Added Producer Grant Program would continue helping farmers launch products and expand marketing efforts in local, national, as well as international markets. LAMP would be a one-stop-shop for farmers, agricultural organizations, and other stakeholders that are seeking support for projects that help farmers reach new markets. It is critical to provide permanent mandatory funding for LAMP so that there is consistent federal investment in new and growing agricultural markets.\n\nWe ask that you support new economic opportunities for farmers by including LAMP in the final farm bill text.\n\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/maine-delegation-urges-administration-avoid-tariffs-will-harm-hussey", "Maine Delegation Urges Administration to Avoid Tariffs That Will Harm Hussey Seating Company", "2018-09-10", "2018", "2018-09", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.  A new round of tariffs recently proposed by the Trump Administration to crack down on Chinese intellectual property theft could inadvertently cause significant financial harm to Hussey Seating Company, a family-owned business in North Berwick that manufactures bleachers and auditorium seating for distribution across the globe.  \n\t  \n\tOn behalf of the company and the 300 people it employs, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin wrote to the U.S.'s top trade negotiator, urging him not to include three particular product categories in the latest round of tariffs against Chinese imports.  \n\t  \n\tBusinesses in Maine, like Hussey Seating, are already suffering at the expense of previous tariffs imposed by the Administration, Senators Collins and King and Representatives Pingree and Poliquin wrote in their letter to U.S. Trade Ambassador Robert Lighthizer. [Hussey] has already seen its prices for domestically sourced steel, aluminum, and other parts dramatically increase because of earlier Section 232 trade actions by the Department of Commerce.  \n\t  \n\tFurther measures like this proposed Section 301 action will hurt Hussey's ability to compete because the custom molds and tools they use to make their products exist only in China. To relocate or replicate these products will cause Hussey to incur higher costs as it locks in half of its contracts well before beginning new projects. Subjecting key products to new tariffs will disrupt its supply chain and cause irreparable harm to its long-term standing in its industry, continued the Maine delegation. Due to the disproportionate economic harm that imposing duties on these products would cause Hussey Seating, we strongly urge you to remove [these] tariff subheadings  \n\t  \n\tSpecifically, the Maine delegation urged the Administration to remove the following tariff subheadings from the Annex:\n \n9401.71.0031 Seats: Upholstered: Other\n\t9401.79.0050 Seats: Other: Other\n\t9401.90.5081 Seats: Parts: Other\n \nThese proposed import taxes are part of a new $200 billion tranche of tariffs aimed at China. Hussey Seating has already experienced substantial price increases for domestically sourced steel as a result of the Department of Commerce's earlier Section 232 tariffs on global steel imports.  \n\t  \n\tThe Maine delegation is continuing to work to help other Maine industries, such as the lobster industry, mitigate the impact of recent trade actions.  \n\t  Click HERE to read the letter.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-asks-house-and-senate-leadership-reject-president-trump-s-attack", "Pingree Asks House and Senate Leadership to Reject President Trumps Attack on Federal Workers", "2018-09-10", "2018", "2018-09", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and 158 members of the U.S. House have written to House and Senate leadership to request that they reject President Trump's plan to rescind a modest 1.9% cost of living adjustment for federal workers, including thousands of employees at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. After signing a multi-billion-dollar tax break for corporations and billionaires, it's disingenuous for President Trump to say our country cannot afford a cost of living increase for federal workers, like the thousands of hardworking women and men employed by Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, said Pingree. Congress should ignore the President's attacks on federal workers and press ahead with the modest, bipartisan 1.9% pay increase already approved by Senate Republicans and Democrats.  \n\t  Read Pingree's full letter to Senator McConnell, Leader Schumer, Speaker Ryan, and Leader Pelosi here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-named-conference-committee-tasked-ironing-out-differences-house", "Pingree Named to Conference Committee Tasked with Ironing Out Differences in House & Senate Appropriations Minibus", "2018-09-07", "2018", "2018-09", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC  Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) has been chosen to serve as one of six Democratic Members on the conference committee that is mending differences between the House and Senate's third minibus appropriations bills. As a member of the conference committee, Pingree will help to determine the final spending levels for the appropriations bills relative to Agriculture, Interior, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD), programs. The committee's final bill draft will be sent to a vote in both chambers.\nServing on this bipartisan conference committee is an opportunity for Congress to get a spending bill to the floor that will reflect the everyday needs of our constituents. I am very pleased to serve on this committee and to be a strong voice of support for funding that is vital to the health and well-being of Mainers and Americans across the nation, said Pingree.\nPingree will serve on the bipartisan conference committee with:\n Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (Leader of the House Appropriations Committee)\n\tRep. Robert Aderholt\n\tRep. Mike Simpson\n\tRep. Ken Calvert\n\tRep. Tom Cole\n\tRep. Mario Dia-Balart\n\tRep. Tom Graves\n\tRep. David Young\n\tRep. John Rutherford\n\tRep. Nita Lowey (Ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee)\n\tRep. David Price\n\tRep. Sanford Bishop\n\tRep. Betty McCollum\n\tRep. Mike Quigley\n The House version of the minibus is H.R. 6147.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/agriculture-appropriations-subcommittee-members-send-letter-expressing", "PINGREE EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER USDA PROPOSAL TO RELOCATE AGRICULTURE RESEARCH AGENCIES", "2018-09-06", "2018", "2018-09", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  Last week, Ranking Member Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02), Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (ME-01), and Congressman Mark Pocan (WI-02), the four democratic members of the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, sent a letter to Secretary Perdue at the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to express their concerns with the agency's proposal to relocate the Economic Research Service (ERS) and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) outside of Washington, D.C.  \n\t  \n\tOn August 9, 2018, USDA suddenly announced plans to relocate ERS and NIFA, along with most employees, outside of Washington by the end of 2019. USDA claims that the move would improve recruitment and retention, increase stakeholder engagement, and save taxpayer dollars. However, USDA has not provided any information or data to Congress, agency employees, and the public to support these claims.  \n\t  \n\tThe appropriators, whose subcommittee holds oversight and funding authority over USDA, called on USDA to provide employee hiring data for ERS and NIFA for the last 5 years, data on anticipated staff loss if ERS and NIFA relocate, estimated costs associated with relocation, data on anticipated costs savings, a detailed timeline for the relocation, and the rationale for why ERS and NIFA, as opposed to other USDA agencies, need to move closer to stakeholders.  \n\t  \n\tThe Members wrote in their letter:  \n\t  \n\tWe care deeply about USDA's research agencies and their continued success. Farmers and consumers in our districts benefit daily from the work of ERS and NIFA, which have a worldwide reputation for identifying our most pressing agricultural issues and advancing innovative solutions to address those issues.  \n\t  \n\tThey continued:  \n\t  \n\tIt worries us to hear reports that USDA's reorganization announcement has jeopardized morale not only in the two affected agencies, but also across the Department as employees wonder whether other agencies will also be relocated. We hope that you will seek input from USDA employees as you consider future Department decisions.  \n\t  \n\tThe full letter can be found below.  \n\t  \n\t----------------  \n\tAugust 30, 2018  \n\t  \n\t  \n\tThe Honorable Sonny Perdue  \n\tSecretary  \n\tU.S. Department of Agriculture  \n\t1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.  \n\tWashington, D.C. 20250  \n\t  \n\tDear Secretary Perdue:  \n\t  \n\tAs members of the House Committee on Appropriations' Subcommittee on Agriculture Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, we write to express our concerns about the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) recent reorganization proposal, which would move the Economic Research Service (ERS) and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) outside of Washington, D.C.  \n\t  \n\tWe care deeply about USDA's research agencies and their continued success. Farmers and consumers in our districts benefit daily from the work of ERS and NIFA, which have a worldwide reputation for identifying our most pressing agricultural issues and advancing innovative solutions to address those issues.  \n\t  \n\tIt is our understanding that USDA cited three reasons for its proposal to move ERS and NIFA outside of Washington, DC: difficulty with employee recruitment, the need to move resources closer to stakeholders, and savings associated with employment costs and rent. We respectfully ask that you provide data and analysis to justify each of these reasons, including:\n Employee hiring data for ERS and NIFA for the last 5 years, including evidence that USDA has had difficulty recruiting ERS and NIFA staff;\n\tData on anticipated staff loss if ERS and NIFA relocate;\n\tEstimated costs associated with relocation assistance;\n\tData on anticipated cost savings related to rent and locality pay;\n\tA detailed timeline for the proposed relocation; and\n\tThe rationale for why ERS and NIFA, as opposed to other USDA agencies, need to move closer to stakeholders.\n   \n\tLastly, we are concerned that ERS and NIFA employees were not given the opportunity to provide input on this significant decision. It worries us to hear reports that USDA's reorganization announcement has jeopardized morale not only in the two affected agencies, but also across the Department as employees wonder whether other agencies will also be relocated. We hope that you will seek input from USDA employees as you consider future Department decisions.  \n\t  \n\tWe welcome the opportunity to discuss USDA's reorganization plan with you. Thank you for your attention, and we look forward to your response.  \n\t  \n\tSincerely,  \n\t  \n\tSanford D. Bishop Jr.                                    \n\tMember of Congress                                    \n\t  \n\tRosa DeLauro  \n\tMember of Congress  \n\t  \n\tChellie Pingree                                  \n\tMember of Congress                                    \n\t  \n\tMark Pocan  \n\tMember of Congress", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-says-fda-seems-be-heading-right-direction-nutrition-facts-pure", "Pingree Says FDA Seems to Be Heading in Right Direction on Nutrition Facts for Pure Maple Syrup & Honey", "2018-09-06", "2018", "2018-09", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.Congresswoman Chellie Pingree released the following statement today in response to an update provided by FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb on the agency's plans to revise its guidance for added sugars on packages of pure maple syrup and honey. Pingree has been a vocal advocate for rewriting confusing guidance that was issued earlier this year.\nThe FDA seems to be headed in the right direction on its updated nutrition labels for pure maple syrup and honey. From what Dr. Gottlieb said, I think the agency has gotten the message that its proposal would have caused confusion for consumers and hurt producers by wrongly implying that these natural products contain added sugars.\n\"I fully support the FDA's initiative to update nutrition labeling and help consumers make more informed decisions about their health, which includes shining a light on how much sugar manufacturers add to the products we buy. But bees and trees are the only things putting sugar in honey and maple syrup. Any label implying otherwise will lead consumers to believe they're not getting the natural product they're paying for. The common sense answer is to not list 'added sugars' at all on these products, and, hopefully, that's what the FDA will do in the end.\nIn his update, provided here in full, Gottlieb said, \"This guidance will provide a path forward for pure, single-ingredient packaged as such' products that does not involve the standard added sugars' declaration on the Nutrition Facts label.\nSince the agency released draft guidance that would have required listing the content of maple syrup and honey under added sugars, Pingree has pushed Gottlieb to reconsider in meetings and hearings. She also worked to pass language in the House Appropriations Committee to prohibit federal funds from being used to implement the draft guidance.\nFDA announced in June that it would review the guidance and expects it to be finalized by early next year.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-announces-229-million-electric-buses-southern-maine", "Pingree Announces $2.29 Million for Electric Buses in Southern Maine", "2018-08-21", "2018", "2018-08", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congresswoman Chellie Pingree announced today that the Maine Department of Transportation would receive $2.29 million in federal funding to help purchase electric buses to service the Greater Portland area.\nIn Southern Maine, more and more people are using public transportation to get around, which already has a positive impact of taking vehicles off the road and reducing emissions. This grant will reduce those emissions even further by helping local transit providers begin transitioning their fleets to electric buses, said Pingree. These buses run smoothly, silently, and without exhaust. It will be exciting to see them on the road and I think they will get even more Mainers interested in riding the bus. My congratulations to the Maine Department of Transportation and local partners on the success of this collaborative proposal.\nThe Maine Department of Transportation worked with the Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation System (PACTS), Greater Portland Metro, and Biddeford-Saco-Old Orchard Beach Shuttlebus Zoom to submit the proposal to the U.S. Department of Transportation's Low Or No Emission Discretionary Grant Program. Pingree wrote a letter of support for the application.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-statement-proposed-rollback-clean-power-plan", "Pingree Statement on Proposed Rollback of Clean Power Plan", "2018-08-21", "2018", "2018-08", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Portland, MaineCongresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) released the following statement on the Trump Administration's proposal to undo President Obama's Clean Power Plan.\nFrom the wildfires raging across the West to tick-borne Lyme disease spreading across Maine, it's clear that we ignore climate change at our own peril. Yet that is exactly what the Trump Administration is doing here by rolling back some of the best strategies we have for stemming the tide of power-plant carbon emissions.\nWe can't keep putting pollutants into our air at such a rate and not to expect to pay with our health, homes, and livelihoods. President Trump's own EPA reports that undoing these rules will result in as many as 1,400 premature deaths because of the airborne toxins it will lead to. That screaming red flag should bring this proposal to an immediate halt, but there are many othershalted innovation and lost clean-energy jobs among them. I will fight against this proposal however I can in Congress.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-announces-federal-grants-southern-maine-small-businesses", "Pingree Announces Federal Grants for Southern Maine Small Businesses", "2018-08-20", "2018", "2018-08", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Portland, MaineCongresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) today announced a total of nearly $530,000 in federal grants for several small businesses in Southern Maine. The funds comes from two USDA Rural Development programs Pingree has strongly advocated for in Congressthe Renewable Energy for America Program (REAP) and Value Added Producer Grants (VAPG).\nThese REAP grants will allow local businesses to save on energy costs while cutting fossil-fuel consumption through renewable energy production, a win-win for the local economy and environment, Pingree said. I'm also glad to see Turtle Rock Farm receive a Value Added Producer Grant to expand its production of preserved organic vegetables. VAPG have a great track record of helping rural businesses create jobs and thrive over the long term. These are the kinds of investments our rural communities absolutely need, which is why I'm proud to stand up for them in Congress.\nPingree is a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, which has oversight of USDA RD funding. During recent debate on the House Farm Bill, Pingree spoke in opposition to cuts in funding for REAP, VAPG, and other RD programs that have benefited Maine. \nGrant summaries provided by USDA Rural Development. Note that federal funds also leverage other sources of fundingmore information provided in the links.\n\nValue Added Producer Grant\n\nTurtle Rock Farm, Brunswick: $250,000.00\nProject Description: This Rural Development investment will be used to assist agricultural producers seeking to establish or expand markets for their value-added agricultural products. Turtle Rock Farm will use working capital grant funds to expand the marketing, preserving, and canning of organic vegetables. The project will increase revenue to the farm, grow the customer base, and increase the wholesale volume of Turtle Rock Farm. More information here.\n\nRenewable Energy for America Program\n\nT&D Wood Energy, Sanford: $200,000\nProject Description: This Rural Development investment will be used to build a mid-sized wood pellet manufacturing facility, adjacent to an operating white pine sawmill. The wood pellet mill will utilize all the wood waste residues from the sawmill, as well as purchasing additional wood waste residues from sawmills in the region. This project will generate 164,100,821 kWh annually, which is enough electricity to power 15,142 homes. More information here.\n\nMook Sea Farms, Walpole: $49,597\nProject Description: This Rural Development investment will be used for the purchase and installation of a 90.28 kW roof-mounted solar array. Mook Sea Farm, Inc. is an oyster farm founded in 1985 on the Damariscotta River in Midcoast Maine. Their hatchery produces 80 to 100 million juvenile oysters (seed) annually for sale to other oyster growers throughout the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast as well as selling to the seafood market. This project will replace 101,700 kWh (49.74%), which is enough electricity to power 9 homes, and will realize $14,238 in saving per year. More information here. \n\nFlying Frog, LLC, Freeport: $19,496.00\nThis Rural Development investment will be used for the purchase and installation of a 34.5 kW roof-mounted solar array. Flying Frog, LLC owns and leases commercial property. This project will benefit Buck s Naked BBQ in Freeport, Maine, a tenant of Flying Frog, LLC. This system is projected to produce 41,524 kWh of electricity annually generating 11% of their electricity demands. More information here.\n\nMallory Property Holdings, Newcastle: $6,465.00\nProject Description: This Rural Development investment will be used for the purchase and installation of a 10.98 kW roof-mounted solar array. Mallory Property Holdings, LLC is a real estate holding company and co-owns the certified organic distillery Split Rock Distillery located in Newcastle, Maine. Split Rock Distillery is open daily with tours, tastings and bottle sales creating all their products from scratch using only grains from the New England region producing gin, vodka, whiskey, bourbon and simple syrups. This project will replace 9,329 kWh (49%) and realize $1,334 in saving per year. More information here.\n\nPorchside Properties, Dresden: $4,228\nProject Description: This Rural Development investment will be used for the purchase and installation of a 5.49 kW roof-mounted solar array. Porchside Properties, LLC owns Porchside Veterinary Care located in Dresden, Maine. Porchside Veterinary Care offers wellness and sick patient examinations for small animals, spay/neuter and soft tissue surgery along with dentistry services. This system is projected to produce 6,192 kWh of electricity and realize $998 in savings per year. More information here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/maine-receives-federal-funding-study-respond-marine-mammal-deaths-and", "Maine Receives Federal Funding to Study, Respond to Marine Mammal Deaths and Strandings", "2018-08-16", "2018", "2018-08", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Portland, MaineCongresswoman Chellie Pingree announced today that organizations in Maine would receive $164,000 in federal grants to study and respond to marine mammal strandings. The funding for Marine Mammals of Maine, College of the Atlantic, and University of Maine comes amid a wave of unexplained seal deaths and strandings over the past few weeks.\nWith so many seals ending up on Maine beaches this summer, this funding couldn't come at a more critical time, Pingree said. I'm grateful for the organizations and volunteers who have been non-stop this summer in recovering and rehabilitating these animals when possible, and trying to find an explanation for these alarming deaths. These grants will help them continue that important work into the coming year.\nSo far in August, 84 seals have been found dead or stranded on Southern Maine beaches, while over the last 10 years the average for the entire month has been 38.\nFunding comes from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Prescott Grant Program, which provides funding to stranding network participants for the recovery and treatment of stranded marine mammals, and data collection from living or dead stranded marine mammals.\nPingree worked on the House Appropriations Committee to restore funding after it had been eliminated in the Trump Administration's budget proposal.\nGrant Summaries Provided by NOAA\nMarine Mammals of Maine: $49,669  \n\tIncreasing Capacity to Understand Marine Mammal Health through Stranding Response, Triage, and Necropsy in Mid-coast and Southern Maine\nCollege of the Atlantic: $49,996  \n\tMaintenance and Enhancement of the Marine Mammal Stranding Response Program (MMSRP) for the Mid-coast/Downeast region of Maine, 2017-2018\nUniversity of Maine: $64,396  \n\tRetrospective analysis of marine mammal strandings in a region of socio-ecological and environmental change", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rockland-receives-830000-federal-grant-repair-and-update-its-fish-pier", "Rockland Receives $830,000 Federal Grant to Repair and Update Its Fish Pier", "2018-08-13", "2018", "2018-08", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Rockland, MaineCongresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) announced today that the City of Rockland would receive an $830,000 federal grant from the Economic Development Administration (EDA), enough funding to move forward with plans to repair and update its aging Fish Pier.\nThe Rockland Fish Pier is a critical piece of working waterfront infrastructure that's in great need of repair and updating. I'm grateful that Rockland will receive this federal grant so it can move forward with this long-awaited project, said Pingree. The EDA is an important source of investment for Maine, which is why I have been proud to work with Appropriations colleagues from both sides of the aisle to protect its funding from being eliminated as the Trump Administration has proposed the last two years. The jobs this project preserves and creates shows why it's so important to keep defending it and other programs.\nEDA estimates that the project will allow the retention and creation of 86 jobs.\nThe $830,000 EDA grant is matched by a $350,000 federal grant from the Northern Border Regional Commission as well as funding from the Maine Department of Transportation and City of Rockland.\nProject Summary Provided by the EDA:  \n\tThis EDA investment supports the construction of components, repairs and upgrades to the City of Rockland's commercial fish pier, to ensure that it remains available as a key resource to the Mid-Coast fishing and lobstering community. The project includes repairing and resurfacing the pier, replacing fendering piles and camels, stabilizing the storage area, upgrading the electrical system and adjacent dredging to an approximate depth of eight feet at all tides. The investment will support retention and creation of jobs in the region.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-welcomes-wounded-warrior-fellow-portland-office", "Pingree Welcomes Wounded Warrior Fellow to Portland Office", "2018-08-09", "2018", "2018-08", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "PORTLAND, MAINE  Today, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) announced that Omar Andrews, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, will join her Portland office through a two-year Wounded Warrior Fellowship. Andrews will act as a Constituent Services Representative focused on meeting the unique needs of veterans and service members throughout Maine's First District.  \n\t  \n\tThrough his leadership in the Marines and as an advocate for veterans on USM's campus, Omar has demonstrated his commitment to public service and I'm excited for him to bring his experience to our team, said Rep. Pingree. I'm very grateful to offer this Wounded Warrior Fellowship once again so that we can continue to meet the needs of veterans in Maine.  \n\t  \n\tOmar Andrews is a resident of South Portland and currently a senior at the University of Southern Maine (USM). He served six years (2010-2016) in the Marine Corps Infantry, and later as president of USM's student veterans organization where he acted as an on-campus veterans services representative.  \n\t\n About the Wounded Warrior Fellowship \nThe Wounded Warrior Fellowship Program was established by the House of Representatives to provide employment opportunities for wounded or disabled veterans within member offices with the goal of training a new generation of veteran leaders for government service.   \n\t  \n\tThe program is limited to veterans who have been honorably discharged, released from active duty within the last five years, and hold terminal pay grades at or below E-5 or O-3, 20% or greater service connected disabilities (waived if you have a Purple Heart). Veterans who are in receipt of a 20-year or Temporary Early Retirement Authorization (TERA) retirement are not eligible for the program.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/three-maine-organizations-receive-national-endowment-humanities-grants", "Three Maine Organizations to Receive National Endowment for Humanities Grants", "2018-08-09", "2018", "2018-08", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Portland, MaineCongresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) today announced that Maine organizations in Augusta, Brunswick, and Kennebunk will receive nearly $250,000 in federal funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, Pingree has regularly gone to bat for the NEH, most recently saving the agency from a proposed 15% budget cut in July.\nThe National Endowment for the Humanities is such an important resource to the Maine organizations that are working to preserve our state's history and help the public learn more about it, said Pingree. Along with the National Endowment for the Arts, I'm proud to advocate for the NEH because of the big things this small agency allows our local communities to do. I'm so glad these organizations will receive funding to keep our history alive and accessible.\nMaine State Library, Augusta  \n\tNational Digital Newspaper Program  \n\tOutright Amount: $127,000  \n\tProject Title: Maine Digital Newspaper Project\nBowdoin College, Brunswick  \n\tSeminars for School Teachers  \n\tOutright Amount: $89,889  \n\tProject Title: Teaching the Holocaust through Visual Culture\nBrick Store Museum, Inc., Kennebunk  \n\tSustaining Cultural Heritage Collections  \n\tOutright Amount: $29,240  \n\tProject Title: Planning the Improvement of Environmental Conditions for the Brick Store Museum\n BACKGROUND ON PINGREE'S SUPPORT FOR NEA, NEH \nIn his first two budget requests, President Trump proposed eliminating all funding for NEA and NEH (which account for just .02% of the federal budget).\nAs a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencieswhich has oversight of funding for both agenciesPingree worked with colleagues not only to protect funding, but to increase it. Omnibus legislation funding the current fiscal year saw a $3 million increase for both agencies, and appropriations legislation the House just passed has an additional $2 million increase for the coming year.\nDuring debate on that bill in July, Pingree led a successful effort to vote down an amendment that would have cut 15% from the budgets of both agencies. After she spoke on the floor in oppositionjoined by two Republican colleaguesthe House voted it down 114-297.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/fire-departments-portland-casco-and-gray-receive-federal-grants", "Fire Departments in Portland, Casco, and Gray to Receive Federal Grants", "2018-08-08", "2018", "2018-08", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Portland, MaineCongresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) announced today Maine fire departments in Portland, Casco, and Gray will receive federal Assistance to Firefighters Grants totaling $767,410.\nFirefighters who put their lives on the line every day deserve the best equipment possible to keep themselves and the public safe. The Assistance to Firefighters Grant program has been crucial to helping Maine communities keep that equipment up to date when costs are out of reach, Pingree said. I'm so glad Gray and Casco will be able to make important improvements for the health of their firefighters and that Portland can strengthen its emergency response with a new heavy rescue truck.\nGrant amounts and descriptions provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency:\n Casco, ME  Federal share of $49,762 for diesel fume exhaust system.\n\tGray, ME  Federal share of $35,829 for wellness & fitness equipment.\n\tPortland, ME  Federal share of $681,819 for a heavy rescue truck.\n As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, Pingree has been a strong advocate for Assistance to Firefighters Grants and other federal programs that support first responders.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-pingree-signs-mainecando-pledge", "Rep. Pingree Signs #Mainecando Pledge", "2018-08-03", "2018", "2018-08", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON -- Congresswoman Chellie Pingree has signed on to the #MaineCanDo pledge, a Maine-based movement and platform for practical tools to prevent and respond to sexual harassment. Her pledge leads the latest wave of signatures by Maine individuals, local businesses and organizations, almost 350 in total, who have committed to foster and maintain respectful and harassment-free environments.\nEveryone should be able to live and work free some sexual harassment and discrimination. But as so many courageous individuals have shared their #MeToo experiences, it's clear that this is not the reality for far too many. We still have a long way to go to uphold this right to a safe and respectful workplaceand Congress itself is no exception, said Pingree. For my part, I am proud to join other Maine employers in pledging to foster a workplace with clear policies to prevent and quickly address sexual harassment. And as a policy maker, I will continue to push Congress to hold itself to the highest possible standard and devote the resources needed to address this important issue across the country.\nTaking this pledge is consistent with Congresswoman Pingree's legislative record, having been a longtime advocate on behalf of survivors of military sexual assault.\nCongresswoman Pingree leads a new wave of Maine organizations and individuals to sign the #MaineCanDo pledge since it was launched last month, including Unum, Bangor Savings, Hancock Lumber, Tilson Technologies and GWI, among many others.\nThe fundamental question for Mainers is this: How might we create model work cultures that ensure productive, competitive, equitable and respectful environments that customers admire, where employees thrive, and shareholders benefit? said Betsy Peters, Chief Instigator, MaineCanDo. MaineCanDo is designed to support individuals, organizations and those who invest in them to make the changes required to lead (vs. react) in the era of #MeToo. We are very grateful for Congresswoman Pingree's support and leadership in this area.\nThose who sign the #MaineCanDo Pledge commit to:\n Review workplace sexual harassment policies in light of #metoo and audit how they work in practice.\n\tCreate and assure that appropriate and safe mechanisms are in place to report, measure and track complaints of inappropriate behaviors whether intentional or unintentional.\n\tBe proactive in developing respectful workplace cultures.\n\tDesignate and ensure employees know of go-to members in organizational leadership who will ensure grievances are taken seriously, investigated fairly, and resolved quickly.\n\tCommit to an ongoing review of sexual harassment and discrimination policies, practices, and workplace climate at the highest levels of leadership to ensure they are making a practical impact.\n\tUse our influence as investors and board members by committing to increased attention on and an intentional review of policies related to human capital and to supporting workplaces that are free from harassment and discrimination.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/LAMP", "Why We Need LAMP, the Local Agriculture Market Program", "2018-08-02", "2018", "2018-08", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), local food was a $8.7 billion market for farmers in 2015. This market does not show signs of slowing down, as USDA estimates that the local food market will reach $20 billion in sales by 2019. Especially as farmers cope with such extreme uncertainty around agricultural trade, we should be cultivating promising domestic markets.  \n\t  \n\tThe Senate's 2018 Farm Bill includes language to establish the Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP), which would provide permanent funding for local food by consolidating existing programs into a single program. This would create a one-stop-shop at USDA for farmers, organizations, and other stakeholders, making it easier for themto receive support for local and regional food projects.  \n\t  \n\tLAMP would:\n Consolidate Value Added Producer Grants, Farmers Market/Local Food Promotion Program, Value Chain Coordinators, and planning partnerships into a new program administered by the Agricultural Marketing Service in coordination with Rural Business-Cooperative Service;\n\tMaintain purpose and eligible entities for each program;\n\tIdentify Cooperative Extension Service as the lead for outreach and technical assistance;\n\tProvide $60 million in mandatory funding and $20 million in appropriated funding;\n\tReserve 35% of funding for farmer or rancher grants; and\n\tReserve 10% of funding for projects supporting beginning, veteran, and socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers.\n LAMP was aprovision of the Local FARMS Act (H.R. 3941, S.1947) introduced by Rep. Chellie Pingree, Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, Senator Sherrod Brown, and Senator Susan Collins.  \n\t  \n\tAs House and Senate conferees work to consolidate their versions of the farm bill, it's critical that LAMP be included in the final bill text.\n Resources \n(Click images to download full size versions)", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-helps-lead-effort-provide-trade-relief-fishermen", "Pingree Helps Lead Effort to Provide Trade Relief to Fishermen", "2018-07-25", "2018", "2018-07", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) has signed on as an original cosponsor of legislation that Congressman Seth Moulton (D-MA) introduced today to provide disaster relief to fishermen who have been harmed by the repercussions of the Trump Administration's trade actions.\nFarmers haven't been the only ones to suffer the consequences of the Trump Administration's sloppy trade actions. And while I'm glad that USDA will offer aid to agricultural producers, the government needs to step up for others who have been harmedespecially fishermen, said Pingree. In Maine, the lobster industry is reeling from a 25% retaliatory Chinese tariff that has essentially cut off our largest export market. While I continue to press the Administration to restore stability to these and other trade markets, I'm proud to support this effort to provide fishermen relief in the short term. They don't deserve to be victims of this self-imposed trade war.\nThe bill would provide disaster relief for commercial fishery failures due to tariffs imposed by the United States or another country.\nPingree has worked with the rest of Maine's Congressional Delegation to communicate the plight of fishermen to the Administration. Yesterday, she responded to the USDA's plan to provide trade relief to farmers with a statement that urged the Administration to support other affected industries as well.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-leads-inquiry-zinke-biased-monument-review-process", "Pingree Leads Inquiry to Zinke on Biased Monument Review Process", "2018-07-25", "2018", "2018-07", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.After inadvertently released documents showed the Department of the Interior purposely redacted information in its review of National Monuments, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) and other members of the House Appropriations Committee are demanding answers from Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke.\nThese deletions seem to show that the Administration was merely looking for a way to justify its ideological goals of reducing the size of these monuments to allow for increased energy development and resource extraction in National Monuments, the Members wrote in a letter sent today to Secretary Zinke. Rather than being a full, unbiased accounting of the impact of National Monuments, this review cherry-picked data to build the Administration's case and ignored information that would undercut it. Again, we would argue that such a review, which was clearly intended to be biased, was a waste of taxpayer dollars and the valuable time of Interior Department officials.\nAlong with Committee Ranking Member Nita Lowey, the letter was signed by the entire Democratic membership of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and EnvironmentPingree and Representatives Betty McCollum, Derek Kilmer, and Marcy Kaptur.\nAn executive order by President Trump led the Department of Interior to review 27 National Monuments that had been designated over the previous 21 years, including Katahdin Woods and Waters in Maine. As a result of the review, the Administration drastically reduced the size of two monuments, opening up one of those to mining and others to increased timber harvesting, energy development, and commercial fishing.\nInternal Department of Interior emails that were inadvertently released in a FOIA request show that officials intentionally redacted information from the review that would harm the Administration's argument of shrinking monuments and opening them up to increased commercial activity. These pieces of information include estimates of increased tourism revenue, impacts on fishing operations, and reports about reduced crime and vandalism rates at monuments.\nPingree is a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and the Environment, which oversees funding for the Department of Interior. She was openly critical of the Administration's review process, including its lack of transparency and its intention of weakening the conservation of some of the country's most prized natural areas.\nFull letter text below. A pdf is online here.\nDear Secretary Zinke,\nWe are writing to you today as Members of the House Appropriations Committee to inquire about recent reports that your department dismissed certain evidence that contradicted the Administration's position on National Monument Designations. This issue is of great concern to us and we are asking for more information about this potentially drastic abuse within the review process in the Executive Branch.\nAs you know, your Department was instructed to review 27 national monuments established over a period of 21 years. Many of us argued at that time that this was a waste of taxpayer dollars and an overreach of power, given that these monuments had been designated after years of community input and careful review. The inadvertently released documents we have just seen have confirmed our concerns that taxpayer resources were being used for partisan ends.\nIt has been reported that many pieces of data that did not build a case of support for the Administration's effort to restrict or revise monuments were deleted from the review. Internal communications show a clear intention to disregard information that would be supportive of maintaining current boundaries such as estimates of increased tourism revenue, impacts on fishing operators, and reports about reduced crime and vandalism rates at monuments that were gathered.\nThese deletions seem to show that the Administration was merely looking for a way to justify its ideological goals of reducing the size of these monuments to allow for increased energy development and resource extraction in National Monuments. Rather than being a full, unbiased accounting of the impact of National Monuments, this review cherrypicked data to build the Administration's case and ignored information that would undercut it. Again, we would argue that such a review, which was clearly intended to be biased, was a waste of taxpayer dollars and the valuable time of Interior Department officials.\nAlthough there is some discussion about the information that was redacted as part of the FOIA request on the agency, that is not the subject of our inquiry today. We are focused on the actual review process itself and what your Department did, or did not do, during the process to ensure that a fair and balanced review was taking place.\nFor these reasons, we would like to hear directly from you about what happened. In particular we would like to know the process used to gather information, how information was chosen for inclusion in the report, the basis for information to be ignored or deleted, and how the Administration plans to move forward in light of this newly public information.\nRather than rely on reports in the press, we would like these answers from you. We look forward to your quick response to this issue.\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/video-appropriations-committee-unanimously-passes-amendment-pingree", "VIDEO: Appropriations Committee Unanimously Passes Amendment Pingree Cosponsored to Boost Available H-2B Visas", "2018-07-25", "2018", "2018-07", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.During markup today of the FY19 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill, the House Appropriations Committee passed an amendment Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) cosponsored with Congressman Andy Harris (R-MD) to make more H-2B visas available, a critical source of seasonal workers in Maine.\nVideo of Pingree speaking in support of the amendment and discussing the shortage of labor for Maine's seasonal businesses:\nThe amendment provides for a Returning Worker Exemption with a two-year look back, meaning that returning H-2B workers will not count toward the cap on available visas. It also switches to quarterly distribution of visas and switches from an all-or-nothing lottery to a proportional allocation system.\nThe committee also adopted two other Pingree amendmentsone keeps migrant siblings together while in Department of Homeland Security (DHS) custody and the other provides accountability to a Trump Administration task force that is reviewing records of naturalized citizens to look for a basis to strip their citizenship.\nIt's extremely concerning that the Trump Administration might be spending taxpayer resources to look for ways to strip away citizenship from new Americans. Oversight and transparency are needed to ensure that the denaturalization processgenerally reserved for war criminalsis not abused as part of the Administration's ideological anti-immigrant campaign, said Pingree. I'm also glad to see bipartisan support for keeping migrant siblings together at the border. It's the least we can do for those families who have been harmed by the President's zero-tolerance policy.\"\nThe meeting is being livestreamed at https://youtu.be/OoK1P8CJa9k and is expected to last the entire day. Pingree has also spoken in support of an amendment regarding DHS detention of pregnant migrant women and hopes to speak on another regarding child separation policies.\nBackground on denaturalizationPingree's amendment will add report language requiring DHS to report on the efforts of a new U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services task force that has been charged with reviewing old files of naturalized citizens to determine whether any can be stripped of their citizenship based on former violations of immigration law. Concerned that naturalized citizens could lose their citizenship based on errors or technicalities, Pingree is introducing the language to provide oversight of the task force and prevent the effort from becoming another weapon against immigrants. Traditionally, this process has been limited to extreme cases, such as former Nazis and terrorists.\nBackground on sibling separationDuring recent markup of the Labor-Health and Human Services Appropriations, Pingree was successful in passing an amendment to keep migrant child siblings together while in custody of the Office of Refugee Settlement. Today's amendment will do the same for children in DHS custody, whether they arrived at the border as unaccompanied minors or were separated from their parents as a result of President Trump's zero-tolerance policy.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/statement-usda-trade-relief-farmers", "Statement on USDA Trade Relief for Farmers", "2018-07-24", "2018", "2018-07", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) released the following statement in response to USDA's plan to offer $12 billion in relief to farmers harmed in the wake of the Administration's trade actions.\n\nWhile I appreciate the USDA for finally offering some relief to farmers who have been harmed by retaliatory tariffs, this effort is an acknowledgment of the costs of the Trump Administration's lack of strategy on the trade conflicts it has initiated. These kind of retaliatory tariffs should have been expected, properly considered beforehand, and prepared for. Instead, farmers have been hung out to dry for months. I'm also worried that this short-term fix won't be enough to address the long-term impacts these farmers face.\n\nWhat's more, there are many other industries that deserve trade relief as well. This includes Maine's lobster industry, which has just been hit with an additional Chinese tariff of 25 percent. Where is relief for them and other industries that have been affected? What is the plan to restore stability for all impacted businesses, including farmers? I hope the Administration answers these questions quickly, because this problem shows no sign of getting any better any time soon.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-welch-introduce-legislation-limit-warrantless-property-and", "Pingree, Welch Introduce Legislation to Limit Warrantless Property and Vehicle Searches Near Border", "2018-07-19", "2018", "2018-07", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and Congresswoman Peter Welch (D-Vermont) today introduced legislation to narrow the broad zone of DHS authority in the vicinity of U.S. borders. Under current regulations, the Department of Homeland Security has wide latitude to conduct traffic stops and warrantless property searches within 100 miles of the U.S. border. Two out of every three Americans live within this border enforcement zone.  \n\t  \n\tWe must strike a better balance between protecting our national security and preserving our constitutional rights. A 100-mile unfettered enforcement zone is overly broad and unduly restricts the constitutional rights to privacy and protection against warrantless searches of millions of Americans living in this zone, said Welch. This commonsense legislation will enable authorities to conduct the important work of protecting our borders while ensuring our civil liberties.  \n\t  \n\tWhen two-thirds of Americans live 100-miles from the border, it doesn't make any sense for immigration agents to stop and question people's citizenship status far from the point of entry. Not only are warrantless searches hours away from the border a waste of resources, they spread fear in peaceful communities and infringe on my constituents' rights to be free from unwarranted searches, said Pingree. I hope we can pass this bill and strike a reasonable balance between upholding the constitutional rights of Mainers and securing our borders.  \n\t  \n\tRecent news reports point to an increase in cases where American citizens are being asked about their citizenship within the 100-mile border zone. In May, federal agents boarded multiple Amtrak trains and Greyhound buses in Vermont, far from the Canadian border, to question passengers about their citizenship. None of these trains or buses were scheduled to cross the international border. And just last month in eastern Maine, a federal roadblock was set up for 11 days on Interstate 95.  \n\t  The Border Zone Reasonableness Restoration Act would:\n Reduce the area in which DHS can stop vehicles from 100 miles to 25 miles\n\tLimit the zone in which DHS officers can search private lands, except houses, from 25 miles to 10 miles\n\tProhibit DHS from stopping vehicles at checkpoints further than 10 miles from the border without reasonable suspicion that an occupant is in the country illegally.\n The legislation is cosponsored in the House by Reps. McGovern (D-Mass.), Shea-Porter (D-N.H.), Gutierrez (D-Ill.), and DelBene (D-Wash.). Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) have introduced companion legislation in the Senate.  \n\t  The full text of the legislation is available here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/video-house-floor-pingree-speaks-opposition-hconr-119-says-members", "VIDEO: On House Floor, Pingree Speaks in Opposition to H.Con.R. 119, Says Members of Congress Shouldnt Bury Heads on Climate Change", "2018-07-19", "2018", "2018-07", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) spoke on the House floor in opposition to anti-carbon solutions resolution H.Con.R. 199 and chided her Republican colleagues for refusing to help mitigate the threat that climate change poses to our health, ecosystem, and economy, especially in coastal states like Maine.\nTranscript of Pingree's floor speech is as follows:\nI rise today in opposition to the rule and to the underlying bill, but as my colleague from Massachusetts said, this isn't really a bill. It's a press release, it's a love note to the fossil fuel industry.\n\t\n\tWe should have an open rule on the floor for this resolution, so we can talk about the real issues around climate change.\n\t\n\tSo we can talk about the effects of changing growing seasons and extreme weather on our farms and fishing communities.\n\t\n\tSo we can talk about the effects of sea level rise and ocean acidification on our coastal communities.\n\t\n\tSo we can talk about the impacts of changing climates on health and health care costs.\n\t\n\tWe are seeing all these problems in my home State of Maine, and in the Gulf of Maine in particular.\n\t\n\tThe Gulf of Maine is warming at a rate more than 90% faster than the rest of the world.\n\t\n\tWe are not sure what impact that will have on lobster, groundfish and future fisheries.\n\t\n\tMy colleagues, we are putting our heads in the sand if we just keep with the status quo\n\t\n\tif we keep supporting fossil fuels\n\t\n\tand if we keep preventing even the debate on the costs of carbon and on possible climate solutions.\n\t\n\tI urge my colleagues to oppose this rule and the bill.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-leads-successful-effort-defend-arts-humanities-funding", "Pingree Leads Successful Effort to Defend Arts, Humanities Funding", "2018-07-18", "2018", "2018-07", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) has led a successful effort to vote down a House proposal that would have slashed federal funding for the arts and humanities, which has been a vital tool for supporting Maine's creative economy and cultural richness.\nAn amendment to the House Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill would have cut 15 percent from the budgets of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)roughly $23 million for each agency. The House voted it down this afternoon 114-297.\nPingree, a member of the House Appropriations subcommittee that oversees funding for the agencies, spoke in opposition to the cuts during debate last night. She was joined by CongressmenLeonard Lance (R-NJ), Pingree's co-chair of the Congressional Arts Caucus, and Ken Calvert (R-CA), who chairs the Appropriations Subcomittee on the Interior.\nFull text of her remarks below\nI rise to speak in opposition to this amendment. The NEA and NEH have strong bipartisan support on our committee, and I had really hoped the days of attacking these agencies were behind us.\nMaybe they seem like a good political target for those who don't understand the ways that the arts and humanities affect our daily lives.\nThe economic benefits are undeniable  for big cities, small towns, and everywhere in between. The arts and culture industry contributes $764 billion to our economy every year  and the Endowments are uniquely positioned to help smaller, rural areas access that energy in a way that private capital can't or won't.\nAnd efforts to reach underserved communities are just as important.\nNEA's Creative Forces program helps servicemembers and veterans manage TBI and PTSD through arts therapy  a cut would majorly impact the program's reach.\nSimilarly, NEH has funded popular Veterans Book Clubs that use literature to help process experiences in our military. I've been lucky to talk to some participants  this is a deeply meaningful program that, again, is in jeopardy if this proposed cut moves forward.\nAnd, frankly, all of this impact comes at a relatively small price tag.\nNEA and NEH use minimal federal investment  just 0.0004 percent of the federal budget  to create jobs, support families, and sustain communities in every Congressional district. We'd be foolish to cut that back.\nI strongly oppose this amendment, and I urge all my colleagues to do the same.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/trump-s-hesitancy-aid-montenegro-cowardly", "Trumps Hesitancy to Aid Montenegro Cowardly", "2018-07-18", "2018", "2018-07", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME), co-chair of the bipartisan House Montenegro Caucus, released the following statement after President Trump questioned whether he would provide military aid to NATO ally Montenegro if needed.\nIf President Trump keeps stepping on our allies the way he has, our country's only friends will be the despots and dictators he seems to admire so much. It's absolutely disgraceful that he would question whether the United States would come to the aid of Montenegro if needed. After weeks of berating our allies while praising our adversaries, President Trump's un-American comments further undermine the strength of the NATO alliance and give a nod Vladimir Putin that his transgressions will go unchecked, including possible election interference in Montenegro.\nThe President's comments are especially offensive to Maine, which has a special relationship with Montenegro as a National Guard State Partnership. For over 10 years now, the Maine Guard has sent service members to help the fledgling country build its military so it can defend its people and strengthen NATO operations. I certainly don't doubt the importance of their mission to our nation's interests, which the President is either too ignorant to see or too cowardly to uphold.\n\"By questioning the US's commitment to defend NATO allieswho came to our aid after 9/11President Trump is playing right into Putin's hand. Just days after their one-on-one meeting, it only raises further suspicions about the President's intentions.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/maine-farms-south-china-scarborough-receive-228000-federal-grants", "Maine Farms in South China, Scarborough Receive $228,000 in Federal Grants", "2018-07-16", "2018", "2018-07", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Portland, MaineCongresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) announced today that two farms in her District will receive USDA Rural Development Value-Added Producer Grants to expand their businesses and launch new product lines. Pingree has been steadfast in her opposition to proposed cuts to this vital program, which has a track record of helping rural businesses succeed and hire more workers.\nFarmers are always thinking about how to improve their bottom linegetting just a little more money for their product can make all the difference between breaking even or not. Value-Added Producer Grants have proved vital in helping Maine farms succeed by improving their business plans, hiring workers, and marketing new products, Pingree said. I'm glad these local farms will be able to use funds to grow their businesses and enter new markets. Less funding for this program would translate to fewer rural businesses succeeding and fewer jobs being created, which is why I will continue to defend it against shortsighted cuts in Congress.\"\nFredrikson Farm, South China: $224,863  \n\tFredrikson Farm will use working capital grant funds to expand the production, marketing, and sales of goat's milk cheese. The project will increase wholesale and retail revenue to the farm, grow the customer base, and allow Fredrikson Farm to hire staff.\nGoronson Farm, Scarborough: $3,750  \n\tThe Goronson Farm will use planning grant funds to produce a business plan and conduct a feasibility study on selling handcrafted, organic fresh and hard apple ciders. These documents will help guide the Goronson Farm for future expansion.\nBackground on Value-Added Producer Grants  \n\tDuring debate on the House Farm Bill in May, Pingree took to the floor to oppose cuts to the Value-Added Producer Grant programthe partisan bill would eliminate mandatory funding for the program and many others within USDA Rural Development.\nShe also defended the program during House debate of a rescissions package.  \nIn May, the USDA Economic Research Service released a study finding the businesses receiving VAPG funding lasted longer and hired more employees than companies that did not receive a grant.\nPingree is a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, which oversees discretionary funding for programs like Value-Added Producer Grants.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-calls-trump-s-meeting-putin-shameful-says-republicans-must", "Pingree Calls Trumps Meeting with Putin Shameful, Says Republicans Must Support Added Election Security Funding", "2018-07-16", "2018", "2018-07", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) released the following statement in response to President Trump's one-on-one meeting with Vladimir Putin and subsequent joint press conference:\nLess than 72 hours after a dozen Russian intelligence officials were indicted for hacking our elections President Trump shamefully stood on the world stage and declared his support for Russia and undermined our nation's intelligence and law enforcement agencies. As an American who remembers doing duck and cover drills in school and the terror of the Cold War, I was appalled to see our President call America's foreign policy stupid' and foolish' and even more disturbed that he will not accept that Russia launched a coordinated cyberattack on our country and we have every reason to believe Vladimir Putin will do so again.\n\t\n\tIt is telling that the Trump Administration has requested no funds for election security grants and House Republicans have failed to fund them. In fact, the Republican-backed Financial Services Appropriations bill which will be on the floor this week reduces this fund from $380 million to zero dollars, despite efforts by Democratic appropriators to restore this crucial funding. This is unacceptable. The integrity of our democracy is at stake. I call on my Republican colleagues to join me on the House floor this week to restore funding for election security grants which are even more critical in the face of the President's complicity.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-recognized-national-leader-her-work-address-hunger", "Pingree Recognized as National Leader for Her Work to Address Hunger", "2018-07-11", "2018", "2018-07", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.The Congressional Hunger Center tonight honored Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) with the Bill Emerson and Mickey Leland Hunger Leadership Award for her efforts to provide people facing food insecurity with access to nutritious food. In the 2013 Farm Bill, Pingree introduced and successfully passed a measure to provide SNAP beneficiaries with access to healthy, locally grown food at Farmers Markets. In 2017, Pingree introduced the Local Farms Act, which includes a Harvesting Health Pilot Program to support food and vegetable prescription projects in areas of persistent poverty. As a longtime farmer and policymaker, making sure that everyone can get the nutritious food they need has always been a priority for me, said Pingree. Food insecurity in our country is not an issue of production as much as of accessthe staggering amount of food waste in America is proof that there is plenty to go around. It's my honor to help improve access to nutritious food as a member of Congress and to receive this award, named for two Representatives who have left an incredible legacy for their bipartisan efforts to address on hunger at home and abroad.  \n\t  \n\tThe Congressional Hunger Center works to make issues of domestic and international hunger a priority to American policymakers, and to raise a new generation of leaders to fight against hunger and poverty. It was founded founded in 1993 by Tony Hall, Ambassador and Former Member of Congress, in response to the expiration of the House Select Committee on Hunger.  \n\t  \n\tIn 1983, Representatives Benjamin Gilman (R-NY), Mickey Leland (D-TX) and Tony Hall (D-OH) formed the House Select Committee on Hunger to find sustainable solutions to national and international hunger and poverty. Representative Mickey Leland chaired the committee until his death in a plane crash on a famine relief mission to the Horn of Africa.  \n\t  \n\tIn 1993, the House of Representatives allowed a number of Select Committees to expire, including the House Select Committee on Hunger. Rep. Tony Hall (Ohio), the Select Committee Chair at that time, responded by embarking on a 22-day fast, an act that helped bring Republicans and Democrats together to form the Congressional Hunger Center. Representative Bill Emerson (R-MO) joined Tony Hall as the first co-chair of the bi-partisan Congressional Hunger Center.\nRead more about Pingree's food security and sustainable agriculture efforts at: https://pingree.house.gov/food", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/video-pingree-speaks-opposition-partisan-magnuson-stevens-act-rewrite", "VIDEO: Pingree Speaks in Opposition to Partisan Magnuson-Stevens Act Rewrite", "2018-07-11", "2018", "2018-07", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) spoke on the House floor today in opposition to a partisan reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, which sets national commercial fisheries management policy. The bill, which passed out of Committee on a party-line vote, would create exploitable loopholes in catch limits, weaken regional oversight, and undermine the responsible management of fisheries that thousands of Mainers depend on for their livelihoods. Pingree said she opposes H.R. 200 because it's a lost opportunity\" to make substantive and important changes to the Magnuson-Stevens Act.\nText of her speech, as prepared for delivery, is below.\nI rise today in opposition to H.R. 200.\nI represent the great state of Maine with a rich maritime heritage, strong fisheries, and vibrant coastal communities that I am proud to represent.\nThe hard-working men and women who earn their livings on or near the water in my state have been working for decades to follow the Magnuson Stevens Act and federal fishery policy.\nThey are responsible stewards of our ocean resources. And while the current law could be improved, it has been successful in allowing Mainers and others to support their families while restoring and preserving the health of our fisheries.\nThey want to pass this maritime heritage onto the next generation and I am afraid that this bill will make that task even harder for them.\nThis bill before us today, therefore, is a big disappointment to me because it misses an opportunity to update the MSA.\nBy reauthorizing Magnuson, we could work in a bipartisan way to address the current needs of our fisheries and provide more flexibility. We could bring federal policy further into the Twenty First Century.\nBut this bill is the wrong approach for addressing fishery management.\nIt weakens rebuilding requirements, creates loopholes in some conservation efforts, and has the effect of decreasing accountability that has been put in place to prevent overfishing.\nH.R. 200 undoes efforts that have been proven to work, while failing to address some significant challenges in our fisheries.\nIt's a lost opportunity and a bill that I cannot support.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/video-pingree-wins-protections-keep-migrant-siblings-together", "VIDEO: Pingree Wins Protections to Keep Migrant Siblings Together", "2018-07-11", "2018", "2018-07", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.During committee markup today, the House Appropriations Committee unanimously approved Congresswoman Chellie Pingree's amendment to the Labor-Health and Human Services Appropriations Bill, which would ensure that migrant siblings are kept together whenever possible while in the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement.\nIn her testimony, Pingree recounted what she saw on her recent trip to the border, including children locked in ice-cold facilities without their parents and crying mothers who did not know where their children were taken. She also highlighted concerns that additional trauma is being caused by separating siblings from each other.\nVIDEO of Pingree's testimony above.\nWe are hearing from organizations such as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops with major concerns that siblings are being unnecessarily separated under HHS care. This includes children who have been forcibly separated from their parents or legal guardians and those who have crossed the border together but are unaccompanied. The Trump Administration has not, to my knowledge, answered any questions about its policies on sibling placement, whether they are in ORR facilities or placed with sponsorsyet another example of their lack of transparency on this issue, Pingree said in her testimony.\nJust to be clear, I am unconditionally opposed to the President's horrific family separation policies. But as we work to end these policies, and I hope mitigate some of the damage we've caused, the least we can do is keep siblings together whenever possible. In traumatic situations like these  they're lifelines for each other, especially in looking out for those who are very young. If at the very least we can spare these children some trauma and give their parents some peace of mind by ensuring that siblings are kept together, it needs to be made a priority.\nPingree's amendment reads: To the extent practicable, and so long as it is appropriate and in the best interest of the child, in cases where the Office of Refugee Resettlement of the Department of Health and Human Services is responsible for the care of siblings who are unaccompanied alien children, the Director of the Office shall place the siblings in the same facility, or with the same sponsor.\nHouse Appropriations Democrats are introducing as many as 22 amendments today dealing with separated migrant children. The House Labor-Health and Human Services Appropriations Bill covers funding for the Office of Refugee Settlement, which has been charged with caring for unaccompanied minors at the border.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/nominee-kavanaugh-has-egregious-record-undermining-reproductive-rights", "Nominee Kavanaugh Has Egregious Record of Undermining Reproductive Rights", "2018-07-09", "2018", "2018-07", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) released the following statement regarding President Trump's nominee to replace Justice Kennedy on the U.S. Supreme Court:\n\"Brett Kavanaugh is a far-right choice to sit on our nation's highest court. He has an egregious record of undermining a woman's right to make her own health care decisionsfrom stopping a woman from accessing an abortion to allowing a woman's boss to deny her birth control coverage.\n\t\n\t\"While President Trump has made his loyalty to corporations and disdain for women and minorities known over the past 18 months, the confirmation of a justice who shares his loyalties will leave a permanent imbalance on the court and could erode the rights of millions.\n\"Within the next year, the Supreme Court will not only evaluate the future of health care access, voting rights, civil rights, reproductive rights, labor rights, and our environment, it may decide the President's guilt or innocence in the Mueller Investigation. I strongly urge my Senate counterparts not to approve any nominee who was chosen by President Trump until the investigation into his campaign's collusion with Russia has concluded.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-says-good-riddance-pruitt", "Pingree Says 'Good Riddance' to Pruitt", "2018-07-05", "2018", "2018-07", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) tweeted good riddance today after scandal-ridden EPA Secretary Scott Pruitt resigned. Pingree called for Pruitt's resignation nearly four months ago following reports that he'd received below market rate housing from a D.C. lobbyist with vested interests before the agency. Pingree elaborated on her tweet with the following statement:\n\"I am relieved to see Scott Pruitt resign. He was unqualified, corrupt, and determined to undermine the agency that he was tasked with overseeing. Each time he came before the Appropriations Committee, Scott Pruitt evaded questions about climate change, the Paris Accord, his $43,000 soundproof phone booth, and his cozy relationship with the oil and gas lobby. These are just some of the reasons that I called for him to resign four months ago, but the biggest reason is because I believe we owe it to the next generation to have an EPA Administrator who will safeguard the planet they will inherit from us.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-poliquin-work-kill-amendment-would-have-stripped-250-million-biw", "PINGREE, POLIQUIN WORK TO KILL AMENDMENT THAT WOULD HAVE STRIPPED $250 MILLION FROM BIWS DDG-51 DESTROYER PROGRAM", "2018-06-29", "2018", "2018-06", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (ME-01) and Congressman Bruce Poliquin (ME-02) successfully worked to kill an amendment to the Department of Defense Appropriations Act of 2018 that would have stripped $250 million from Bath Iron Work's (BIW) DDG-51 destroyer program\nThe Courtney Amendment failed 144-267 after the Maine lawmakers worked together petitioning their colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to reject the measure.\nI'm glad that Congressman Poliquin and I were able to beat back this amendment, which would have wastefully diverted funds away from Bath Iron Works. As a member of Appropriations, I was proud to work with the Chair and Ranking Member of the defense subcommittee to lead the committee's overwhelming opposition to the amendment. In blocking this initiative, we've helped to ensure that the best ship builders in the world, the hardworking men and women of BIW, will continue to do this important work here in Maine, said Congresswoman Chellie Pingree.\nThis is a big win for the thousands of hardworking, highly-skilled shipbuilders at BIW, whose work helps strengthen our national security and keep America safe. It was an honor to team up with my Maine colleague, Chellie Pingree, to fight for these men and women at BIW, said Congressman Poliquin. I'm thrilled this amendment was rejected, and I will continue to work to oppose any language that would cut funding from these ships. We must ensure that BIW can continue doing its important work to keep America strong, safe and free.\n Background \nThe Courtney Amendment would have drastically cut $1 billion in funding from a variety of extremely important Navy and Air Force programs, including $250 million from the DDG-51 destroyer program at BIW, to fund advanced procurement for two Virginia Class submarines. The Navy had not and will not budget for these additional submarines, meaning the Courtney Amendment would have created more than a $6 billion hole in future years, leaving the burden on Congress to come up with the additional funding and putting future funding for DDG-51's at risk.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-statement-scotuss-latest-assault-workers-rights", "Pingree Statement on SCOTUS's Latest Assault on Workers' Rights", "2018-06-27", "2018", "2018-06", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DCCongresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) released the following statement regarding the Supreme Court's decision on the landmark Illinois public employee union case, Janus v. AFSCME:\n\"Unions have been under attack by powerful interests for decades because they are one of the most effective ways for workers to gain leverage in an economy rigged for corporate interests and the wealthy. It's appalling to see the Supreme Court join in. Today's decision is not only a blow to public sector unions, but everyone they representmembers or not. In undermining collective bargaining as a whole, it also weakens a tool that is sorely needed by all Americans who are working hard but struggling to get ahead.\n\t\n\t\"This is just the latest Supreme Court decision to advance a hard-line conservative agenda using a spot on the bench that Senator Mitch McConnell stole for President Trump. In this rulingas well as upholding the President's Muslim ban, siding with deceptive anti-abortion organizations, and allowing discrimination of the LGBTQ community under the guise of religious freedomthe current makeup of the Supreme Court has shown it will not protect our country from President Trump's overreach of power or the radical agenda he pushes.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-statement-today-anti-immigration-bill-vote", "Pingree Statement on Today Anti-Immigration Bill Vote", "2018-06-27", "2018", "2018-06", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington D.C.Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) released the following statement on H.R. 6136, the immigration bill known as Goodlatte 2 which failed in the House today.\nTo be clear, the mean-spirited bill we voted on today is by no means moderate'it was a compromise between the House anti-immigrant faction and the super anti-immigration faction. This legislation cut off paths for legal immigration, held Dreamers hostage to funding for President Trump's wasteful $25 billion border wall, and authorized the government to jail immigrant families indefinitely at the border. After touring detention centers in Texas last weekend, I can attest to what a cruel and unacceptable alternative this is to family separation.  \n\t  \n\tWhat's sad about this bill and its partisanship is that there are many areas on immigration where Republicans and Democrats can find agreementnamely giving young Dreamers a clear path to citizenship in the only country they've ever called home. We have the votes to pass such a bill if Republican leadership would only bring it to the floor instead of catering to its extreme fringes.\n Pingree Active on Issue of Family Separation \nYesterday, Pingree joined a number of colleagues to debrief the media about their visit to detention facilities and conversations with detained asylum seekers in Texas last weekend. Pingree's comments begin at 24 minutes, 15 seconds:    \n\tLast Friday, Pingree joined 122 colleagues in sending a letter urging an investigation into the capacity of federal agencies to reunite families who had been separated at the border. Read the letter here.  \n\t  \n\tToday, Pingree is joining colleagues in sending a letter to the Office of Refugee Resettlement asking detailed questions on the agency's care of children who had been separated from their families. Read the letter here. She also voted to approve a Motion to Recommit which would amend the underlying bill to prevent any officer or employee of the United States from detaining an immigrant who entered the country with their child who is under 18 years of age separately from their child in order to deter immigration.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-statement-cancelled-markup-bill-funding-office-refugee", "Pingree Statement on Cancelled Markup of Bill Funding Office of Refugee Resettlement", "2018-06-26", "2018", "2018-06", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) released the following statement after Republicans cancelled today's scheduled Appropriations Committee markup of the Labor-Health and Human Services-Education appropriations bill. The legislation includes funding for the Office of Refugee Resettlement, which has been charged with caring for children separated from their families at the border due to President Trump's zero tolerance policy.  \n\t  \n\tIt's disappointing to see Republicans cancel debate on this important bill at the last minute. It's a lost opportunity to provide accountability and oversight of how federal funds are being spent to deal with the humanitarian crisis that President Trump's family separation policy has caused. My Democratic colleagues and I had planned to introduce a number of amendments to ensure the proper care of children who are still without their parents. To stifle debate is a dereliction of our responsibilities as appropriators and jeopardizes important funding for the opioid crisis, LIHEAP, and public schools.\"\n Pingree Active on Issue of Family Separation \nThis morning, Pingree joined a number of colleagues to debrief the media about their visit to detention facilities and conversations with detained asylum seekers in Texas last weekend. Pingree's comments begin at 24minutes, 15 seconds:    \n\tLast Friday, Pingree joined 122 colleagues in sending a letter urging an investigation into the capacity of federal agencies to reunite families who had been separated at the border. Read the letter here.  \n\t  \n\tToday, Pingree is joining colleagues in sending a letter to the Office of Refugee Resettlement asking detailed questions on the agency's care of children who had been separated from their families.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/photo-pingree-visits-what-will-be-primary-reunification-center-parents", "PHOTO, VIDEOS: Pingree Visits Border, Meets with Parents Separated from Children", "2018-06-24", "2018", "2018-06", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DCCongresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) released the following statement after visiting the Port Isabel ICE detention center that the Trump Administration has said will be the primary center for reunifying parents and children separated at the border. Photo of Pingree in front of the building.\nThe Trump Administration has announced that the Port Isabel ICE facility, which I visited in Los Fresno, Texas, will serve as the primary center for reunifying parents and children separated at the border. We need details now about how this reunification will be implemented. Just yesterday I saw the faces of mothers at this facility who were devastated by President Trump's zero-tolerance policy. They sobbed and told me they hadn't heard from their kids or spoken to a lawyer. One even had her child ripped from her breast while nursing. The trauma this administration has created for these parents and children is absolutely horrific. Days after the President's executive order, their suffering continues and so many questions remain about their future.\n Media Coverage \n \nPortland Press Herald:Pingree describes heartbreaking' scenes, families in cages at Texas border facilities\n\tWBUR Boston:While Immigration Policies Are Defined, Many Families Along The Southern Border Can Only Wait\n\tMaine Public: Pingree At The Border: Babies 'In Centers With No Mother In Sight - We Saw It All'\n\tWCSH 6: Rep. Pingree visits Texas migrant detention center\n \n Video Updates", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-asks-trump-s-dhs-usdhhs-secretaries-where-are-girls", "Pingree Asks Trumps DHS & USDHHS Secretaries: Where Are The Girls?", "2018-06-21", "2018", "2018-06", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON,DCCongresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and nearly 60 other female members of Congress have jointly written to President Trump's Secretaries of Health and Human Services (USDHHS) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to request answers as to the whereabouts, conditions of care, and lack of transparency surrounding the girls and babies who are among the 2,000 children who've been separated from their families by his zero-tolerance immigration policy.  \n\t  \n\tI am deeply disturbed that members of Congress haven't been permitted to visit detention facilities housing girls and babies who were separated from their families by the Trump administration's zero-tolerance policy. This weekend when I visit Texas, I hope to gain access to these facilities and better understand why the administration will not allow the public to see images of the conditions they are enduring, said Pingree.  \n\t  \n\tThe letter to UDHHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and HHS Secretary Alex Azar was authored by Representatives Dingell (D-MI) and Kuster (D-NH) and cosigned by 59 other members, including Pingree. Read their letter here.  \n\t  \n\tThis Saturday, June 23, Pingree will join more than 20 other Democratic members of Congress at the U.S.-Mexico border near McAllen and Brownsville, Texas. The group will speak to children and parents who'vebeen ripped apart by President Donald Trump's and Attorney General Jeff Sessions' cruel new, zero-tolerance family separation policy.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-members-congress-investigate-texas-border-facilities-used-family", "Pingree, Members of Congress To Investigate Texas Border Facilities Used in Family Separation Policy", "2018-06-21", "2018", "2018-06", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC - Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D- Maine), hosted by Congressmen Filemon Vela (D-Texas) and Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas), will be joined by more than 20 other Democratic Members of Congress on Saturday, June 23, at the U.S.-Mexico border near McAllen and Brownsville, Texas. The group will speak to children and parents who have been ripped apart by President Donald Trump's and Attorney General Jeff Sessions' cruel new, zero-tolerance family separation policy.\nPresident Trump's executive order is an admission that he and members of the Administration have been lying all along about their role in instigating family separation and their authority to stop it, said Congresswoman Chellie Pingree. \"This order may mean a temporary halt to the cruel trauma of forcibly separating children from their parents at the border, but this is by no means the end of the issue. We do not know how these isolated children will be reunited with their families. The Administration has not changed its zero-tolerance policy of indiscriminately prosecuting adults and is now seeking authority to detain families together indefinitely. Many questions also remain about whether they have the proper facilities to make this possible and why no Members of Congress have so far been allowed to visit facilities housing girls and babiesa must for performing our oversight responsibilities. I hope to get answers to these and other questions when I travel to see President Trump's detention centers in Texas this weekend.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-statement-house-passage-farm-bill", "Pingree Statement on House Passage of Farm Bill", "2018-06-21", "2018", "2018-06", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC  Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) released the following statement after the House narrowly passed Farm Bill legislation in a 213-211 vote today:\nIt's extremely disappointing to see House Republicans resurrect and pass their partisan Farm Bill todayespecially when the other chamber has produced bipartisan legislation that better addresses the opportunities and challenges of the next five years This House Farm Bill cruelly targets Americans in need, weakens conservation and environmental protections, and ignores the growth in local and regional food markets that are helping keep farmers on the land. Despite what happened today, the Farm Bill being considered in the Senate represents a better way forward and I hope it advances.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-statement-today-s-immigration-votes", "Pingree Statement on Todays Immigration Votes", "2018-06-21", "2018", "2018-06", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) released the following statement on two immigration bills the House is scheduled to vote on today.  \n\t  \n\tMuch like President Trump's hateful and racist rhetoric about immigrants, both of these bill are offensive to American values. Neither of them are moderate'both dehumanize and degrade those seeking safety and security in the United States, worsening the suffering of real people to score political points.  \n\t  \n\tTo be clear, these bills will cut off paths to legal immigration, slash family reunification, and make it harder to seek asylum. The less extreme of the bills holds the future of young Dreamers hostage to funding for President Trump's $25 billion boondoggle of a border wall.  \n\t  \n\tThese bills do not alleviate the mess President Trump has created with his zero-tolerance policy that has resulted in children being separated from their children at our southern border. They do nothing to reunite the families that have already been split up.  \n\t  \n\tI hope my colleagues on the other side of the aisle show some heart and backbone today by voting these bills down. We can and should move forward with truly bipartisan policies for immigration, true protections for Dreamers, and the Keep Families Together Act.   \n\t  Pingree Visiting Texas Detention Center This Weekend  \n\tPingree is joining more than 20 other Democratic Members of Congress on Saturday, June 23, at the U.S.-Mexico border near McAllen and Brownsville, Texas, during a trip hosted by Congressmen Filemon Vela (D-Texas) and Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas), The group will speak to children and parents who have been ripped apart by President Trump's and Attorney General Jeff Sessions' cruel new, zero-tolerance family separation policy.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/fda-reconsider-label-changes-would-have-hurt-maine-maple-syrup-and-honey", "FDA to Reconsider Label Changes That Would Have Hurt Maine Maple Syrup and Honey Producers", "2018-06-19", "2018", "2018-06", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) today applauded the Food and Drug Administration's decision to reconsider added sugar labeling on pure maple syrup and honey packaging. A member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, which oversees discretionary funding for the USDA, Pingree has openly pushed the agency to change the requirement.\nI appreciate the FDA's efforts to help consumers make more informed choices, including by spelling out how much sugar is added to the food they eat. But requiring an added sugar label on honey and maple syrupwhen, in fact, no sugar has been added to their contentswould have been confusing and misleading. The label would have eroded consumers' confidence in these pure, natural products, said Pingree. The label was also an affront of sorts to producers in Maine, who take great pride and care in the purity of what they bottle. I applaud FDA for listening to their feedback and deciding to reconsider. In the end, I hope it exempts maple syrup and honey from the added sugars requirement.\n Pingree Vocal on Issue \nPingree shared her concerns about the proposed \"added sugar\" labeling rules for maple syrup and honeyand those of Maine producersdirectly with FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb on multiple occasions, including an appropriations hearing in April (video below).\nShe also successfully worked to include language in the committee-passed FY19 agriculture appropriations bill that would block funding to implement the requirements on single-ingredient products that do not have any added sugars or sweeteners added to the product, such as honey and maple syrup.\n Background on the Added Sugars Label \nThe FDA has released new guidelines for nutrition facts labeling, requiring manufacturers to include the amount of added sugars as well total sugars. In draft guidance released in February, the FDA proposed that pure, single-ingredient maple syrup and honey had to list all their sugar content as added sugar with a footnote that it was naturally occurring. The public comment period for the proposal recently closed.\nIn an email to Pingree's office today, the FDA said, The feedback that FDA has received is that the approach laid out in the draft guidance does not provide the clarity that the Agency intended. It is important to FDA that consumers are able to effectively use the new Nutrition Facts label to make informed, healthy dietary choices. FDA looks forward to working with stakeholders to devise a sensible solution.\nFDA has not yet released a new proposal.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-tells-trade-representative-latest-trade-decisions-doing-more", "Pingree Tells Trade Representative That Latest Trade Decisions Doing More Harm than Good in Maine", "2018-06-19", "2018", "2018-06", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.In light of the negative repercussions that Maine's lobster industry and other businesses are facing from the Trump Administration's latest trade actions, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) sent a letter today to U.S. Trade Representative C.J. Mahoney urging the Administration to pursue a more coherent trade strategy to save the state's economy from further uncertainty and harm.\nWhile there are certainly issues that warrant rethinking current trade policy, the alternating and conflicting trade decisions made by the Administration seem to be doing more harm than good in Maine, Pingree wrote in the letter. All of these issues outlined above make me very worried about the long-term negative consequences for Maine businesses. To save our state's economy from further hardship and uncertainty, I urge the Administration to pursue a more coherent and methodical trade strategy and to weigh the potential repercussions carefully before taking further action.\nResponding to Trump Administration tariffs last Friday, China announced it would charge a 25% tariff on imported U.S. lobster, a key export for Maine. This comes after the Maine Congressional Delegation met with the U.S. Trade Representative earlier this month to discuss a Canada-EU trade agreement that has placed Maine's lobster industry at a competitive disadvantage.\nAlso last Friday, Hussey Seating Company in North Berwick reported that new tariffs on imported Canadian steel and aluminum have hurt its manufacturing business.\nIn the letter, Pingree outlines other business concerns as well. Full text below and a copy is also online.  \n\t  The Honorable C.J. Mahoney\n\tUnited States Trade Representative\n\t600 17th Street NW\n\tWashington, D.C. 20508\n\t\n\tDear Ambassador Mahoney:\n\t\n\tThank you for visiting Maine to meet with the Maine Congressional Delegation and the Maine Lobster Dealers' Association. I appreciate your willingness to explore various options that could alleviate the trade disadvantages that Maine's lobster industry is facing. I am writing to express my continued concern about the impacts of the Administration's trade decisions in my state, both in the lobster industry and in other industriesincluding new issues that have arisen since our last meeting.\n\t\n\tWhile there are certainly issues that warrant rethinking current trade policy, the alternating and conflicting trade decisions made by the Administration seem to be doing more harm than good in Maine. For example, the tariff announcement made by China on Friday could incapacitate Maine's lobster industry at a time when they are already seeking relief from trade issues caused by the Canada-European Union (EU) Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement. Because these tariffs from China are simply the latest repercussion of the Administration's incoherent trade strategy, I urge the Administration to be more discriminate in its approach to tariffs so that American businesses and jobs are not jeopardized.\n\t\n\tIn particular, I am concerned that this chaotic decision-making will threaten the close relationship between Maine and Canada. Due to Maine's geographic proximity to Canada, the Canadian market is very important to us and we greatly value our Canadian partners. The Administration's approach of targeting allies with tariff actions based on national security reasons is unsettling and concerning. At least one Maine business is already being impacted by the steel import tariffs that the Administration imposed on Canada, Mexico and the EU.\nAdditionally, the threat of retaliatory tariffs from Canada has very real consequences for Maine businesses, regardless of whether they take effect or not. For example, some Maine businesses are rushing to send products to Canada before the tariffs come in to effect. In some instances, this means shipping products in June that would have otherwise been shipped in December, which is putting a strain on the workforce and significantly shortening the shelf-life of food products. While these businesses will certainly be relieved if the tariffs are retracted, the scramble to prepare for the tariffs has already been costly and burdensome to them.\n\t\n\tIf the tariffs do take effect, Maine businesses will have to face the challenging decision of how to deal with increased costs. The list of Canada's proposed tariffs against the U.S. includes some of Maine's iconic specialty food products: maple syrup, strawberry jam, berry purees, and others. The detrimental effects that the tariffs would have on food businesses in Maine would surely trickle down to farmers as well.\nAll of these issues outlined above make me very worried about the long-term negative consequences for Maine businesses. To save our state's economy from further hardship and uncertainty, I urge the Administration to pursue a more coherent and methodical trade strategy and to weigh the potential repercussions carefully before taking further action. Thank you for your attention to this matter, and I look forward to your response.\n\t\n\tSincerely,\n\t  \n\t\n  Chellie Pingree\n\tMember of Congress", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-cosponsors-legislation-stop-inhumane-practice-separating", "Pingree Cosponsors Legislation to Stop Inhumane Practice of Separating Children From Parents at Border", "2018-06-14", "2018", "2018-06", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) today cosponsored the House version of the Keep Families Together Act, a companion bill to Senator Dianne Feinstein's legislation to bar the federal government from separating children from their parents at the country's border.\nI'm deeply troubled by the Administration's approach of taking children away from parents at the border. We've all heard the stories of babies being ripped out of mothers' arms. Now they're planning to build a tent city for young children, Pingree said in a video message earlier today Like many of my colleagues. I'm cosponsoring a bill that would basically prohibit this practice. We need to have an end to this. My colleagues on the Republican side should be holding hearings, making sure we have a policy that prohibits this and stop the Administration from this inhumane behavior.\nUnder the Trump Administration's \"zero-tolerance policy announced in April 2018which calls for the prosecution of all individuals who illegally enter the United Stateshundreds of children have been forcibly separated from their parents after being detained at the U.S.-Mexico border.\nPingree has also cosponsored H.R. 5950, the HELP Separated Children Act, introduced by Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA). The legislation would take a number of steps to protect children separated from their parents by ICE actions.\nPingree urged Congress to take action on the humanitarian crisis in May after reports that the Department of Health and Human Services had lost track of 1,500 undocumented children in its custody.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-supports-legislation-protect-states-have-legalized-marijuana-use", "Pingree Supports Legislation to Protect States That Have Legalized Marijuana Use", "2018-06-12", "2018", "2018-06", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) today voiced support for the bipartisan, bicameral Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States (STATES) Act, legislation introduced in the House and Senate to protect states that have legalized marijuana use from federal interference.\nI fully support efforts in Congress to keep the federal government from interfering with states like Maine that have decided to move forward with marijuana legalization. Maine voters clearly expressed their wishes to establish a legal recreational marijuana industry in our state. They shouldn't have to worry about federal prosecution for doing what is legal in their statethe same goes for legitimate marijuana-related businesses and the institutions, such as credit unions and banks, that offer them services.\nMaine is not an outlier here46 states now have laws permitting or decriminalizing marijuana. We should take steps to ensure that the federal government does not intrude on the rights of these state to govern within their borders. \nPingree will cosponsor the STATES Act, introduced in the Senate by Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Cory Gardner (R-CO), and in the House by Representatives David Joyce (R-OH) and Earl Blumenauer (D-WA). The bill amends the Controlled Substances Act so thatas long as states and tribes comply with a few basic protectionsits provisions no longer apply to any person in compliance with state or tribal laws relating to the production, possession, or distribution of marijuana.\nPingree has already cosponsored HR 2215, the SAFE Banking Act, to protect credit unions and banks that offer financial services to legitimate marijuana-related businesses in states where it is legal.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/several-agriculture-provisions-written-pingree-included-senate-farm-bill", "Several Agriculture Provisions Written by Pingree Included in Senate Farm Bill", "2018-06-08", "2018", "2018-06", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.A number of agriculture reforms to support local food and organic farming written by Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME), and mirrored in Senate companion legislation, have been included in the Senate Farm Bill released today.\nI applaud the Senate on showing what a bipartisan process for the Farm Bill can produce. I certainly wish the House had done the same. The Senate Farm Bill does a much better job supporting families and rural communities while helping farmers take advantage of the opportunities of the next five years, Pingree said. In particular, it makes important gains for local and organic farmers, an area where the House bill had fallen short. It includes streamlining local food programs, boosting organic research, reducing food waste and creating a produce prescription pilot programall things I've pushed for with bipartisan and bicameral legislation. I hope to see this Farm Bill move forward and that the House will abandon its failed partisan legislation.\nTo influence the 2018 reauthorization of the Farm Bill, Pingree wrote and introduced several bills in the House while working bicamerally to ensure companion legislation was introduced in Senate.\nHR 3941, the Local FARMS Act (companion legislation introduced by Senators Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Susan Collins of Maine): Senate bill includes provisions to consolidate existing USDA local food programs to create a one-stop hub for farmers and producers, and also establish a national produce prescription pilot.\nHR 2436, Organic Agriculture Research Act, (companion legislation introduced by Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Bob Casey of Pennsylvania): Senate bill doubles targeted funding for organic agriculture research projects.\nHR 3444, the Food Recovery Act (companion bill introduced by Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut): Senate bill contains numerous steps to reduce the national amount of food waste.\nPingree was a vocal opponent of the House's version of the Farm Billwhich was not written with Democratic input or support. She spoke against the bill on the floor several times during debate before it ultimately was voted down last month.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-announces-25-million-grant-university-maine-research-more", "Pingree Announces $2.5 million Grant for University of Maine to Research More Durable Transportation Infrastructure", "2018-06-06", "2018", "2018-06", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today announced a $2,570,600 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to the University of Maine to form a regional transportation research center. The center will focus on saving taxpayer dollars by researching ways to extend the life of New England's transportation infrastructure.\nHarsh New England winters take a toll on our roads and bridges year after year, not to mention our vehicles. The rough conditions wear out pieces of our transportation network faster than in many places, creating costly problems for our state, communities, and residents, said Pingree. This federal funding will help devise ways to make these transportation assets more durable and last longer, which will save taxpayers millions in the long run. The University of Maine's record of engineering innovationespecially at its Advanced Structures and Composites Centermakes it perfect to lead this New England partnership.\nThe University of Maine is partnering with the University of Rhode Island, University of Connecticut, University of Massachussets Lowell, University of Rhode Island, and Western New England University to create the Transportation Infrastructure Durability Center. It would harness the experience of 28 faculty and 280 student researchers in pursuing research that solves New England states' pressing transportation infrastructure durability needs.\nPingree led a joint letter of support in the House to help secure the federal grant.  \n\t  The U.S. DOT University Transportation Centers (UTC) Program awards and administers grants to partnerships of colleges and universities to advance transportation research and technology, and to develop the next generation of transportation professionals.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/video-pingree-pushes-amendment-block-funding-trump-offshore-drilling", "VIDEO: Pingree Pushes Amendment to Block Funding for Trump Offshore Drilling Plan", "2018-06-06", "2018", "2018-06", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.During Appropriations Committee markup of the FY 2019 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill today, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) offered and spoke on an amendment to prohibit funds from being used to implement the Trump Administration's proposal to open up vast new areas of the East and West coasts to offshore oil and gas drilling leases. The amendment failed along largely party lines.\nPingree, a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and the Environment, has been a vocal opponent of the Administration's proposal to open the East and West Coasts to offshore oil and gas drilling. She is a cosponsor of the New England Coastline Protection Act, which would prohibit oil and gas exploration off of the coast of New England, from Maine to Connecticut. She questioned Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke on the plan at an Appropriations hearing in April after joining subcommittee colleagues on a letter to him that called the plan \"one of the most outrageous and irresponsible proposals to come out of President Trump's Administration.\"\nPingree's remarks as prepared for delivery:\nMy amendment would prohibit the use of funds in the bill for the implementation of the Offshore Continental Shelf Drilling proposals that the Administration proposed in January of this year.\nEarlier this year, I sent a letter, along with all of my fellow Democratic members of this subcommittee, to Secretary Zinke with our view that the drilling proposal is one of the most outrageous and irresponsible proposals to come out of President Trump's Administration.\nAlthough the letter has yet to be responded to, my feelings about this have not changed and neither have the facts.\nThousands of people in the state of Maine depend on a beautiful, healthy ocean to make a livingwhich would all be jeopardized by an oil spill.\nMainers have serious concerns with this offshore drilling proposal and its inadequate public process.\nCurrently, 94 percent of the outer continental shelf is off limits to drilling. And rightly so, given the importance of protecting the economic and cultural value of the country's coastlines.\nThis draft plan would open up over 90 percent of the outer continental shelf to oil and gas drilling. From Maine to Connecticut as well as up and down the coasts of the mid-Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific and Alaska, drilling would be on the table.\nMaybe this is why there has been such widespread opposition.\nI have here some copies of letters from my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who have been opposed to this proposal.\nIn fact, many of my Republican colleagues in this very Committee have sent similar letters to the Administration requesting their coastlines be removed from the five-year plan. I have here various letters signed by Chairman Frelinghuysen, Congresswoman Herrera Beutler, Congressman Diaz Balart, Rooney, Rutherford, Harris and Taylor all opposing offshore drilling activities in one region or another. I agree with them.\nMy home state of Maine is one of the States that wants out of this plan. If you measured every inch of our state's jagged coastline and islands, it would measure an incredible 3,500 miles. Those miles include some of the most beautiful places in the world and critical habitat for hundreds of species of fish and wildlife.\nBut this is about economics as well. Two of my state's largest industries are tourism and fishing. Tourism in Maine is a $5.6 billion industry71% of which comes directly from Maine's coast.\nWe have a good banter in this Committee about which one of us has the honor to have the best seafoodis it gulf coast shrimp or Chesapeake Bay crabs? All the while knowing the true answer is Maine lobster.\nMy colleagues, all of these fisheries, all of the men and women who harvest or fish them, all the coastal communities who lives depend on them, are at risk with this OCS proposal. Nationwide, fishing, recreation and tourism generate $180 billion in GDP, and support over 2.6 million jobs, annually. And by the way, it is a proposal that they do not want.\nOur state, and other states have shown our opposition. Nearly every coastal Governor is opposed to this plan, Democrats and Republicans alike.\nFor those on the other side of the aisle that have advocated for the importance of states' rights (in most circumstances) it is a shocking turn of events to hear this Administration going around Governors, or Legislatures, or local communities to suggest opening up these areas to drilling.\nOpposition or concern about this offshore drilling proposal stretches from the Department of Defense, Air Force, and NASA, to Governors and more than 250 East Coast and Pacific Coast municipalities. There is bipartisan opposition from more than 1,700 local, state and federal elected officials; an alliance representing over 42,000 businesses and 500,000 fishing families from Florida to Maine; and also from the Pacific Northwest, New England, Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic fishery management councils.\nI urge everyone in this room, whether you represent a coastal community or not, to stand with the men and women who make their lives on the water and are opposed to the OCS proposal.\nI urge my colleagues to support this amendment.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-statement-2019-health-insurance-premium-increases", "Pingree Statement on 2019 Health Insurance Premium Increases", "2018-06-05", "2018", "2018-06", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.Responding to reports of health insurance premium increases in the individual market in Maine and across the country, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today released the following statement:\nThe plain truth is that President Trump and Republicans in Congress have made it their mission to destabilize the Affordable Care Act at the expense of Mainers who rely on its protections. These preliminary filings clearly state that next year's premium increases are a result of their actions over the past 18 months  including repealing the individual mandate and expanding access to short-term junk plans.\nMaine families need relief now. There's a lot of work to be done  we should be focusing on stabilizing the individual market, lowering premiums and deductibles, getting skyrocketing prescription drug costs under control, and making real progress toward universal health care. Instead, the Administration is acting in bad faith and undermining our entire health care system.\nPingree has been an outspoken opponent of Republican efforts to repeal or undermine the Affordable Care Act, including the tax law's repeal of the individual mandate and proposals for short-term junk plans that will roll back patient protections. These initiatives are significant drivers of the increases announced today and ultimately contribute to the loss of access to health insurance for millions of Americans.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-applauds-maine-court-s-medicaid-expansion-decision", "Pingree Applauds Maine Courts Medicaid Expansion Decision", "2018-06-04", "2018", "2018-06", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) released the following statement in response to the Maine Superior Court's decision ordering the LePage Administration to implement Medicaid Expansion:  \n\t  \n\tI applaud the Maine Superior Court's decision stating that more than 70,000 low-income Mainers should be able to sign up for health care next month. The order is clear: the LePage Administration cannot veto Maine's voter-approved Medicaid Expansion law.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-welcomes-federal-funds-support-renewable-energy-rural-maine", "Pingree Welcomes Federal Funds to Support Renewable Energy for Rural Maine Businesses", "2018-05-30", "2018", "2018-05", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Portland, MaineCongresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) welcomed over $65,000 in USDA Rural Development funds to help farms and other rural businesses in Bowdoinham, Cumberland and Freeport cuts costs through renewable power systems. During recent debate on the House's failed Farm Bill, Pingree had advocated for the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) that provides the grantsthe legislation would have eliminated mandatory funding for the program.\nFor farms and many other rural businesses, high energy expenses are a perennial concern because they have a huge impact on their bottom line. I'm so glad these local farms and businesses will be able to cut those costs and their environmental impact with the help of these grants, Pingree said. Frankly, I'm a little dumbfounded why the failed Farm Bill went after this very popular program. REAP grants leverage large amounts of private investment, bring needed money to rural communities, and increase our country's energy independence. The Farm Bill cuts could have been devastating and I will continue to fight for this program if it is targeted again. \nVideo of Pingree speaking in support of the program can be seen here under On the bill's anti-environment provisions.\"\nGrant summaries belowgrant funds are just a portion of total project costs.\n Bluebell Farm, Bowdoinham: $5,286 to install a 9.76 kWh solar array.\n\tSix River Farm, Bowdoinham: $20,000 to install 37.2 kWh solar array.\n\tAutowerkes Maine, Freeport: $20,000 to install 56.26kWh solar array.\n\tVanir Properties, Cumberland: $20,000 to install a 66.5 kWh solar array.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-statement-memorial-day-2018", "Pingree Statement on Memorial Day 2018", "2018-05-25", "2018", "2018-05", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congresswoman Chellie Pingree released the following statement in recognition of the upcoming Memorial Day.\nAs the first unofficial day of summer, it can be easy for Memorial Day to slip by without recognizing the holiday's true meaning. But we should not miss the opportunity to honor the generations of men and women who gave their lives in service to our home, freedom, and way of lifelike the two active-duty Mainers we lost over the last year, Marine Captain Benjamin Robert Cross of Bethel and Navy Seaman Austin Williams of Freeport. Today, we remember their courage, their conviction, and their sacrifice. May we shine a light on their memories and give thanks for what they have given us.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-announces-federal-support-biddeford-s-local-food-economy", "Pingree Announces Federal Support for Biddefords Local Food Economy", "2018-05-24", "2018", "2018-05", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today announced that Engine, a nonprofit organization in Biddeford, will receive technical support from Local Food, Local Places (LFLP), a federal initiative that that helps communities reinvest in existing neighborhoods and improve quality of life as they develop the local food economy. Local Food, Local Places will host a two-day planning assistance workshop to support Biddeford's historic Main Street and Mill revitalization project, which includes Engine's plan to develop an 8,000-square-foot green space, urban rooftop garden, and grow local food-related businesses.  \n\t  \n\tThis federal support will be a major asset in keeping up the momentum of Biddeford's downtown revitalization. Over the last 10 years, it has been exciting to watch Biddeford rebuild its local economy with new manufacturers and other creative entrepreneurs. Bringing food production there to the next level has huge potential for drawing more attention and investment to the community. I congratulate Engine for undertaking this exciting local food initiative and hope the technical assistance Local Food, Local Places provides helps to put their project on a fast track for success, said Congresswoman Chellie Pingree  \n\t  \n\tAt the two-day workshop, a team of experts will help community members develop an implementable action plan that promotes local food and neighborhood revitalization. Click here to see examples of action plans from past community workshops organized through this assistance. This assistance is not a grant, and the program does not provide money directly to communities.  \n\t  \n\tThe LFLP initiative is supported by the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Delta Regional Authority. Since its launch in 2014, LFLP has helped 78 communities across the country develop local food enterprises, such as farmers markets, community gardens and cooperative grocery stores, that improve environmental, economic and health outcomes.  \n\t  \n\tFor more information about LFLP 2018 projects (PDF): https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2018-05/documents/2018_summary_report_05-21-18-508.pdf  \n\tFor more information on LFLP: https://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/local-foods-local-places  \n\tFor more information on previous LFLP awards in Maine: https://epa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Cascade/index.html?appid=23a2be73da6d48f699655195f62d3158", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-votes-house-passage-national-defense-authorization-act", "Pingree Votes for House Passage of National Defense Authorization Act", "2018-05-24", "2018", "2018-05", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congresswoman Chellie Pingree released the following statement after voting in support of the National Defense Authorization Act, which the House passed earlier today.\nThe National Defense Authorization Act for FY19 is critical for Maine's economy in a number of ways. I am proud to support funding for the DDG-1000 and DDG-51 ships, ensuring economic security for the world-class shipbuilders at Bath Iron Works. This bill also ensures upgrades to strengthen the operations and competitiveness of Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, which directly contributed $750 million to Maine and New Hampshire's economies in 2017.\nThis bill supports our military families with a much-deserved military pay raise of 2.6 percent and a prescription drug-monitoring program to help address opioid addiction within the military.\n\t\n\tThis bill isn't perfectfew are. It contains funding for a low-yield nuclear warhead that I oppose and voted to strip from the bill in an amendment. I was deeply disappointed by this bill's cuts to programs such as the Office of Economic Adjustment. It has provided important funding for the economic redevelopment efforts at Brunswick Landing, the site of the former Brunswick Naval Air Station. As the bill makes its way toward final passage, I will work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to try to restore funding.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/house-farm-bill-fails-pass", "House Farm Bill Fails to Pass", "2018-05-18", "2018", "2018-05", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) released the following statement after the House voted down the GOP's partisan Farm Bill today.\nI'm glad this partisan legislation did not pass. It would have taken food assistance away from millions of Americans, weakened environmental stewardship of the nation's farmlands, and left Maine farmers and rural communities ill-prepared for the challenges and the opportunities of the next five years.\n\"When it comes to food, there is much we can agree on. It was foolish to turn this Farm Bill into such a partisan debate and shut Democrats out of the processits failure today is proof of that. I hope now we can start over and work on a bipartisan Farm Bill that better serves our communities, farmers, and environment.\"\nA member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Pingree spoke on the floor several times this week in opposition to the bill.\nOn the bill's anti-environment provisions.  \nFeaturing story of Maine farmer Josh Girard to highlight mandatory funding cuts to programs that have invested million of dollars in Maine farms and rural businesses.  \nAgainst an amendment to cut funding for Value Added Producer Grants, which have been highly successful in helping Maine farmers increase their revenue and create jobs.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/fcc-announces-net-neutrality-expiration-june-10", "FCC Announces Net Neutrality Expiration on June 10", "2018-05-15", "2018", "2018-05", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DCThe Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced that the action it took last December to rollback Net Neutrality rules will go into effect on June 10th unless Congress passes legislation to keep the Internet free and open. Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) is one of 160 co-sponsors of Representative Mike Doyles (D-PA) Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to overturn the FCC's controversial decision on Obama-era Net Neutrality rules. Senator Edward Markey (D-MA) has sponsored a companion bill in the Senate.  \n\t  \n\tPresident Trumps FCC Commissioner ignored millions of public comments to overturn Net Neutrality rules. Commissioner Pai's decision will have huge economic consequences for Mainers. Eighty percent of Americans use the Internet to find a job while nearly all businesses need an online presence to connect with consumers, said Pingree.If there is one issue that cuts across party lines, its Internet freedom for all. I have heard from thousands of Mainers who feel the FCC has just given telecommunications companies a giveaway at their expense. I urge Speaker Ryan to let us vote on House Resolution 129 before Net Neutrality rules expire in a few weeks.  \n\t  Read H.J.Res. 129.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/statement-house-republicans-introduction-trump-rescissions-package", "Statement on House Republicans' Introduction of Trump Rescissions Package", "2018-05-10", "2018", "2018-05", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "PORTLAND, MAINE  Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), member of the House Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on the rescissions package submitted by President Trump that House Republican leadership introduced last night:\nIf President Trump really cared about fiscal responsibility, he wouldnt have signed a tax reform package that put us on the path to trillion dollar deficits with little benefit to working families. Now, generous tax breaks for the wealthy are being used to justify eliminating funds that, of all things, were set aside to provide children's health care and help disaster-struck communities recover. The Administrations misplaced priorities couldnt be any clearer.  \n\t  \n\tThe process of this rescission package goes beyond the pale in bypassing the Appropriations Committee entirely to go right to the House floor. Caving to the Presidents latest whims in this way would set a harmful precedent. Congress can barely keep the governments doors open as is. Knowing that tough decisions about spending agreements can be reversed at any time will only make the process more difficult and uncertain. With so many issues deserving Congress attention, I cant believe were wasting valuable time with this rescission package.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-announces-five-national-endowment-arts-awards-maine-s-first", "Pingree Announces Five National Endowment for the Arts Awards in Maines First Congressional District", "2018-05-09", "2018", "2018-05", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today announced five National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) grant awards totaling more than $900,000 for organizations in Maines first district congressional district.  \n\t  \n\tI am pleased to announce that the NEA has once again made a significant investment in Maines creative economy, said Pingree, co-chair of the bipartisan congressional Arts Caucus. From the performing arts to youth writing programs, these NEA grants will go a long way to supporting Maine artists and the communities that benefit from their work.  \n\t  Maine Arts Commission -- $749,400  \n\tTo support arts programs, services, and activities associated with carrying out your agencys NEA-approved strategic plan.  \n\t  Maine College of Art (aka MECA) -- $40,000  \n\tTo support the exhibition Traces, Tracks, & Pathways: Making Migration Visible.  \n\tThe exhibition, developed in collaboration with Colby College and the Institute for Contemporary Art at Maine College of Art, will examine ways to understand displacement, exile, and mobility, by presenting artwork and stories that interpret loss of home and the pursuit of a new one. The exhibition will include works by artists exploring issues of migration such as Jason De Leon, Mohamad Hafez, Patricia Tinajero, Edwige Charlot, Emily Jacir, and Daniel Quintanilla. The exhibition will expose a regional audience to the complexities of displacement and migration and will be accompanied by talks and dialogues with local community members at a variety of venues, as well as an online compendium of pertinent readings and a printed exhibition catalogue.  \n\t  Portland Ovations -- $25,000  \n\tTo support a series of multidisciplinary performing arts presentations.  \n\tImmersive and interactive performances will include presentations by artists and ensembles including theater company 600 Highwaymen, American Contemporary Music Ensemble, and dance company Keigwin & Company, among others. Many of the presentations will take place in site-specific locations throughout Portland, and may include local artists and community members in performances.  \n\t  Telling Room -- $15,000  \n\tTo support the Young Writers and Leaders Program.  \n\tThe nine-month writing and literary arts program offers training in creative writing, public speaking, and visual arts to high school students who are English Language Learners. Working with a mentor, each student explores a variety of forms of writing, crafts a personal narrative, creates rich multimedia projects, and participates in public performances. The program also offers one-week seasonal intensives.  \n\t  Waterville Regional Arts and Community Center (aka Waterville Creates!) -- $75,000  \n\tTo support community engagement and design for historic Castonguay Square.  \n\tLocated in the center of town, the square will be the focus of a community design process that will include an introductory placemaking workshop, community design charrettes, and meetings with key stakeholders, all led by a professional design firm. The project will be a partnership of Waterville Creates!, the City of Waterville, and Colby College. The square's renovation, conceived as a reinvigorated public gathering space and focus of community pride, is being driven by recent private investment in downtown Waterville, which has a population of 16,000.  \n\t  \n\tThese awards are part of a second major round of NEA grants for fiscal year 2018. Todays announcement includes more than $80.5 million in grants across all artistic disciplines that were awarded to nonprofit organizations in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. These grants are for specific projects and range from performances and exhibitions, to healing arts and arts education programs, to festivals and artist residencies.\nMore information is available here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-joins-secretary-agriculture-perdue-roundtable-food-waste", "Pingree Joins Secretary of Agriculture Perdue for Roundtable on Food Waste Reduction", "2018-05-08", "2018", "2018-05", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) today joined U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, as well as her colleague Congressman David Young (R-IA) and stakeholders, for a roundtable discussion on the issue of food waste.\nI applaud Secretary Perdue for exploring what USDA can do to help reduce the massive amount of food that goes to waste in the United States. As food waste is a costly problem for farmers, businesses, and consumers, I think its an issue we can all get behind, said Pingree. While Ive introduced legislation to reform policies and programs to reduce food waste, I think there are opportunities for USDA to start tackling this issue immediately, including more closely coordinating with other agencies like FDA and EPA that also have a stake in this issue. I appreciate Secretary Perdue for listening to stakeholders today and for committing to take action.\nLast week, Pingree joined Congressman Young to launch the bipartisan House Food Waste Caucus, which will look at ways to promote food waste reduction across the food supply chain; provide educational opportunities to Congressional members and staff; support efforts to reduce food waste at federal agencies including USDA and EPA; and collaborate with diverse stakeholders to highlight food waste success stories.\nIn the last two Congresses, Pingree has introduced comprehensive legislation to address food waste across the supply chain. For more information on HR 3444, the Food Recovery Act, go to: https://pingree.house.gov/foodwaste.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-statement-president-trump-s-decision-withdraw-us-iran-nuclear", "Pingree Statement on President Trumps Decision to Withdraw the U.S. from the Iran Nuclear Agreement", "2018-05-08", "2018", "2018-05", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) issued the following statement after President Trump announced he would pull the United States out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action:\nPresident Trumps decision to unilaterally break the Iran nuclear deal is unjustified, reckless and will make our country less safe.\n\t\n\tThe Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JSPOA) was working. United Nations inspectors have certified that Iran has been abiding by its obligations to stop nuclear weapons development activities and increase transparency of its facilities. Just two weeks ago, Secretary of Defense Mattis testified before Congress that the JCPOAs inspection regime was actually pretty robust.\n\t\n\tPresident Trump is putting his personal whims above our national security interests. As a candidate, Donald Trump promised to break President Obamas signature national security accomplishment, and he has spent his presidency contriving a rationale to do so, regardless of facts. Former Secretary Tillerson and former National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster reportedly counseled the President to stay in JCPOA, but both were fired.\n\t\n\tNone of us wants a nuclear Iran. We should build off the JCPOA to address Irans missiles and support for terror, not rip up a functioning agreement. President Trump offers no alternative other than tough-guy rhetoric. This misguided decision risks putting Iran back on the nuclear weapons development track.\n\t\n\tThe Presidents decision to pull out of a functioning multilateral security agreement signals that the United States is not a reliable partner that stands by its word. This decision also distances us from allies like France and Germany. Why would Kim Jong Un trust President Trump on a North Korean nuclear deal now?", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-announces-wounded-warrior-fellowship-opportunity-local-veteran", "Pingree Announces Wounded Warrior Fellowship Opportunity for Local Veteran", "2018-05-07", "2018", "2018-05", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "PORTLAND, MAINECongresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) is seeking a wounded warrior or medically retired veteran for a two-year paid fellowship in her Portland District office. This Veterans Constituent Services and Field Representative will assist veterans and active-duty military personnel with casework and will provide community outreach on behalf of the Congresswoman.  \n\t  \n\tI am grateful that our office is able to offer a Wounded Warrior Fellowship once again. Our prior Fellow brought extensive military experience to his position serving the unique needs of returning service members and their families. I look forward to welcoming a new Wounded Warrior fellow to my staff, said Pingree.  \n\t  \n\tThe Wounded Warrior Fellowship Program was established by the House of Representatives to provide employment opportunities for wounded or disabled veterans within member offices and with the goal of training a new generation of veteran leaders for government service.   \n\t  \n\tThe program is limited to veterans who meet all of the following requirements: Honorably discharged, released from active duty within the last five years, terminal pay grades at or below E-5 or O-3, 20% or greater service connected disabilities (waived if you have a Purple Heart). Veterans who are in receipt of a 20-year or Temporary Early Retirement Authorization (TERA) retirement are not eligible for the program.\n Interested veterans should go to https://www.usajobs.gov/ and search Wounded Warrior Fellowship Program for more information and how to apply.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-announces-6-million-fund-casco-bay-lines-ferry-replacement", "Pingree Announces $6 Million to Fund Casco Bay Lines Ferry Replacement", "2018-05-03", "2018", "2018-05", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "PORTLAND, MAINECongresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) announced today that Casco Bay Lines in Portland would receive a $6 million Federal Transit Administration grant to replace a ferry boat that has exceeded its useful life.\nIm very pleased that Casco Bay Lines will receive this vital funding to help keep its fleet running smoothly, said Pingree. These ferries not only give thousands of tourists a taste of what Maine islands have to offer, but are key to the sustainability of year-round island communities. I am a proud advocate for the Passenger Ferry Program in Congress both for its value to our economy and way of life.\nCasco Bay Lines has two ferries that will reach the end of their useful lives over the next five years, and will soon be deciding which one to replace with these funds.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-urges-lepage-implement-medicaid-expansion-approved-voters", "Pingree Urges LePage to Implement Medicaid Expansion Approved by Voters", "2018-04-30", "2018", "2018-04", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "PORTLAND, Maine  Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today released the following statement calling on Maines Governor to implement the nations first-ever voter-approved Medicaid Expansion law:  \n\t  \n\tThe LePage Administrations continued attempts to veto Maine voters is cruel and costly. By delaying Medicaid Expansion yet again, Governor LePage is leaving tens of thousands of Mainers without health care coverage and keeping millions of federal dollars out of our state. I urge the governor to listen to the voters and implement Medicaid Expansion so that 80,000 people will finally gain access to care.  \n\t  \n\tLast fall, after nearly 60 percent of Maine voters approved Medicaid Expansion at the ballot box, Pingree authored an op-ed for the Bangor Daily News urging Governor LePage not to stand in the way of health care for Maines most vulnerable. Read her full op-ed here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "truncated": false, "filtered_table_rows_count": 158, "expanded_columns": [], "expandable_columns": [], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "units": {}, "query": {"sql": "select url, title, date, year, month, party, chamber, state, member_name, bioguide_id, domain, scraper, source, date_source, text, has_text, collected_at, updated_at from releases where \"party\" = :p0 and \"state\" = :p1 and \"year\" = :p2 order by date desc limit 101", "params": {"p0": "Democrat", "p1": "ME", "p2": "2018"}}, "facet_results": {"party": {"name": "party", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=ME&year=2018", "results": [{"value": "Democrat", "label": "Democrat", "count": 158, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=ME&year=2018", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "chamber": {"name": "chamber", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=ME&year=2018", "results": [{"value": "House", "label": "House", "count": 158, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=ME&year=2018&chamber=House", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "state": {"name": "state", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=ME&year=2018", "results": [{"value": "ME", "label": "ME", "count": 158, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&year=2018", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "year": {"name": "year", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=ME&year=2018", "results": [{"value": "2018", "label": "2018", "count": 158, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=ME", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}}, "suggested_facets": [], "next": "2018-04-30,https~3A~2F~2Fpingree~2Ehouse~2Egov~2Fmedia-center~2Fpress-releases~2Fpingree-urges-lepage-implement-medicaid-expansion-approved-voters", "next_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=ME&year=2018&_next=2018-04-30%2Chttps~3A~2F~2Fpingree~2Ehouse~2Egov~2Fmedia-center~2Fpress-releases~2Fpingree-urges-lepage-implement-medicaid-expansion-approved-voters&_sort_desc=date", "private": false, "allow_execute_sql": true, "query_ms": 181.11157696694136, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}