url,title,date,year,month,party,chamber,state,member_name,bioguide_id,domain,scraper,source,date_source,text,has_text,collected_at,updated_at https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/sanctions-imposed-russia-appropriate-response-election-hacking,Sanctions imposed on Russia for an appropriate response for election hacking,2016-12-29,2016,2016-12,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree released the following statement President Obama’s decision to impose sanctions on Russia for election-related hacking. ""It has been confirmed by the FBI and Department of Homeland Security as well as leading intelligence experts that Russia acted deliberately to influence the Presidential election. Given the stakes and what this means for the integrity of our democracy, action needs to be taken and I support President Obama's decision to pursue meaningful sanctions against those responsible. “We must respond accordingly to any foreign government's attempts to influence or corrupt our democratic process. These sanctions are an appropriate response. I hope that the incoming administration will follow President Obama's lead and stand firm—our democracy demands it.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/urging-air-force-address-real-id-issue-could-prevent-veterans-accessing,Urging Air Force to address REAL ID issue that could prevent veterans from accessing health care,2016-12-22,2016,2016-12,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree sent a later today urging the U.S. Air Force to help address a REAL ID issue that could prevent hundreds of Maine veterans from continuing to receive their health care at a Veterans Affairs (VA) clinic on Pease Air National Guard Base in Newington, New Hampshire.  Pingree was joined on the letter by Congresswoman Ann McLane Kuster of New Hampshire.  The 500 Maine veterans who receive their primary health care at the Community Based Outpatient Clinic on the base were recently notified that, after February 1, their Maine driver’s license and VA health care ID will no longer be sufficient to gain access to the base. The change in policy comes as the REAL ID Act is implemented—Maine driver’s licenses are not yet compliant with the law. “I’ve heard from many veterans who are concerned about not being able to see their doctors when this change goes into effect. They don’t want to have to jump through yet another bureaucratic hoop to get the health care they have earned—and I don’t think they should have to,” said Pingree.  “Thankfully, it is within the Air Force’s authority to make an exception for veterans like them. After hearing about how these veterans will be affected, I hope the Air Force acts quickly to resolve the issue.”  Department of Homeland Security guidelines state that after January 31, 2017, visitors to military bases must present a REAL ID-compliant form of identification—such as a passport—or a driver’s license from a state that has received an extension.  Maine’s latest request for an extension was denied and New Hampshire’s current extension is set to expire next October. Veterans from other non-compliant states are facing a similar situation. In response, the Department of Defense issued follow-up guidance allowing an exception for those accessing VA health care on base. Under the exception, the combination of a driver’s license and a VA Health Identification Card would be enough to gain access.   The notification sent to Maine veterans can be seen here. Letter Text The Honorable Deborah Lee James Secretary United States Air Force 1690 Air Force Pentagon Washington, DC 20330-1670 Dear Secretary James, We write to you to highlight an issue that is rapidly approaching for hundreds of Maine veterans who receive care at Pease Air National Guard Base in Newington, NH.  Currently, 500 veterans in Maine receive care at the Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) located on the base. Unfortunately, due to the REAL ID implementation and the State of Maine not yet being in compliance with that law, these veterans anticipate an issue gaining access to the base to access this care. We are familiar with this particular case, but there are several other bases throughout the country facing a similar issue. Department of Homeland Security guidance states the following:  “Starting January 31, 2017, visitors seeking access to military bases and almost all Federal facilities using their state-issued driver’s licenses or identification cards must present proper identification issued by REAL ID compliant states or a state that has received an extension. When planning a visit to a Federal facility or military base, visitors should contact the facility to determine what identification will be accepted.” In light of this guidance, it is our understanding that the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) issued follow-up guidance outlining a REAL ID exception for those entering a DOD installation to access VA health care on base. Under this guidance, veterans looking to access the base can do so with the combination of a state drivers license and a Veteran Health Identification Card Issued by the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). We urge the Air Force to adopt this DOD guidance and allow Veterans access to installations like Pease Air National Guard Base with their VA Health Identification Card. It is imperative that veterans are allowed to receive the health care they deserve on joint military installations without undue complications due to the REAL ID law and the related federal regulation. Thank you for your work on behalf of our servicemembers and for your attention to this critical matter. I look forward to hearing from you.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congresswaomn-pingree-fairpoint-reverse-decision-holiday-layoffs,Congresswoman Pingree to Fairpoint: reverse decision on holiday layoffs,2016-12-20,2016,2016-12,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree joined several of her colleagues from Northern New England in sending a letter to FairPoint late last week asking the company to reverse its decision to lay off 10 percent of its workforce during the holidays. FairPoint’s move comes while Consolidated Communications is negotiating to purchase the company. In a letter to FairPoint CEO Paul Sunu, the Members said, “We write regarding our concern for your employees and their families given the recent announcement by FairPoint that it will lay off 10 percent of its workforce in Northern New England. This will impact Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, and will be rolled out at a particularly difficult time of year. … We urge you to reverse this decision and send the clear message that FairPoint values its workers and the communities in which the company operates.” Pingree was joined by Senator Patrick Leahy, Senator Bernie Sanders, and Representative Peter Welch of Vermont, as well as Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Representative Ann Kuster of New Hampshire.  Full text of the letter is below and a signed copy is available here. December 16, 2016 Paul H. Sunu Chief Executive Officer FairPoint Communications 521 E Morehead Street, Suite 500 Charlotte, NC 28202 Dear Mr. Sunu: We write regarding our concern for your employees and their families given the recent announcement by FairPoint that it will lay off 10 percent of its workforce in Northern New England. This will impact Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, and will be rolled out at a particularly difficult time of year. Understanding that Consolidated Communications is working to acquire FairPoint for a significant sum of $1.5 billion, we ask you work on a seamless transition that avoids any employee layoffs. As our largest telecommunications provider, we have contacted you several times throughout your tenure operating in Northern New England.  We have been frustrated with inconsistent customer service, a stagnant infrastructure, and unattended service outages. We have always worked to better the services available to our states, and we have always appreciated the contributions of FairPoint employees to our states’ workforce. It is in that spirit that we sincerely hope the sale, if approved, will result in improved customer service, expanded access to broadband service in rural areas, and the creation of more good jobs in our communities, not a reduction in workforce or a relocation of the workforce. However, it is deeply distressing that one of FairPoint’s last actions in our three states is laying off even more workers.  We urge you to reverse this decision and send the clear message that FairPoint values its workers and the communities in which the company operates.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congresswoman-pingree-helps-lead-bipartisan-effort-support-hops-research,Congresswoman Pingree helps lead bipartisan effort to support hops research,2016-12-19,2016,2016-12,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"A brewing industry roundtable Pingree hosted in July 2016 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Reps. Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Peter DeFazio. (D-OR), Erik Paulsen (R-MN), and Chellie Pingree (D-ME) led 100 other Members in a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and USDA Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics, Dr. Cathie Woteki. The letter requests that USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) increase its commitment to hop-related research to reflect the growing cultural and economic importance of this crop. The Members wrote in the letter:  “Overall, the brewing industry generated more than $250 billion in economic activity in 2014, directly and indirectly employing over 1.75 million Americans. This activity is only sustained through a healthy, stable hop market. Hop growers face a variety of challenges, including mites, mildews, blights, and other pests that harm production….The development of new hop varieties that are pest-resistant and climate-tolerant would help growers increase yields while reducing pesticide use. Additionally, while commercial hop production now exists in 29 states, developing new climate-tolerant varieties could help further expand commercial production, putting growers closer to their customers and reducing the threat that a disaster in the Pacific Northwest would affect U.S. and global supplies.”  ""Maine brewers are buying up every ounce of locally grown hops, yet less than 1 percent of hops used by Maine brewers are supplied by local growers. The barrier to growth in the hop farming industry is not a lack of market demand. The barrier to growth is at the ground level; it is the ongoing challenges presented by pests and diseases that are slowing the growth of the hop farming sector while driving up costs for Maine's brewers and beer consumers,"" said Sean Sullivan, Executive Director of the Maine Brewers' Guild. ""Maine brewers applaud Congresswoman Pingree and her colleagues for their efforts to increase funding for hops research. We are confident that Maine's hop growers,  brewers, and institutions that perform hops research, like UMaine Cooperative Extension, would directly benefit."" Background Currently, USDA’s Agriculture Research Service (ARS) has committed 1.7 full time employee (FTE) scientists to conduct research into hops – one scientist who researches hops pathology, and another who commits 70 percent of efforts to hops genetics research. Despite the growth of the U.S. brewing industry over the past decade to generate more than $250 billion in economic activity, and indirectly support more than 1.75 million jobs, ARS research still only offers a 1.7 FTEs in hop research. Additionally, it has been reported that many brewers are having trouble procuring the types of hops that they need for brewing because the slowly-increasing supplies cannot keep up with the rapidly-growing demand. Signers of the letter include Reps. Newhouse, DeFazio, Paulsen, Pingree, Bilirakis, Bishop (GA), Blumenauer, Bonamici, Bost, Boustany, Butterfield, Cárdenas, Carter (GA), Chabot, Cicilline, Comstock, Conyers, Costello, Cramer, DelBene, DesJarlais, Duffy, Emmer, Farenthold, Farr, Fudge, Gallego, Garamendi, Hanna, Heck (WA), Herrera Beutler, Higgins, Hudson, Huizenga, Huffman, Hurd, Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX), Jones, Kaptur, Kelly (PA), Kilmer, Kind, King (NY), Kuster, Lamborn, Larsen, Lieu, Lipinski, LoBiondo, Loebsack, Lofgren, Lowenthal, Lucas, Luetkemeyer, Lujan Grisham, Lynch, Marino, McCaul, McCollum, McGovern, McHenry, McMorris Rodgers, Meadows, Meehan, Moore, Moulton, Neal, Nolan, Norton, Pascrell, Payne, Pearce, Plaskett, Pocan, Polis, Reichert, Renacci, Rooney, Rouzer, Rush, Sensenbrenner, Schrader, David Scott (GA), Simpson, Sinema, Smith (NE), Speier, Stefanik, Thompson (MS), Thompson (PA), Tipton, Titus, Tonko, Tsongas, Vargas, Wagner, Walberg, Watson Coleman, Welch, Yarmuth, Yoder, Young (AK), Zeldin, Zinke. Full letter text December 1, 2016 The Honorable Tom Vilsack Secretary United States Department of Agriculture 1400 Independence Ave., SW  Washington, DC 20250 Dr. Cathie Woteki Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics United States Department of Agriculture 1400 Independence Ave., SW  Washington, DC 20250 Dear Secretary Vilsack and Under Secretary Woteki: We write to request your support for an industry that has been a model of U.S. economic growth over the past decade. The brewing industry sustains millions of jobs in the U.S., and especially through the emerging popularity of craft brewing, has boosted domestic sales and exports, and supports a growing supply chain of U.S. farmers, manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers. U.S. hop cultivation is central to this industry, and we request USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) increase its commitment to hop-related research to reflect the growing cultural and economic importance of this crop for FY 2017. Overall, the brewing industry generated more than $250 billion in economic activity in 2014, directly and indirectly employing over 1.75 million Americans. This activity is only sustained through a healthy, stable hop market. Hop growers face a variety of challenges, including mites, mildews, blights, and other pests that harm production. It is estimated that 15 percent of hop yields are lost to pests annually. The increased threat of drought and extreme heat in the Pacific Northwest, where the majority of U.S. commercially-produced hops are grown, is also a persistent threat to crops. The development of new hop varieties that are pest-resistant and climate-tolerant would help growers increase yields while reducing pesticide use. Additionally, while commercial hop production now exists in 29 states, developing new climate-tolerant varieties could help further expand commercial production, putting growers closer to their customers and reducing the threat that a disaster in the Pacific Northwest would affect U.S. and global supplies. USDA’s previous hop research has resulted in the development of varieties that are now universal to the industry. The two largest varieties of U.S.-produced hops, Cascade and Centennial, are products of public hop breeding programs. As consumers continue to demand beers with new aroma and flavor traits, research into developing these characteristics could result in significant benefit to growers, brewers, and the customers they serve. Given these great advantages that would come with additional research, we request that USDA-ARS increase the commitment to hops genetics/molecular biology from 0.7 full time employees (FTE) to 1.0 FTE, while continuing to fund the existing 1.0 FTE pathology research program for FY 2017. This critical boost in research would result in breakthroughs in hop cultivation that will help sustain the significant growth of this important industry.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/usda-issues-new-guidance-food-date-labeling,USDA issues new guidance on food date labeling,2016-12-19,2016,2016-12,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree applauded guidance the USDA released yesterday encouraging manufacturers to use a “Best if used by” date label.  “It’s estimated that 30 percent of the food consumers purchase gets thrown out.  Much of that waste has to do with confusion over the meaning of a barrage of inconsistent date labels—‘Best by,’ ‘Sell by,’ and ‘Use by’ among them. The USDA’s new guidance is welcome progress toward reducing consumer confusion by encouraging manufacturers to adopt a consistent standard,” said Pingree. “The next step is to formalize date labeling phrasing in legislation, to establish a uniform system, and make sure states do not restrict the donation of food that has passed its date. I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress to advance legislation that reduces both food waste and consumer confusion around date labels.” Earlier this year, Pingree introduced the Food Date Labeling Act.  The bill establishes a uniform national system for date labeling that clearly distinguishes between foods that bear a label indicating peak quality from foods that bear a label indicating they may become unsafe to consume past the date. This bill would also ensure that food is allowed to be sold or donated after its quality date, and educate consumers about the meaning of new labels so that they can make better economic and safety decisions.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/video-dairy-industry-roundtable,VIDEO: Dairy Industry Roundtable,2016-12-19,2016,2016-12,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Pingree held a roundtable for stakeholders from Maine's dairy industry on December 15 to get their feedback on how federal programs are working for them.  With her is USDA Farm Services Agency Deputy Administrator Brad Pfaff, who oversees some of these programs.  The event was the second she held to collect feedback from Mainers ahead of Congress' upcoming reauthorization of the Farm Bill. The first was held in Wiscasett in November.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-applauds-new-rules-protect-nation-s-contract-poultry-farmers,Pingree applauds new rules to protect nations contract poultry farmers,2016-12-14,2016,2016-12,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Pingree talks with a group of contract poultry farmers about the unfair practices large processors have subjected them to. Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today applauded the release of new Farmer Fair Practice Rules by the USDA Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA).  The new rules will help level the playing field between poultry farmers and the large processors they contract with. “I applaud the release of these long-awaited protections.  They are absolutely necessary in supporting farmers across the country by promoting transparency, equity, and certainty in contract farming,” said Pingree.  “I had dinner with a group of contract poultry farmers just last week.  It was appalling to hear how these unbalanced contracts go beyond just hurting their businesses to actually forcing their families into poverty or causing them to lose their homes."" The rules include one interim final rule clarifying that farmers do not have to show competitive injury under the Packers and Stockyards Act, as well as two proposed rules that address additional abusive and unfair practices in contract poultry farming. On the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Pingree has actively fought against appropriations amendments that have blocked the USDA from writing the rules for years. She helped defeat such an amendment last year, which allowed USDA to finally release the rules.  “Saying these rules are long overdue is an understatement,” said Pingree.  “It’s a travesty that Congress has held them up for so many years—despite my best efforts and that of several colleagues—but I very much appreciate the Obama Administration for prioritizing them.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/exxonmobil-ceo-rex-tillerson-nominated-secretary-state,ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson nominated as Secretary of State,2016-12-13,2016,2016-12,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree released the following statement on President-elect Trump’s nomination of ExxonMobil chairman and CEO Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State.  “In itself, Rex Tillerson’s lack of experience in foreign policy and diplomatic relations raises serious questions that should be examined closely.  But what’s most concerning right now is his close connection to Russia.  With all that we are discovering about Russia’s work to sway the outcome of our election, it’s deeply troubling to see a possible Secretary of State who not only has ongoing business interests in Russia but a personal closeness to Vladimir Putin.  I urge my colleagues in the Senate to look at all of these questions very closely.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rick-perry-wrong-choice-secretary-energy,Rick Perry wrong choice for Secretary of Energy,2016-12-13,2016,2016-12,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree released the following statement today on news that President-elect Trump will nominate former Texas Governor Rick Perry as Secretary of Energy. “As Maine is already dealing with the effects of climate change, it’s crucial that our country move away from fossil fuels while promoting energy efficiency and developing sources of clean, renewable power.  The Department of Energy has a key role in these efforts.  Over the last eight years, the agency’s investments have been vital in advancing exciting projects in Maine, from the University of Maine’s development of an offshore wind turbine to Ocean Renewable Power Company’s tidal generators.  With his fondness for fossil fuels, denials of climate change, and past proposals to disband the Department of Energy outright, I think Governor Perry will take our energy policy and economy in the wrong direction.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-praises-maine-wins-water-infrastructure-bill,Pingree praises Maine wins in water infrastructure bill,2016-12-10,2016,2016-12,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree applauded Senate passage of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act, reauthorizing several water infrastructure projects nationwide and in Maine. Pingree voted in support when the House passed the legislation on Thursday. It will now be sent to the President for signature. ""I am very glad that this important legislation will now become law. The authorization of our Portsmouth Harbor and Piscataqua River Project—one of only a select few specified projects in the final bill—will bring better navigation to those who use the river and harbor,” said Pingree.  “And I am very encouraged that the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund now will have a 10 percent set aside for small and emerging harbors.  Maine's small harbors are critical economic drivers for our communities and many are in dire need of federal support for dredging. As they've had such a hard time competing against the nation's large harbors for assistance, I've long advocated for this dedicated source of funding.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/obama-opens-federal-investigation-election-related-hacking,Obama opens federal investigation into election-related hacking,2016-12-09,2016,2016-12,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree released the following statement on news today that President Obama has ordered an investigation into election-related hacking. ""I appreciate that President Obama has called for a full investigation into election-related hacking. The prospect that a foreign power meddled in our democratic process is extremely concerning and it’s imperative that we find out as much as we can.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/remembering-maine-conservation-leader-bill-townsend,Remembering Maine conservation leader Bill Townsend,2016-12-09,2016,2016-12,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree released the following statement today on the death of Maine conservation leader Bill Townsend. “Maine has a proud legacy of standing up for the conservation and restoration of our spectacular natural resources. Bill Townsend represents the most effective and passionate of these advocates.  His passionate leadership for Maine’s rivers and environment has left an indelible mark throughout the state, both in the organizations he helped lead and the causes he advocated for.  I truly appreciate and admire his contributions to our great state.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/marking-75th-anniversary-attack-pearl-harbor,Marking 75th anniversary of attack on Pearl Harbor,2016-12-07,2016,2016-12,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Meeting with Pearl Harbor veteran Jim Watson of South Portland in 2015 Congresswoman Chellie Pingree released the following statement to recognize the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.  “President Franklin Roosevelt rightly predicted that December 7, 1941, would ‘live in infamy.’ The attack on Pearl Harbor still represents one of the darkest days in American history, and 75 years have done nothing to diminish the terrible sacrifices made by the 2,335 service members and 68 civilians who lost their lives that day.   “But within that nightmare, there were also many stories of resilience, courage, and strength that defined our nation’s response.  Today we pay tribute to that spirit as well. “As we say goodbye to the generation of veterans who were there to see it firsthand, may we take special steps to ensure that their stories are told, their memories are preserved, and their bravery not forgotten.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-applauds-60-million-modification-biw-contract,Pingree applauds $60 million modification for BIW contract,2016-12-07,2016,2016-12,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree lauded the announcement of a $59.4 million contract modification to BIW. ""I am excited to see the Navy award‎ this funding to Bath Iron Works as part of this contract modification. This is money well spent. It is further proof of the great work done by the men and women at BIW and the Navy's recognition of that.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/statement-proposed-sale-fairpoint-communications-consolidated,Statement on Proposed Sale of FairPoint Communications to Consolidated Communications,2016-12-07,2016,2016-12,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"(Washington, DC) – Today Representatives Annie Kuster (NH-02), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), and Peter Welch (VT-AL) released the following statement on the proposed sale of FairPoint Communications to Consolidated Communications: “Thousands of customers across our districts rely on FairPoint Communications for access to internet and phone services both at home and at their businesses. Any acquisition or merger of FairPoint must ensure that these services are not disrupted or reduced. As the Federal Communications Commission examines this merger we will push to ensure that the economic competitiveness of our region is carefully taken into consideration. We will closely monitor this proposed merger to ensure that there is no negative impact to our constituents that rely on FairPoint services.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/ruth-moore-act-provision-clears-important-legislative-step,Ruth Moore Act provision clears important legislative step,2016-12-06,2016,2016-12,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"The House today passed a key provision from the Ruth Moore Act, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree’s legislation to help survivors of military sexual trauma obtain disability benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Reporting language was included in a larger package of veterans-related legislation, the bipartisan Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act of 2016, which is likely to receive a vote in the Senate.  “I’m grateful that language from the Ruth Moore Act was included in this bill, and I hope the Senate takes swift action on the legislation. It will provide the information we need to make sure the VA follows through on its promises to fairly treat our veterans,” Pingree said. “But there is more to be done. I will continue pushing the VA and Congress to ease the burdensome standards that survivors of military sexual assault must meet to receive benefits.”   Pingree also gave remarks on the floor.  Full text is below. Congresswoman Pingree has long championed helping survivors of military sexual trauma obtain disability benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs.  The bill to make these changes—the Ruth Moore Act—is named for a Maine veteran who had to fight for 23 years to get VA compensation for disabilities caused by being raped during her time in the military.  The legislative language passed today calls on the VA to annually report to Congress a range of information related to claims of military sexual trauma.  That information would include: the number of claims denied and approved; the most common reasons for claim denials; and the number of pending claims and those on appeal.   Pingree’s bill has passed the Republican-controlled House before—the last time in 2015—but has not been voted on in the Senate. Developed by members of both chambers, the Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act of 2016 has bipartisan support and is likely to come for a vote in the Senate.  Congresswoman Pingree's full floor remarks:  Thank you Mr. Speaker, and I thank the gentleman for yielding. I want to thank Chairman Miller and Ranking Member Takano for their work on this bill. I think it’s clear this committee is truly working for our nation’s veterans. I’m grateful that language from the Ruth Moore Act was included in this bill. It’s an important step in making sure the VA follows through on its promises to fairly treat our veterans. Mr. Speaker, almost every day I hear from another veteran who is the survivor of military sexual trauma—or MST.  These are men and women of all ages, from every branch of the service. They  include veterans from World War II to the war in Afghanistan and every era in between. Those assaults leave indelible marks on their lives in the form of PTSD, anxiety, depression, and many other conditions. But despite some progress at the VA on their claims, too many are denied the disability benefits they have earned.  I’m glad the Defense Department and the VA have increased training and prevention efforts around rape and harassment, but let me be clear—this problem is NOT fixed.   Survivors of sexual assault have been shamed and suffer continued harassment and recrimination.  Far too many have been involuntarily discharged in retaliation for reporting sexual assault and harassment—meaning the survivor, not the perpetrator, has paid the price for this criminal behavior.  I’d like to close by talking for a minute about a very brave woman—Ruth Moore, a Maine veteran and my bill’s namesake. Ruth fought for 23 years before she was finally given the benefits we owed her.  There are thousands and thousands of Ruth Moores out there, who have been fighting for their benefits for years or even decades.  We can and must do better.  This issue is too important to ignore, and this provision ensures that the VA and survivors know Congress is watching.   I’m so glad this language from my bill was included in this legislation, and I yield back my time.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/23-maine-students-nominated-united-states-service-academies,23 Maine students nominated to United States Service Academies,2016-12-05,2016,2016-12,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree has announced her office’s nominees to the United States Service Academies—the 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.   “This group of students 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.”   The 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.   Pingree nominated several students to more than one academy.  The full list of nominations is below.  United States Naval Academy Kayla Eddy, Kittery, Saint Thomas Aquinas High School Hayden Eilinger, Hollis Center, Southern Maine Community College; Bonny Eagle High School  Maxwell Heathco, Freeport, Freeport High School  Nathan Hersom, Rockland, Oceanside High School Samuel Jamison, Windsor, Erskine Academy Owen Kelley, Gorham, Millbrook School James Mannette, Windham, Windham High School Dylan Roberts, Cape Elizabeth, Marion Military Institute; Cape Elizabeth High School Adam Sciretta, Bath, Annandale High School  Timothy Small, South Portland, South Portland High School Ira Toracinta, Kittery, Saint Thomas Aquinas High School Edward Vatcher, Kennebunk, Berwick Academy United States Military Academy Benjamin Abbott, Winslow, Winslow High School Emma Begin, Chelsea, U.S. Military Academy Preparatory School; Hall-Dale High School Kayla Eddy, Kittery, Saint Thomas Aquinas High School Maxwell Heathco, Freeport, Freeport High School  Samuel Jamison, Windsor, Erskine Academy Katherine Lopes, Waterville, Waterville High School Ryan Rosado, Freeport, Freeport High School Karen Yurek, Bath, Morse High School United States Air Force Academy Benjamin Abbott, Winslow, Winslow High School Courtney Christoforo, Saco, Thornton Academy Kayla Eddy, Kittery, Saint Thomas Aquinas High School Toby Foelix, Camden, Purdue University, Lexington High School Nathan Hersom, Rockland, Oceanside High School Patrick Hopkins, Winslow, Winslow High School Jennifer Lorbeski, Richmond, Gardiner Area High School James Mannette, Windham, Windham High School Ira Toracinta, Kittery, Saint Thomas Aquinas High School United States Merchant Marine Academy Andrew Cloutier, Lyman, Massabesic High School Patrick Hopkins, Winslow, Winslow High School Thomas Lawson, Gorham, Stevens Institute of Technology; Cheverus James Mannette, Windham, Windham High School Dylan Roberts, Cape Elizabeth, Marion Military Institute; Cape Elizabeth High School",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-says-dr-ben-carson-not-qualified-serve-secretary-housing-and,Pingree says Dr. Ben Carson not qualified to serve as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development,2016-12-05,2016,2016-12,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree released the following statement today on news that President-elect Trump has chosen surgeon Dr. Ben Carson as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). “The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development oversees many programs that are critical to Maine communities and families. To name just a few, Community Development Block Grants help fund infrastructure improvements in our downtowns, affordable housing programs and rental assistance ensure that people in need have a roof over their heads, and Federal Housing Authority mortgage guarantees make the dream of home ownership possible for thousands of Maine families. I worry for the future of these important programs if Dr. Ben Carson is confirmed as Secretary. “As any employer knows, you should base hiring decisions on someone’s relevant experience and skill set. By his own admission, Dr. Carson has neither.  He expressed just last month that he has no experience in government and has never run this scale of operation. Maine and the country deserve better. HUD is simply too important to have someone so uniquely unqualified at the helm.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/army-corps-engineers-will-explore-alternate-routes-dakota-access,Army Corps of Engineers will explore alternate routes to the Dakota Access Pipeline,2016-12-04,2016,2016-12,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today applauded the decision of the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to explore different routes for the Dakota Access Pipeline and not approve a permit for current siting near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation.  “This is a huge victory today for the Standing Rock Sioux and the many who have braved the freezing cold and brutal violence to oppose this project and its threat to the tribe's sacred sites and water supply,” said Pingree.  “I applaud President Obama and the Army Corps of Engineers for acting on their concerns, but I will continue working to ensure those promises are kept in the months ahead.”  In September, Pingree joined her colleagues in urging the USACE for greater consultation with the Standing Rock Sioux.   And in light of recent violence against protesters, Pingree has been working with other members of Congress in urging a briefing from the Department of Justice, White House, and Army Corps of Engineer officials before the holiday to hear specifically what actions are being taken to deescalate this situation. Additionally, she joined colleagues in sending a letter to Attorney General Lynch to express concerns about the health and safety of the protesters and affirm that their right to peacefully demonstrate should be the top priority for the state of North Dakota and the USACE.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/maine-congressional-delegation-stands-sanford-rug-manufacturer-trade,Maine Congressional Delegation Stands Up for Sanford Rug Manufacturer in Trade Appeal,2016-12-01,2016,2016-12,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin announced today that they have sent a letter to the Foreign-Trade Zones (FTZ) Board in support of Maine manufacturer Flemish Master Weavers’ (FMW) trade appeal.   The Sanford-based rug manufacturer has applied to the FTZ Board for production authority status that would exempt them from certain tariffs. Currently, textile tariffs that are designed to protect American manufacturers like FMW are actually putting the company at a disadvantage and stifling growth.   “A strong manufacturing industry is essential to Maine’s future, and securing fair trade regulations for Maine-based companies is of critical importance to our communities and economy,” wrote the Maine Congressional Delegation in their letter. “Flemish Master Weavers employs 127 people in Sanford, Maine, and is one of Southern Maine’s largest manufacturing employers. […] Approval of the FTZ application would not only increase competitiveness, but set the company on a track to expand operations.”   Flemish Master Weavers manufactures machine-made woven area rugs, and as the smallest of only four such producers in the United States, faces competition from foreign manufacturers who increasingly dominate the area rug market here at home. In order to remain competitive, FMW imports yarn that carries an eight-percent U.S. tariff. Despite being designed to protect U.S. businesses, that tariff is actually putting FMW 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.   If the Foreign-Trade Zones Board approves FMW’s application for production authority status, the company would be able to avoid the eight-percent yarn tariff. That would increase FMW’s competiveness and potentially set the company on a course to expand operations.   Flemish Master Weavers is based in Sanford and employs 127 people. One of Southern Maine’s largest manufacturing employers, FMW has eleven high-speed looms and fully-automated packing and finishing operations. If granted production authority status, the company has indicated that it could potentially increase employment to 170 jobs as part of a 72,000 square foot building expansion.   The foreign-trade zones (FTZs) 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 Foreign-Trade Zones Board licenses designated sites as FTZs.   Text of the letter is below   +++   November 30, 2016   Mr. Andrew McGilvray Executive Secretary Foreign-Trade Zone Board U.S. Department of Commerce 1401 Constitution Ave., NW Room 21013 Washington, DC 20230     Dear Mr. McGilvray:   We write to express our support for Flemish Master Weavers’ (FMW) recent appeal to the Foreign Trade Zone Board for production authority to manufacture area rugs at FTZ 186, subzone 186A.  A strong manufacturing industry is essential to Maine’s future, and securing fair trade regulations for Maine-based companies is of critical importance to our communities and economy.   Flemish Master Weavers is a Maine manufacturer of machine-made woven area rugs and is the smallest of four such producers in the United States.  The company competes for market share with foreign manufacturers who increasingly dominate the domestic area rug market.  To remain competitive, FMW imports continuous filament polypropylene yarn, a material carrying a U.S. tariff of eight percent.  Despite efforts to adjust to a changing market, FMW still faces an uphill battle as foreign area rug competitors enjoy duty-free access to the United States for area rugs made in foreign factories with identical yarn.  In other words, foreign rugs with the same yarn come in with no U.S. tariff, while FMW’s ability to make the rugs in America is stymied by a U.S. tariff on yarn imports.  The end result is that American jobs are, ironically, threatened by a tariff designed to protect them. Inverted tariff relief through production authority is needed to ensure that U.S. tariff policy is not putting FMW at a disadvantage relative to foreign area rug producers.   Flemish Master Weavers employs 127 people in Sanford, Maine, and is one of Southern Maine’s largest manufacturing employers. With 11 high speed looms, fully automated packing, and finishing operations, FMW provides meaningful employment to its workers in Maine, helping them to maintain and improve their financial stability. Approval of the FTZ application would not only increase competitiveness, but set the company on a track to expand operations. The company has stated its interest in a 72,000 square foot building expansion and the addition of two new looms and four replacement looms, which could potentially increase employment from 127 to 170 jobs.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/house-passes-21st-century-cures-act,House passes 21st Century Cures Act,2016-11-30,2016,2016-11,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today voted in support of the 21st Century Cures Act. The legislation dedicates $1 billion over two years to help states battle opioid addiction and $4.8 billion over 10 years for medical research initiatives. It also streamlines the FDA approval process, makes key mental health reforms, and contains tick-borne disease provisions Pingree advocated for. “Maine is now averaging 1 drug overdose every day, so the importance of funding to treat this terrible epidemic can’t be overstated.  This legislation will provide that assistance just as Maine and other states need it most,” said Pingree.  “By increasing funding for research and streamlining the FDA approval process, the 21st Century Cures Act will also accelerate new treatments for diseases that currently have no cure. For years, I’ve met with constituents who are anxiously awaiting medical breakthroughs to treat cancer, muscular dystrophy, ALS, and many other devastating illnesses—this offers them new hope.” The legislation also includes key mental health provisions, including reauthorizing Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse Grants, updating grant programs that support individuals in crisis, and strengthening training in the health care workforce.  Finally, the bill contains provisions on the treatment of tick-borne diseases that Pingree has advocated for—the creation of a federal workgroup that will include patients and advocates, and a requirement that the Secretary of Health and Human Services create a strategic plan to address the long-term impacts of Lyme disease.  “There are many positive developments in this legislation, but there is more work to be done to ensure that new treatments are safe, affordable, and accessible,” said Pingree.  “I’m also disappointed that this legislation makes research funding discretionary when it should be mandatory.  Ensuring that Congress follows through on providing funding will be one of my top priorities on the Appropriations Committee.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/president-elect-trump-s-latest-cabinet-picks-pose-risk-nation-s-health,President-elect Trumps latest Cabinet picks pose risk to nations health care and financial systems,2016-11-30,2016,2016-11,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Steve Mnuchin (left) and Rep. Tom Price Congresswoman Chellie Pingree voiced serious concerns today about President-elect Trump’s latest Cabinet picks. Treasury Secretary nominee Steve Mnuchin is a Wall Street executive who profited from mass foreclosures during the financial crisis, and Health and Human Services Secretary nominee Tom Price would weaken or end federal programs that help tens of millions of Americans access health care.  “I have serious concerns about the risks both of these men pose to our financial and health care systems, as well as the Maine families who depend on them,” said Pingree.  “Not only was Steve Mnuchin an investment banker at Goldman Sachs while its shoddy products helped tip the economy into recession, he actually went on to profit from the hardest-hit victims of the recession by running a bank that took federal dollars while foreclosing on homeowners. As America continues to recover from a financial crisis caused by the Wall Street’s irresponsible behavior, this is a terrible choice for Treasury Secretary.” At the height of the financial crisis in 2009, Mnuchin and a group of investors purchased a failing bank in California under the condition that the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) cover losses. The bank went on to foreclose on more than 36,000 homeowners during his time there, while accepting over $1 billion in payments from the FDIC.  Health and Human Services Secretary nominee Rep. Tom Price has proposed numerous measures to make it harder for Americans to access the health care they need, including: privatizing Medicare, slashing Medicaid rolls, giving insurance companies loopholes to deny coverage, and undermining women’s reproductive health.  “Representative Price seems more intent on taking health care away from people than providing it,” Pingree said.  “His radical proposals go far beyond repealing the Affordable Care Act, to actually undoing decades-long programs like Medicare that offer care to those who need it most.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-touts-revised-question-21-significant-improvement-over-original,Pingree touts revised Question 21 as significant improvement over original,2016-11-21,2016,2016-11,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today welcomed a newly finalized Question 21 on the national security clearance form that will address key concerns of sexual assault survivors.  In addition, she applauds a policy reversal that aims to remove the long-standing stigma—and risk to one’s clearance—associated with seeking mental health care for personal wellness and recovery.  In a back-and-forth that has gone on since 2011, Pingree has pushed Director of National Intelligence James Clapper to change the question to offer relief to sexual assault survivors who wouldn’t seek counseling for fear of having their clearance rejected. His office advised her of the change the day before his resignation was announced earlier last week. “Getting this question changed has been a very long process, but I think the finished product will allow service members—and indeed, any survivor of sexual assault with a security clearance—to feel more comfortable getting the counseling they need,” said Pingree.  “The form clearly states that seeking counseling is not a reason to revoke or deny a clearance. It allows survivors to forgo reporting counseling for their assaults if they feel their condition has not severely affected their judgment.  And it is more fair in treating the effects of combat and sexual assault in the same way.” Originally, Question 21, which deals with psychological and emotional health, asked, ""In the last 7 years, have you consulted with a mental health professional (psychiatrist, psychologist, counselor, etc.) or have you consulted with another health care provider about a mental health related condition?""   Among several other questions, the form now asks if an individual has a mental health condition that “substantially adversely affects your judgment, reliability or trustworthiness?” The form goes on to clarify that those in counseling may answer “no” if they feel that their condition does not affect their judgment.  It lists both combat service and sexual assault as possible examples of such circumstances. You can read the question in full here, as well as an explantion from DNI Clapper.  “I think the newly written question offers flexibility, assurance, and equity that was not there before. This effort required extensive collaboration among federal agencies, and the resultant changes put the focus where it belongs—on an assessment of each individual’s capacity to protect our national security interests,” said Pingree.  “I am grateful that the women and men who reach out to my office every day no longer have to fear risking their careers by being proactive with their trauma recovery. ”    Background on Question 21 changes Beginning in 2008, service members whose conditions stemmed from combat were exempted from having to report their counseling.  Such an exemption did not extend to those who were sexually assaulted during their service.  As Pingree became nationally known for her work to make it easier for survivors of military sexual trauma to receive disability benefits, she heard from many survivors who were not seeking counseling because they feared disclosing it would keep them from getting the security clearance they needed to be hired or promoted.  Pingree first wrote to Clapper in 2011, requesting that the combat exemption be extended to survivors of military sexual assault.  In 2012, Clapper agreed to rewrite the question.  Joined by Congresswoman Niki Tsongas of Massachusetts, Pingree continued to push Clapper to move quickly on the issue and interim guidance was released in 2013 allowing sexual assault survivors to answer “no” on the question.  In the years since then, they have urged the agency to adopt a more permanent solution. Details on this process can be found here",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/video-congresswoman-pingree-hosts-farm-bill-workshop,VIDEO: Congresswoman Pingree hosts Farm Bill Workshop,2016-11-21,2016,2016-11,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"In Wiscasset on November 18, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree hosted a workshop and roundtable on the Farm Bill--a critical piece of legislation that authorizes numerous federal programs important for farming, food assistance, the environment, rural development and more.  Below is video of the workshop with Congresswoman Pingree's opening remarks, a panel of Mainers who've worked with Farm Bill programs, and a question and answer session.  Handouts from the workshop Farm Bill_handout.pdf USDA_handout.pdf Panel members: Rhiannon Hampson of Grace Pond Farm  Jerry Ireland, of the United Farmer Veterans of Maine & Ireland Hill Farms Emilie Knight of the Maine Federation of Farmers’ Markets Beth Schiller of Dandelion Spring Farm  Colleen Halon Smith of the Unity Food Hub BACKGROUND The current Farm Bill is set to expire in 2018 and Congress will soon begin the process of its reauthorization.  Pingree is a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, which oversees funding for the USDA, and formerly served on the House Committee on Agriculture.  She has been a vocal proponent of reforming federal policies to better support small- and medium-sized farms and invest in farms to help them meet the rising consumer demand for locally produced food.  She was successful in getting several of these reforms into the 2014 Farm Bill, including increased funding for key grant programs, better crop insurance for diversified farms, and expanding programs allowing consumers to use food assistance benefits to purchase food directly from producers.  Pingree plans to propose additional reforms for the next Farm Bill.  She will be holding listening sessions in Maine to get on-the-ground feedback on what should be included as well as inform people on how they can be involved in the reauthorization process.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/statement-president-elect-trump-s-nominations-jeff-sessions-and-michael,Statement on President-elect Trumps nominations of Jeff Sessions and Michael Flynn,2016-11-18,2016,2016-11,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree released the following statement today on President-elect Trump’s decision to offer the position of Attorney General to Senator Jeff Sessions and National Security Advisor to Michael Flynn.  “As with the appointment earlier this week of Steve Bannon—with his far-right fringe views and slandering of Jews, Muslims, women and other Americans—these announcements of candidates for President-elect Trump's cabinet are disturbing.  “Senator Jeff Sessions has a clear right-wing conservative vision of the judiciary that will include a crack down on women’s rights, unreasonable views on immigration, policies against any gun reforms, and will reverse the progress we have made over the past eight years in improving our civil rights laws.  It is beyond belief that Trump would suggest a man for Attorney General who has had a checkered past on racial issues, and has tacitly supported racial fringe organizations. ""Further, although I commend the military service of Michael Flynn, it’s clear that he has extremist views on the immigration of Muslims, religious intolerance, and will put America's national security at risk. The fact that he has possible ties to Russian President Putin is one of many reasons to be concerned.   ""Again, these picks further exemplify the problems we have with President-elect Trump's vision for America.  I call on him to reconsider these choices and I call on the Senate to take a very careful look at these nominees.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-and-colleagues-send-letter-asking-president-elect-trump-rescind,Pingree and colleagues send letter asking President-elect Trump to rescind appointment of Stephen Bannon,2016-11-16,2016,2016-11,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Today Congresswoman Chellie Pingree continued her strong opposition to President-elect Trump’s appointment of Stephen Bannon as Chief Strategist by joining 169 of her colleagues in asking the President-elect to rescind the appointment.  “In the last few days, hundreds of constituents have contacted my office to say how horrified they are that this man will work just a few steps from the Oval Office—and I feel exactly the same way,” Pingree said.  “This is someone who has offended and disrespected wide swaths of the American people.  I’m proud to stand with my colleagues to tell the President-elect that he should rescind Bannon’s appointment immediately if he wants to unify the country like he says he does.” In both his own words and through his time at Breitbart News, Bannon has slandered Jews, Muslims, immigrants, women, LGBT Americans and others while promoting white nationalism.  His appointment has been celebrated by the KKK, neo-Nazis and other hate groups, while being condemned by the Anti Defamation League, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and the NAACP. Full text of the letter below:  Dear President-elect Trump: Immediately following your victory, many Americans were optimistic and hopeful that you would take the steps necessary to unify our country following the divisive and contentious election.  In your election night speech you said, “Now it’s time for America to bind the wounds of division.  It is time for us to come together as one united people.”  Unfortunately, your appointment of Stephen Bannon, whose ties to the White Nationalist movement have been well-documented, directly undermines your ability to unite the country.  As elected representatives of millions of Americans from diverse backgrounds, religions, and ethnicities, we strongly urge you to reconsider your decision to appoint Mr. Bannon to White House Chief Strategist.  Since the election there have been a number of incidents across the country in which minorities, including Muslim Americans, African Americans, and Jewish Americans, have been the targets of violence, harassment and intimidation. Mr. Bannon’s appointment sends the wrong message to people who have engaged in those types of activities, indicating that they will not only be tolerated, but endorsed by your Administration.  Millions of Americans have expressed fear and concern about how they will be treated by the Trump Administration and your appointment of Mr. Bannon only exacerbates and validates their concerns. As the Executive Chairman of Breitbart News, Mr. Bannon repeatedly and aggressively pushed stories that promote anti-Semitism, xenophobia, and racism. During an interview last summer, Mr. Bannon bragged that Breitbart was “the platform for the alt-right,” a movement that upholds White Nationalism while strongly rejecting diversity in any form. Under Mr. Bannon’s leadership, Breitbart has referred to a leading Republican who opposed your election as a “Renegade Jew,” suggested “Young Muslims in the West are a ticking time bomb,” declared that the “Confederate flag proclaims a glorious heritage,” and praised the alt-right as a “smarter” version of “old-school racist skinheads.” Disturbingly, leading white nationalists like former KKK Grand Dragon David Duke, American Nazi Party Chairman Rocky J. Suhadya, Richard Spencer, Peter Brimelow, and Brad Griffin have praised the news of Mr. Bannon’s appointment.  We believe it should concern you that civil rights groups, including the Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Poverty Law Center, are widely opposed to Mr. Bannon’s appointment. As Members of Congress we are committed to working with your administration in good faith, but we strongly believe that Mr. Bannon’s appointment will not allow the country to heal and come together as one. As one of your top advisors, the White House chief strategist will help set the tone for your administration. The person in this role must be prepared to serve the interests of all Americans, not those of a select few.  Once again, we strongly urge you to rescind this appointment immediately and build a diverse White House staff who are committed to the core American values of inclusiveness, diversity and tolerance. Sincerely, Members of Congress",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-welcomes-news-agreement-remove-saccarappa-falls-dam-westbrook,Pingree welcomes news of agreement to remove Saccarappa Falls Dam in Westbrook,2016-11-16,2016,2016-11,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Pooling alewives on a tributary of the Presumpscot River. Congresswoman Chellie Pingree welcomes news today that Sappi North America, the City of Westbrook, local organizations, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have reached an agreement to remove the Saccarappa Falls Dam in Westbrook as early as 2020.  “We’ve seen the incredible results that dam removal and fish passage have brought to the Penobscot River in recent years, and I’m glad we’ll now be able to see this in Southern Maine as well,” Pingree said. “The removal of this dam will reopen miles of waterways to sea-run fish like alewife—an important source of bait for lobstermen and a critical contributor to the overall health of the Gulf of Maine.” “The renaissance of this once highly polluted river has driven robust economic development in Westbrook and other communities in recent years.  This project will keep that momentum going,” Pingree continued.  “I applaud Sappi and all the other project partners for reaching this historic agreement—it’s a testament to how we can work together to support both Maine industries and our natural resources.” According to a joint release by the partners earlier today, Sappi has agreed to remove the dam, including two spillways, as well as fund fish passage facilities for river herring, American shad and Atlantic salmon at Saccarappa Falls. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has agreed to modify the agency’s fish passage requirements at the next four upstream hydroelectric projects (Mallison Falls, Little Falls, Gambo and Dundee) owned by Sappi. Further, Sappi and the City of Westbrook intend to negotiate terms and conditions for the transfer of certain parcels to the city related to the riverwalk along the Presumpscot River.  Sappi’s Board of Directors and the Westbrook City Council must still ratify the agreement.  Pingree is a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and the Environment, which oversees funding for the Department of the Interior and the Fish and Wildlife Service.  Earlier this year, Pingree’s office helped convene a meeting with federal agencies to ensure the voices of local organizations were heard.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-has-strong-words-appointment-steve-bannon,Pingree has strong words on appointment of Steve Bannon,2016-11-14,2016,2016-11,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree released the following statement today on President-elect Trump’s appointment of Steve Bannon as Chief Strategist. “We’ve been asked to give President-elect Trump the ‘benefit of the doubt,’ but I think this dispels any hope that he would finally distance himself from people who promote hateful, racist scapegoating.  “Steve Bannon has a history of peddling conspiracy theories from the far-right fringe as he slanders Jews, Muslims, immigrants, women, LGBT Americans and others while promoting white nationalism. His presence will absolutely defile the White House and, like many Mainers, I’m absolutely horrified that he will play a critical role on the President’s new team. “A majority of voters did not want Donald Trump to be President, and many are rightfully scared about what his presidency will mean for their rights and lives. If President-elect Trump and my Republican colleagues are serious about dispelling fears and unifying the country, Bannon’s appointment should be rescinded.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congresswoman-pingree-responds-governor-lepage-s-statement-student,Congresswoman Pingree responds to Governor LePages statement on student voting,2016-11-07,2016,2016-11,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree issued the following response to Governor Paul LePage’s statement today on student voting in Maine.  “It’s very clear here that the Governor is trying to keep college students from turning out to vote in Maine. There are already fliers going around giving students false information about their right to vote here—the Governor should be calling out these lies rather than bolstering them. “In Maine, we’ve always been proud to have some of the highest voter participation rates in the country.  And students—whether they are from Maine or are residents while they attend school—have been a big part of that. They have a clearly established legal right to vote in our state if they choose to do. Their participation in our civic process is something we should encourage, not discourage.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pentagon-will-stop-seeking-repayments-bonuses-california-guardsmen,Pentagon will stop seeking repayments of bonuses to California Guardsmen,2016-10-26,2016,2016-10,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"(Photo courtesy of National Guard via flickr) Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today welcomed news that U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter has ordered the Pentagon to stop seeking repayment of enlistment bonuses given to National Guardsmen in California.  “Frankly, whether or not they received these bonuses in error, these men and women bravely served their country and don’t deserve to be nickel-and-dimed. As our state is so proud of its own National Guard members, I think everyone in Maine could see that this was really an egregious situation,” said Pingree.   “I’m glad that Defense Secretary Carter has decided to offer relief to the affected Guardsmen, and I will continue working my colleagues to make sure the department follows through.”  Pingree had been working with her colleagues to push the Pentagon to change course over the payments.  Her office has also been in contact with the Maine National Guard and received assurance that no Maine veterans have found themselves in a similar situation to the Guardsmen in California.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/new-national-wildlife-refuge-maine-approved,New National Wildlife Refuge in Maine approved,2016-10-25,2016,2016-10,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Many species of wildlife will benefit from the conserved habitat, including monarch butterfly, American woodcock, and New England cottontail. (Images courtesy USFWS) Congresswoman Chellie Pingree celebrated today’s announcement that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has approved the Great Thicket National Wildlife Refuge, meaning that the agency can move forward in conserving 15,000 acres of wildlife habitat over six states, including Maine.  “This is very exciting news for our state.  National Wildlife Refuges have not only been key in protecting the diversity of Maine’s wildlife species, but in helping attract visitors to the state and contributing to local economies,” said Pingree.  “The creation of Great Thicket National Wildlife Refuge will be an important addition to the system.  The refuge lands will offer wonderful places for the public to explore while conserving dwindling habitat for migratory birds and threatened and endangered species, like the New England cottontail.” Pingree is a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and the Environment, which oversees funding for USFWS programs.  About Grand Thicket National Wildlife Refuge Today’s approval comes after an extensive public comment process.  The authorization allows USFWS to move forward in seeking and acquiring 15,000 acres in 10 Refuge Acquisition Focus Areas over six states—Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and eastern New York.   USFWS will acquire the land by working with private landowners who voluntarily want to sell, donate, or place a conservation easement on their property. In Maine, there are two Refuge Acquisition Focus Areas covering a total of 29,600 acres.  From within those areas, USFWS estimates acquiring 2,000 acres in the Berwick-York area and 800 acres in the Cape Elizabeth-Scarborough area.  More information about the project, including maps of the focus areas, is available here. Economic benefits of National Wildlife Refuges A 2013 study found that National Wildlife Refuge System generates $2.4 billion in economic activity every year and supports 35,000 jobs.  In Maine, a 2012 survey found that non-local visitors to Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge spent an average $111 per person per day in the local area and local visitors spent $31 per person per day.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/collins-king-pingree-call-army-corps-engineers-fund-york-harbor-saco,"Collins, King, Pingree Call on Army Corps of Engineers to Fund York Harbor, Saco River Dredging Projects",2016-10-19,2016,2016-10,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree sent a letter urging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to move forward and fund critical dredging projects for York Harbor and the Saco River.   “Small ports and harbors like York and Saco River are the economic lifeblood for many coastal communities in Maine.  In allocating funds that Congress makes available to the Corps each year for the operation and maintenance of our nation’s water infrastructure, the law requires the Corps to consider factors other than tonnage transiting through a harbor, to include potential for regional or local economic development.  In this respect, commercial activity on the Saco River—home to more than 40 commercial fishing vessels—contributes more than $53 million in economic impact to the community each year, and York Harbor produces a direct economic benefit of $12 million annually,” said Senators Collins and King and Representative Pingree in the letter. “To address these critical needs and maintain our essential water infrastructure, we urge you to prioritize funding in this fiscal year the maintenance dredging of both the York Harbor and Saco River FNPs, consistent with all applicable laws and regulations.”    The joint letter was sent to Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Jo-Ellen Darcy. Assistant Secretary Darcy supervises the U.S Army Corps of Engineers’ Civil Works program, which is responsible for dredging to maintain channel depths in U.S. harbors and inland waterways.   Full text of the letter is below   +++   The Honorable Jo-Ellen Darcy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works U.S. Department of Defense 108 Army Pentagon, Room 3E446 Washington, DC 20310-0108   Dear Assistant Secretary Darcy:   We are writing in support of the urgent need for maintenance dredging of the York Harbor Federal Navigation Project (FNP) in York, Maine, and the Saco River FNP in Saco and Biddeford, Maine, to address significant safety and navigational access concerns in the region.     York Harbor was last dredged in 1996.  The 42,000 cubic yards of sand, silt, and clay that have accumulated since then need to be removed.  Nearly two years ago, the New England District of the Army Corps of Engineers stated that significant shoaling in the harbor is “hindering navigational access and compromising vessel safety,” and that inaction “would allow existing conditions to remain and worsen as shoaling continues.”  The Town of York has secured all the necessary permits to remove this material, and the project has been “shovel-ready” for more than a year.  According to the New England District, York would most likely need to reapply for these permits and bear the significant financial costs of that process all over again if the project is not funded this fiscal year.  The project is estimated to cost between $2 and $3 million, but the Corps has not yet funded it despite the significant funding provided by Congress in recent years to maintain small harbors like York and Saco River.   Recently, the towns of Saco and Biddeford similarly completed the permit process necessary for the Saco River dredging project, which is estimated to cost approximately $3.2 million. This FNP was last dredged in 1993.  More than 150,000 cubic yards of sand have accumulated since then and need to be removed.  Significantly, nearby Camp Ellis Beach is in dire need of clean sand to alleviate on-going erosion.  To date, 37 homes have reportedly been lost due to this erosion.  The sooner the Corps funds the Saco River project, the sooner that Camp Ellis Beach can be replenished with material dredged from the Saco River.    Small ports and harbors like York and Saco River are the economic lifeblood for many coastal communities in Maine.  In allocating funds that Congress makes available to the Corps each year for the operation and maintenance of our nation’s water infrastructure, the law requires the Corps to consider factors other than tonnage transiting through a harbor, to include potential for regional or local economic development.  In this respect, commercial activity on the Saco River—home to more than 40 commercial fishing vessels—contributes more than $53 million in economic impact to the community each year, and York Harbor produces a direct economic benefit of $12 million annually.    To address these critical needs and maintain our essential water infrastructure, we urge you to prioritize funding in this fiscal year the maintenance dredging of both the York Harbor and Saco River FNPs, consistent with all applicable laws and regulations.  Thank you for your time and consideration.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/maine-congressional-delegation-responds-eu-committee-s-dismissal,Maine Congressional Delegation Responds to EU Committees Dismissal of Proposed Lobster Ban,2016-10-14,2016,2016-10,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin responded to today’s announcement that the European Commission’s Committee on Invasive Alien Species has decided that they will not proceed with the listing of American lobster as an invasive species at the European Union level. The decision brings an end to the proposal that threatened to end live American lobster exports to EU countries. Senators Collins and King and Representatives Pingree and Poliquin have strongly advocated for the Maine lobster industry and urged the EU to reject the proposal.“We are thrilled that the European Union listened to our concerns and will not list American lobster as an invasive species,” said Senators Collins and King and Representatives Pingree and Poliquin in a joint statement. “Since the import ban was requested by Sweden earlier this year, we repeatedly urged the European Union to reject the proposal, which would have had serious negative effects on thousands of hardworking Mainers who earn a living through the lobster industry. We are pleased that the European Commission took into account the firm scientific evidence as well as the consequences this harmful proposal could have had on the $200 million lobster trade and the thousands of Maine jobs that rely on it.” Congresswoman Pingree speaks out against the ban during a September press conference.   Timeline of Delegation's Advocacy On March 28, 2016, the Maine delegation sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman and NOAA Administrator Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, urging them “engage in immediate efforts to ensure the continuation of safe and responsible import of live Maine lobster.”  On June 17, 2016, in a letter to Daniel Calleja Crespo, Director General of Environment at the EU, members of the New England Congressional delegation, including U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representative Chellie Pingree urged the European Union to reject the proposed lobster ban and reinforced the joint paper’s conclusion.  On June 22, 2016 the Maine delegation announced that a scientific committee of the European Union was going to consider the arguments presented by top U.S. and Canadian scientists in response to a Swedish request to ban the import of American lobsters into the EU. On September 16, 2016, the Maine delegation wrote to Daniel Calleja Crespo, Director General of Environment at the EU, requesting that the proposal continue to be measured against peer-reviewed science. The letter also urged Mr. Crespo to consider the economic repercussions of the proposed ban. Lobster continues to be one of the largest catches in U.S. waters, with more than 120 million pounds landed each year. The industry is a significant economic driver and important cultural tradition for coastal communities.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congresswoman-pingree-and-cultivating-community-announce-investments,Congresswoman Pingree and Cultivating Community announce investments to grow refugee and immigrant farm businesses,2016-10-06,2016,2016-10,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Today Congresswoman Chellie Pingree and Cultivating Community announced two USDA grants to expand initiatives helping refugees and immigrants in Maine launch and strengthen farm businesses.   “As Maine’s population ages, the immigrants and refugees who call our state home are becoming increasingly important to our workforce. We especially need new workers and businesses to sustain the great economic growth we’ve seen in food and agriculture,” said Pingree.  “Cultivating Community has done a fantastic job training New Americans about farming in Maine and marketing agricultural products so they can grow their own businesses. I’m thrilled these USDA grants will allow the organization to reach more communities and explore new markets for these entrepreneurs.”                                     “Nationally the number of farms continues to shrink,” said Craig Lapine, Executive Director of Cultivating Community. “If it weren’t for farms operated by refugees and immigrants, that would have been true for Maine, too, in the last agricultural census. Supporting farmers of all kinds is critically important to our economy, to our food security, to preserving our natural resources, and to our rural and urban communities. We’re committed to doing our part.”   Lapine noted that while USDA backing is very important, more than half the organization’s resources come from local foundations and donors. “It’s Maine people who have provided the support that these new grants are leveraging,” he said.   An Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program grant for $187,706 will help expand Cultivating Community’s New American Sustainable Agriculture Project (NASAP).  The project provides training in Maine growing and market conditions to empower refugees and immigrants to launch their own farm businesses.  Funding will allow the program to expand to new immigrant communities, as well as engage advanced community gardeners and teens.   A $50,000 Risk Management Education Grant will build on the organization’s partnership with CEI to explore selling Maine-grown ethnic produce—such as amaranth, African eggplant, jalapenos, collard-mustard greens, and jute mallow.  The products could help diversify farm incomes by generating new sales to refugee and immigrant communities in Greater Boston and Maine.   Pingree is a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, which oversees funding for USDA programs.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/new-20-million-loan-program-will-be-economic-boost-rural-maine,New $20 million loan program will be economic boost to rural Maine communities,2016-10-06,2016,2016-10,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree said this morning that rural Maine communities will benefit from $20 million in USDA loans to provide financing for economic development projects throughout the state. With USDA Rural Development funding, Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI) will invest in community projects like health care facilities, childcare centers and schools.   ""Maine people are hard working, creative and full of ingenuity, but too often rural areas just don't get the investment and don't have access to capital that they need to build the local economy,"" Pingree said.  ""This money is going to help make sure that the resources we have in rural Maine can be put to work creating jobs for the community.  This is a great economic development investment and is going to pay real dividends for Maine.   USDA Rural Development State Director Virginia Manuel said, “I am thrilled with this landmark $20 million investment by USDA Rural Development in Coastal Enterprises, Inc. The long-standing partnership USDA Rural Development has with CEI represents the immense value of the organization and its vital role in supporting our rural Maine communities. This significant funding will enable CEI to bolster opportunities in our vibrant communities through relending, thereby supporting essential community facilities that Maine’s rural residents rely on.”   The funding announced today is part of $400 million in funds from USDA aimed at growing the economy and reducing poverty in rural areas.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-announces-federal-grants-help-local-communities-hire-police,Pingree announces federal grants to help local communities hire police officers,2016-10-03,2016,2016-10,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today announced that three communities in her District would receive federal grants to hire or rehire police officers.  “Local police departments do a great job keeping our communities safe, but are finding themselves understaffed because of tight municipal budgets,” said Pingree.  “I’m glad these federal funds will be able to help fill that critical need.”  The COPS Hiring Program grants come from the U.S. Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Servicing office. In Southern and Central Maine, the Augusta Police Department is receiving $125,000, the Westbrook Police Department is receiving $125,000, and the Biddeford Police Department is receiving $250,000 (for two officers).   Another recipient in Maine, the Ellsworth Police Department, will receive $125,000.  A $125,000 grant covers 75 percent of the salary and benefits costs of one entry-level officer for three years. More information on the program is available at: http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/default.asp?Item=2367.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/13-million-economic-development-grants-sanford-brunswick-landing,"$1.3 million in economic development grants for Sanford, Brunswick Landing",2016-09-29,2016,2016-09,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Federal investments will help create 212 total jobs Congresswoman Chellie Pingree announced two federal grants worth nearly $1.3 million to support municipal broadband in Sanford and manufacturing expansion at Brunswick Landing.   “Technology-driven businesses have emerged as an incredible opportunity to create jobs in Maine and move our state’s economy forward. But we need to update our infrastructure to foster innovation and assist entrepreneurs,” said Pingree. “These investments from the Economic Development Administration will make needed improvements to create and support good-paying jobs.  For Sanford, a municipal broadband network will aid the cutting-edge businesses that are already there while helping to attract more.  Brunswick Landing will be able to make a number of improvements to the former naval base to expand the manufacturing cluster that is thriving there.”   Full amounts and summaries provided by the Economic Development Administration (EDA) are below.   City of Sanford ·      EDA Investment Amount: $769,209 ·      Total Project Cost: $1,538,418 ·      Anticipated Impact/Outcome: 142 jobs created and $1.1 million in private investment leveraged ·      Description:  This EDA investment will support the construction of an open access non-discriminatory municipal fiber optic network that will serve the downtown Mill Yard complex, a 600-acre industrial park, and more than 80 institutions including a hospital which are not currently served with broadband infrastructure.  The project will support entrepreneurship within the complex and improves the City of Sanford’s commercial and industrial competitiveness.   Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority (Brunswick Landing)   ·      EDA Investment Amount: $517,000 ·      Total Project Cost: $1,034,000 ·      Anticipated Impact/Outcome: 70 jobs created and $1.3 million leveraged in private investment. ·      Description:  This EDA planning investment funds the installation of multiple infrastructure, including cranes, ventilation, gas delivery systems, and other improvements, to Building 86 of the former Naval Air Station Brunswick to support expansion of existing manufacturing clusters in the Cumberland County region.  This project supports the economic development plan for Brunswick Landing, which is to convert former military facilities for civilian use to grow specific high-tech industry clusters that will promote economic development and job growth in the region still impacted by the closing of both Naval Air Station Brunswick and the Loring Air Force Base.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-poliquin-introduce-bill-push-through-lease-va-clinic-portland,"Pingree, Poliquin introduce bill to push through lease on VA clinic for Portland",2016-09-29,2016,2016-09,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Pingree at the opening of the Portland clinic in 2011.Representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin joined Representative Julia Brownley (D-CA) in introducing a bill last night to force the approval of a lease for a major expansion of the Portland VA health clinic, as well as leases for 23 other VA facilities around the country.  Because of technicalities in the way the leases are approved, work on the expansion in Portland has been delayed.   ""The plans are ready to go and construction is ready to start in Portland,"" Pingree said.  ""But the Congressional bureaucracy has gotten in the way and we need to step in and get these leases approved immediately.  The sooner this project is completed the sooner veterans will have better access to the high quality health care they deserve.""   “Any hurdle getting in the way of our veterans receiving the best and most timely care possible is unacceptable,” said Poliquin. “This important legislation will give our veterans seeking specialty care access to service at Maine Medical Center, one of our nation’s leading hospitals, instead of having to travel all the way to Boston. This will allow them to receive better care, closer to home. I’m proud to work across the aisle to put forward a sensible solution to help ensure our veterans in Maine and across our nation are not left without the support they were promised.”   At issue is the lease for a 50,000 square foot expansion of the Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) Portland, which would allow veterans to access services not currently offered in southern Maine.  Under current law, Congress must authorize VA medical facility leases with average annual rental payments in excess of $1 million.  Beginning in 2012, the Congressional Budget Office began assessing the cost of all VA clinics based on the total obligation for the life of the lease rather than the annual payment.  This makes the leases appear much more expensive than they really are and has delayed their authorization.    Pingree and Poliquin's bill would approve leases at 24 for these facilities around the country regardless of the artificially inflated price tags.   Senators Susan Collins and Angus King have introduced similar legislation in the Senate.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/southern-maine-gets-disaster-declaration-due-drought,Southern Maine gets disaster declaration due to drought,2016-09-29,2016,2016-09,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Farmers in five counties to get access to emergency assistance, including loans Congresswoman Chellie Pingree said today that the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has declared five counties in southern Maine as a disaster area because of the recent drought.  Cumberland, Androscoggin, Oxford, Sagadahoc, and York Counties are all part of the disaster area, making farmers in those counties eligible for emergency assistance from the Farm Service Agency (FSA), including emergency loans.    ""This is one of the worst droughts in recent memory,"" Pingree said. ""Unless farmers had access to significant water for irrigation, they probably didn't have a very good growing season.  The disaster declaration makes emergency loans available for those who were hit the hardest so they can recover and get another crop in the ground next spring.""   Farmers have 8 months to apply for emergency loans by contacting their local FSA office (contact information available here)   York , Cumberland and Oxford County farmers had gained access to emergency loans under a separate disaster declaration earlier this month.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/460000-federal-funding-maine-food-projects,"$460,000 in federal funding for Maine food projects",2016-09-28,2016,2016-09,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Rosemont Market receives $65,000 to double local food sales, and Somali Bantu Community receives $395,000 to reduce food insecurity  ​ Today Congresswoman Chellie Pingree announced that Portland-based Rosemont Market will receive a $64,922 Local Food Promotion Grant from the USDA.  The program is making $26.8 million in investments this year, thanks to Pingree’s successful efforts to triple its funding in the 2014 Farm Bill.   “There’s been so many terrific efforts to make healthy, locally sourced food available to Mainers, which is good for consumers, farmers, and the state’s economy.  But the federal government simply wasn’t doing enough to support it,” said Pingree.  “That’s why I pushed to triple funding for the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Programs during the last reauthorization of the Farm Bill.  These critical investments help farmers and other small businesses meet the growing demand for local food—and Rosemont Market is a terrific example.”   Rosemont Market is an independent grocery, bakery, and food hub that is a pioneer in Maine’s local food movement. The company estimates that nearly half its revenue is connected to locally sourced food.  With a Local Food Promotion Program Grant, the company will develop a plan to double its local food sales in the next 3-5 years.  A full summary of the project is online.The USDA also released news today that Somali Bantu Community in Lewiston, in partnership with the Cumberland County Food Security Council, will receive a $394,851 Community Food Projects grant. Funding will support the community’s agricultural efforts to reconnect to its cultural heritage while reducing food insecurity.  A full summary of the project is online.   In 2013, Pingree introduced the Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act, comprehensive legislation to give more federal supports to small- and medium-sized farms in Maine and across the country.  When President Obama signed the last Farm Bill in 2014, it contained numerous provisions from Pingree’s bill. One of those pieces was tripling funding for the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program.    Pingree is a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, which oversees funding for the USDA.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/student-loan-forgiveness-tax-repayment-act-moves-forward,Student Loan Forgiveness Tax Repayment Act moves forward,2016-09-22,2016,2016-09,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Families who've had student loans forgiven for death or disability can face a stiff tax bill. A bipartisan bill introduced by Congresswoman Chellie Pingree to assist families who are dealing with the loss or sudden disability of a loved one passed the House Ways and Means Committee last night.  The bill, the Stop Taxing Death and Disability Act, would save families from big tax bills when federal student loans are forgiven after death or disability.  Passage by the Committee is a major step forward for the legislation, and Pingree says she hopes the full House will pass the bill by the end of the year.   Pingree introduced the bill with Representatives Peter Roskam (R-IL), Ron Kind (D-WI) and Ryan Costello (R-PA.)   Under the Higher Education Act, individuals and families can apply to have federal students loans forgiven if the recipient dies or becomes disabled to a high degree.  However, the forgiven debt is taxed as income—for many families, this can add tens of thousands of dollars in taxes. Not only are the taxes due the year the debt is forgiven, but the additional income can often bump families into a higher tax bracket, meaning that it’s taxed at a higher rate.  Pingree's bill would eliminate those taxes.   “This is an absolutely tragic situation.  You’re dealing with the loss of a child or your spouse becomes disabled, then all of a sudden you get a tax bill for tens of thousands of dollars,"" Pingree said.  “It’s just not right.  Having these student loans forgiven should offer some relief to these families, not put them in a financial hole for years to come.”   Pingree first introduced a bill in 2014 to provide relief for families in this situation in 2014 after hearing about the problem from the parents of Keegan Brennen of Topsham.  Keegan grew up in Maine and attended Mt. Ararat High School before studying illustration and creative writing at the New Hampshire Institute of Art, where he graduated in 2012.  The following November, he passed away suddenly at the age of 22.   His parents, Nora and Donald, suddenly owed over $25,000 in federal taxes and over $6,300 in state taxes after student loans they had co-signed for Keegan were forgiven. Donald and Nora Brennen are Navy veterans and have spent the last 3 1/2 years trying to fight this tax issue, while still trying to find space to mourn their son’s death.   “We are truly grateful to Congresswomen Pingree and Senator King for hearing our story. Keegan would have been proud of what is being done.  As veterans of the U.S. military, we feel that it is our duty to continue to fight to make things better for our country,"" Nora Brennan said.   The bill is a companion to legislation introduced by Senator Angus King earlier this year.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/maine-congressional-delegation-urges-european-commission-reject-swedish,Maine Congressional Delegation Urges European Commission to Reject Swedish Proposal to Ban Lobsters,2016-09-16,2016,2016-09,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Pingree today at a press conference today at Ready Seafood in Portland with Sen. Angus King and Rep. Bruce Poliquin. WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the European Union (EU) moves forward with its consideration of Sweden’s request to ban all live imports of American lobster, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin today sent a letter to the European Commission once again speaking out against the proposal and urging them to take into consideration the peer-reviewed science and potential economic repercussions of such a ban.   “As the Congressional representatives of Maine, the state where an overwhelming majority of all American lobster—including that which is destined for European markets—is landed, we are deeply concerned about the negative impacts of Sweden’s proposed import ban. With more than $200 million worth of live American lobster exported from North America to the EU annually, a ban would have serious effects on both Maine’s economy and thousands of our constituents’ livelihoods—not to mention commensurate losses for distribution, retail, and restaurant businesses in EU member nations,” Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin wrote.   “As the Scientific Committee weighs Sweden’s petition, we request that the RA continue to be measured against the best available peer-reviewed science and that alternative targeted mitigation solutions be considered to address this perceived risk,” they continued. “We also urge you to consider the economic repercussions that the proposed ban would have. We believe ecological risks have been well-studied and are minimal and that it is in the best interest of all parties involved to continue this sector of trans Atlantic trade.”   Last month, the EU’s Scientific Forum on Invasive Alien Species decided to advance Sweden’s request for further consideration by EU officials. In June, Senators Collins and King and Representative Pingree joined with members of the New England Congressional delegation in sending a letter to the European Union speaking out against the proposal by Sweden to ban the import of live lobsters. In March, the Maine Congressional delegation also wrote to Secretary of State John Kerry, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman and NOAA Administrator Dr. Kathryn Sullivan asking that the Obama Administration also resist Sweden’s efforts.   The complete text of the letter sent today is below:   +++   September 16, 2016   Mr. Daniel Calleja Crespo Director General DG Environment European Commission Brussels, Belgium     Dear Mr. Crespo:   As the Congressional representatives of Maine, the state where an overwhelming majority of all American lobster—including that which is destined for European markets—is landed, we are deeply concerned about the negative impacts of Sweden’s proposed import ban. With more than $200 million worth of live American lobster exported from North America to the EU annually, a ban would have serious effects on both Maine’s economy and thousands of our constituents’ livelihoods—not to mention commensurate losses for distribution, retail, and restaurant businesses in EU member nations. We again write to you with our serious concern for the lack of compelling science in Sweden’s petition to prohibit the importation of live Homarus americanus (American lobster) to the European Union and the socioeconomic effects it could have in the EU and North America.   While we remain disappointed the issue was not laid to rest at the Scientific Forum’s meeting in late-June, we are glad the Forum requested that Sweden update its risk assessment (RA) regarding stated concerns about the science. Sweden’s RA should be held to the high scientific scrutiny that is provided for in EU Regulation. As we noted in our June letter to you, the U.S. Department of Commerce and its Canadian counterpart provided ample scientific evidence with respect to the very low risk that American lobster poses as an invasive alien species.    As the Scientific Committee weighs Sweden’s petition, we request that the RA continue to be measured against the best available peer-reviewed science and that alternative targeted mitigation solutions be considered to address this perceived risk. We also urge you to consider the economic repercussions that the proposed ban would have. We believe ecological risks have been well-studied and are minimal and that it is in the best interest of all parties involved to continue this sector of trans‑Atlantic trade.    Thank you for your consideration of our great interest in the outcome of the issue.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/statement-designation-marine-monument-new-england-coast,Statement on designation of marine monument off New England coast,2016-09-15,2016,2016-09,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree issued the following statement about President Obama's decision to designate nearly 5,000 square miles of ocean off the coast of New England as a national marine monument.  The Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument will protect a pristine underwater area that is home to rare species including sea turtles and endangered whales.   ""This decision is going to protect one of the most fragile deep-sea ecosystems in the Atlantic. There are species of marine life found in this area that don't exist anywhere else in the world, and that's something worth saving.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/video-recognizing-veteran-staffer-rob-mccann-0,VIDEO: Recognizing veteran staffer Rob McCann,2016-09-15,2016,2016-09,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Pingree took to the House floor September 14 to recognize staffer Rob McCann (pictured), a Marine veteran who served two tours in Afghanistan, for helping save the life of a WWII veteran at a recent event. TEXT M_ Speaker, I want to talk for a moment about Rob McCann.    Rob came to our office in Maine a year ago as a fellow in the House Wounded Warrior program. Just as he served our country in countless combat missions in Afghanistan, Rob is now serving Maine veterans as a Congressional Staffer.   Last week Rob represented our office at the retirement ceremony of an employee at Togus VA in Maine.  The retiree's 92-year-old father--a World War Two veteran—was there to participate in the ceremony.   But moments after it ended, he collapsed from a heart attack. Rob leapt into action and put his Marine Corps training to work.  And with the help of a few other bystanders, began administering CPR—which they continued until medical professionals arrived.   Thanks to Rob—and the VA employees who jump in to help—a WWII vet is alive and well and walking around today.   I couldn't be more proud of the work that Rob does in our office every day—and I am especially proud of his quick response to save the life of a fellow veteran last week.   I yield back.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/westbrook-company-gets-875000-solar-energy-grant-improve-smart-grid,"Westbrook company gets $875,000 solar energy grant to improve smart grid technology",2016-09-14,2016,2016-09,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree said today that Pika Energy in Westbrook is getting a $875,000 Department of Energy Grant to improve technology for managing electric grids to take advantage of solar power and other sources of clean energy.   ""This is another great example of how clean-energy companies in Maine are developing new technology and creating good-paying jobs in our state,"" Pingree said.  ""We have what it takes to be a leader in clean energy and I'm glad the federal government is stepping up to help support the development of this industry.""   The grant is part of the Department of Energy's SunShot initiative aimed at improving the efficiency of solar energy installations.  Pika will use the funding to further develop technology they have created to help manage distributed energy systems—like solar arrays—and integrate them into the electric grid.  The technology also allows for smart control of electric loads, so electric consumers can take advantage of the power available during peak supply periods when prices are lower.   Pingree said Pika is one of a growing number of clean-energy companies in Maine who are growing and contributing to the local economy.   ""We've got some people doing excellent work on wind, tidal and solar in Maine in both the private sector and at the university level,"" Pingree said.  ""It sometimes takes public investment like this grant to get a new industry going but it will pay off in the long term by creating the kind of good jobs right here in Maine that can't be exported.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-statement-911-anniversary,Pingree statement on 9/11 anniversary,2016-09-12,2016,2016-09,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree issued the following statement on the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks: Today I urge everyone to take a moment and pay tribute to the victims and survivors of 9/11, as well as the first responder and men and  women of the armed forces who stepped up to serve our country in the wake of the attacks.  We owe an enormous debt of gratitude to all of those who sacrificed in the fight against terrorism.  And as we continue to stand up to acts of terrorism, we must remained committed to our core values of justice, equality and tolerance as we remain vigilant in the fight against both international and domestic terrorism.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/blog-posts/2016-summer-snapshots,2016 Summer Snapshots,2016-09-08,2016,2016-09,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"This summer has been a busy time of meeting with my constituents and hearing their feedback on important issues.  It's been 100 years now since President Woodrow Wilson signed an order to create the Sieur de Monts National Monument (what would later become Acadia National Park). It was a privilege to help celebrate the occasion at the park with the rest of Maine's Congressional Delegation, National Park Service officials, and hundreds of visitors to this spectacular piece of Maine. At Jordan Pond with the rest of Maine's Congressional Delegation. Meeting a future Park Ranger at the celebration. The same week that we celebrated Acadia's centennial, President Obama made a very exciting announcement--the establishment of the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument.  I have been a longtime supporter of creating a National Monument with land donated by the Quimby Family because I think it will bring many benefits to the region and entire state.  It was a joy to visit our newest National Monument, which is breathtaking in its beauty. Speaking at a celebration of the new National Monument. Signing in at the monument entrance. Stunning view. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee--which oversees funding for federal programs--I had the opportunity to bring several high-ranking Obama Administration officials to Maine this summer. It's a great chance for these officials to hear feedback from people in Maine about how their programs are successful and how they can be improved.  USDA Undersecretary Kevin Concannon (a native Mainer) came back to Maine to see how the federal nutrition programs he administers are working. Here, we visited a site in Portland where kids get free lunch and actitivities to keep them engaged during the summer. With Kevin Concannon at a farmers market in Augusta.  Elanor Starmer (second from right) heads the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, which brings millions of dollars to Maine to support food-related businesses.  Here we are at Fork Food Lab in Portland, a new shared kitchen space for food entrepreneurs. Stopping at the Good Food Bus, which sells affordable, healthy food at spots around Southern Maine. As Maine continues to deal with the opioid epidemic and an unprecented number of overdoses, I participated in several conversations this summer about the role of federal policies and programs in dealing with the crisis. Talking with a resident of Mercy Hospital's McCauley Residence in Portland, a transitional housing program for women in recovery from alcohol and drug dependency. Visting the Milestone Foundation in Portland with Kana Enomoto (second from right) of the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.  She is one of the top Obama Administration officials responsible for efforts to respond to the national epidemic of opioid use.  Milestone Foundation runs a shelter and several other programs to treat individuals with substance abuse disorder. Also pictured are (left to right) Enomoto's Chief of Staff Tom Coderre, Milestone Director of Nursing Lauren Wert, and Milestone Executive Director Bob Fowler. As the tie between the misuse of prescription pain medication and the current opioid addiction crisis becomes better known, the medical community is considering changes in the way it treats patients with chronic pain. Many questions are still unanswered, such as how to reduce abuse and addiction while continuing to care for the millions of Americans who deal with chronic pain every day, the role of alternative treatments, and what policy changes are needed.  I was privileged to participate in a conference and discussion convened by the University of New England on the issue. Pictured with me are (left to right) UNE Professor Edward Bilsky, moderator Kim Block, Dr. Linda Porter of the National Insitutes of Health and Dr. Dan Carr of the National Academy of Pain Medicine. As always, it continues to be a privilege to meet Maine veterans who have bravely served our country and to hear their feedback on federal programs meant to assist them.  At the American Legion State Convention. With Cornelius Ware at the Veterans of Foreign Wars State Convention.​ Maine's urchin industry, which brings over $5 million into Maine's economy every year, has recently been dealing with burdensome federal regulations. I visited an urchin processing plant earlier this summer to learn more about the issue, and I was pleased that just this week the House passed legislation I introduced to remove unnecessary inspections on the product.  Seeing how urchin roe--a delicacy in Japan--is packaged at ISF Trading on Hobson's Wharf in Portland.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/maine-delegation-announces-service-academy-information-night,Maine Delegation Announces Service Academy Information Night,2016-09-08,2016,2016-09,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – The offices of Maine’s Congressional Delegation will host a Military Academy Seminar in cooperation with the Maine Maritime Academy in Portland on Wednesday, September 14, 2016 at the Clarion Hotel, 1230 Congress Street, from 6 – 8:30 PM. Registration is from 5:30 – 6 PM. Students, parents and guidance counselors who are interested in the application process for the United States Military, Naval, Air Force, Merchant Marine and Coast Guard Academies, state maritime academies, as well as private military colleges, Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), and National Guard Scholar programs are encouraged to attend. There will be a short presentation by representatives from the various organizations, followed by an opportunity to collect applications and brochures and speak with the individual representatives. Also, Congressional aides from the offices of Senators Collins and King and Representatives Pingree and Poliquin will be available to answer questions regarding the congressional nomination process.  In order to register please contact the Maine Maritime Academy at: 1 (800) 464-6565 in Maine, 1 (800) 227-8465 out of state, 207-326-2207/2206 Admissions Direct, however, preregistration is not required and walk-ins are welcome. Go here for information on seeking a nomination to a Service Academy.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/two-maine-organizations-receive-federal-grants-support-adaptive-sports,Two Maine organizations receive federal grants to support adaptive sports programs for disabled veterans,2016-09-08,2016,2016-09,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today announced that two Maine organizations would receive Department of Veterans Affairs Adaptive Sports Grants to help disabled veterans access recreational activities and competition.   “The lasting wounds many service members carry home make life challenging in many ways. Particularly heartbreaking is how difficult it can be for them to participate in the sports and activities they used to enjoy,” said Pingree.  “Luckily, there are organizations in Maine committed to accommodating disabled veterans’ needs so they don’t have to give these hobbies up. In many ways, these adaptive sports can boost a disabled veteran’s physical and mental wellbeing. I’m so glad Carlisle Academy and Pineland Farms are receiving federal funding to support their excellent work.”   Carlisle Academy in Lyman will receive $52,100 to expand the number of veterans it already serves with hippotherapy, adaptive riding, and para-equestrian programs.   Pineland Farms in New Gloucester will receive $65,772 to continue offering a range of adaptive sports to disabled veterans, including skiing, biathlon, tennis, snowshoeing, and fishing.   More information on the VA Adaptive Sports Program is available at http://www.va.gov/adaptivesports/.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-announces-100000-federal-grant-research-use-composite-lumber,"Pingree announces $100,000 federal grant to research use of composite lumber in aquaculture pens",2016-09-07,2016,2016-09,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree announced today that InnovaSea Systems in Augusta will receive a $99,771 Small Business Innovation Research grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to research the feasibility of using wood fiber composite materials for the aquaculture pens it manufactures.    “These types of grants have been key in helping Maine small businesses test new technologies and take innovative ideas to market,” said Pingree.  “This project is very exciting in connecting two areas where Maine has a lot of expertise—marine construction and wood-based composites. I applaud InnovaSea Systems for its leadership in bringing these technologies together in a way that holdsgreat potential for Maine’s economy.”    Since 2006, InnovaSea Systems in Augusta has manufactured and marketed its Aquapod spehericalgeodesic fish pens, which are used year-round in demanding marine environments.  The cages are currently built with High Density Polyethelene (HDPE) plastic, but the company is looking for a stronger and stiffer alternative.    The company will work with researchers at the University of Maine who have developed a process to produce a thermoplastic composite combining engineering plastic with wood fiber.  The effectiveness of the composite will be tested in the lab and open ocean.  If successful, the material holds great potential for many marine uses.         A full description of the project is available here. Pingree is a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, which oversees funding for the Small Business Innovation Research Program.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-poliquin-win-major-protection-maine-urchin-dealers,"Pingree, Poliquin win major protection for Maine urchin dealers",2016-09-07,2016,2016-09,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"A bill introduced by Representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin to ease federal inspection of several species of seafood, including urchins exported from Maine, passed the U.S. House today.  ""Urchin dealers in Maine should be exempted from these inspections just like lobster and other shellfish are,"" Pingree said.  ""This is a highly perishable product and the shipments keep getting held up waiting for someone from the federal government to sign off on them.  This is a common sense reform that removes an unnecessary regulatory burden and protects Maine jobs in the urchin industry.""   “This is a big win for Maine jobs,” said Poliquin. “Our state’s sea urchin and sea cucumber industry employs more than 650 hardworking Mainers and is a critical component of our coastal economy.  These men and women take on an extremely dangerous job in diving for their catches in treacherous conditions.  There is no reason for bureaucrats in Washington to get in the way of their livelihoods by imposing unnecessary and harmful rules that directly threaten their businesses.”   Pingree was contacted by Maine urchin dealers in late 2014, and Poliquin in early 2015 after he took office, after federal officials started requiring the inspection of urchins entering and leaving the United States.  Currently, processors buy urchins harvested in Maine and Canada and process them in Maine.  Urchins from Canada are inspected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service when coming into the state.  After they are processed, all urchins—regardless of where they were caught—are again inspected before being exported.  Almost all processed urchins are sold to markets in Asia.   Just last week Pingree had to intervene when two shipments of urchins from Maine, worth an estimated $50,000, got delayed at JFK airport in New York while inspectors were off duty over the long Labor Day weekend.  Because of Pingree's efforts, the shipments were cleared by officials and allowed to be transported out of the country.   Pingree and Poliquin’s bill would put an end to repetitive, mandatory inspections of urchins and sea cucumbers being exported from the country. The House Natural Resources Committee amended the bill to also exempt squid, octopus, and cuttlefish from these inspections.   In June, Poliquin sent a letter to House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy urging that this bill be brought to the House floor for a vote.  The House Natural Resources Committee also held a hearing on the legislation at Congressman Poliquin’s request earlier this spring.   Pingree and Poliquin were also successful in getting language into a spending bill for the Department of the Interior but because the appropriations process in Congress is not moving forward, passage of their stand-alone bill today makes it much more likely that the provision will become law this year.   Pingree and Poliquin's bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/maine-congressional-delegation-responds-european-union-decision-proceed,Maine Congressional Delegation Responds to European Union Decision to Proceed with Review of Proposed Lobster Ban,2016-09-06,2016,2016-09,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin released the following statement today in response to a decision by the European Union’s (EU) Scientific Forum on Invasive Alien Species to open up a broader review of Sweden’s request to declare American lobster as an invasive species and ban all imports of live lobster into the EU: “We find this decision deeply disappointing, particularly because – as North American scientists have thoroughly demonstrated – there is no strong scientific evidence to justify a ban on the import of live lobsters into the entire 28-country European Union, as Sweden wrongly proposes.   “We continue to believe that pursuing such a prohibition is not only unsupported by science and inconsistent with the rules of the World Trade Organization, but is also an unnecessary overreaction that would have devastating economic effects on the American lobster industry that supports so many Mainers and their families.   “The EU’s Scientific Forum on Invasive Alien Species did not consider economic factors when conducting the review to this point, but moving forward the EU will and we will continue to support Maine’s lobster industry by seeing that the science and economic impacts are made clear.” In June, Senators Collins and King and Representatives Pingree and Poliquin joined with members of the New England Congressional delegation in sending a letter to the European Union speaking out against the proposal by Sweden to ban the import of live lobsters. In March, the Maine Congressional delegation also wrote to Secretary of State John Kerry, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman and NOAA Administrator Dr. Kathryn Sullivan asking that the Obama Administration also resist Sweden’s efforts.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-says-maine-clean-energy-company-get-54-million-federal-grant,Pingree says Maine clean energy company to get $5.4 million federal grant,2016-09-02,2016,2016-09,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree said today that Ocean Renewable Power Company (ORPC) headquartered in Portland is getting a $5.35 million Department of Energy grant to finish development of the commercial design of its TidGen Power System.  The new design will be tested, operated and monitored in Washington County.  This DOE funded project is a critical next step in the eventual deployment of the company's proposed 5MW Maine Tidal Energy Project.  ""ORPC is a company that is creating and supporting jobs in every corner of our state,"" Pingree said.  ""And this grant puts them a big step closer to finishing the design of the next generation of their innovative tidal power technology.  Not only is ORPC creating jobs but at the same time they are building a new source of clean energy produced right here at home."" ORPC President Chris Sauer said the federal grant, along with matching private funding that must be secured, will allow the company to complete the commercial design of the TidGen Power System.  The new design features a buoyancy wing that allows the unit to be positioned at optimum depths to take advantage of the strongest current.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/statement-designation-katahdin-woods-and-waters-national-monument,Statement on designation of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument,2016-08-24,2016,2016-08,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree released the following statement on this morning’s announcement that land donated by the Quimby family would be designated as the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. This is an exciting and historic day for Maine.  The creation of a new national monument will bring economic development to the area and benefit all of Maine. It will bring millions of visitors to this beautiful and special part of our state, and at the same time preserve traditional uses like hunting and snowmobiling.  The American people owe a debt of gratitude to Roxanne Quimby for this incredible act of generosity. She worked hard to build a great company from the ground up, and the first thing she did when she sold it was to figure out how to give back to the people of Maine by donating this land.  Generations of Americans will benefit from her gift.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-statement-transfer-elliotsville-plantation-land,Pingree statement on transfer of Elliotsville Plantation land,2016-08-23,2016,2016-08,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree released the following statement on today’s reported transfer of 87,000 acres of land in Maine’s North Woods from Elliotsville Plantation Inc. to the federal government This is a very generous gift to the American people and I applaud the Quimby family for making this donation. I have been a strong supporter of creating a national monument on this special and unique land, as are the vast majority of people in the region and throughout the state.    Studies have shown a national monument would bring economic growth not only to the region, but the entire state. And this proposal also preserves traditional recreation uses like hunting, fishing, and snowmobiling. I hope the President uses his authority to make this land a national monument.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/two-federal-grants-awarded-train-next-generation-maine-farmers,Two federal grants awarded to train next generation of Maine farmers,2016-08-18,2016,2016-08,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today announced two USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program grants that would benefit Maine—one to Wolfe’s Neck Farm in Freeport to train organic dairy farmers and another to fund an Armed to Farm veteran farmer training in Maine.   “Farming is hard work and a tough business, especially when you’re just starting out. This funding will help new farmers be successful so they can stick with it and keep breathing new life into Maine’s agriculture industry,” said Pingree.  “I’m very glad Wolfe’s Neck Farm will be able to expand its innovative efforts to train people in organic dairy farming—which is an area of great potential for Maine. Armed to Farm has proven to be a great tool in assisting veteran farmers around the country, so I’m excited this funding will allow Maine veterans to access it.  $573,256 will go to Wolfe’s Neck Farm in Freeport to expand its Organic Dairy Farmer Training Program, where apprentices live on the farm while managing a herd of cows for organic milk production. $231,679 will go to the National Center for Appropriate Technology in Butte, Montana, to fund a program to support hundreds of beginning veteran farmers in Maine and other Northeast states. The program includes one-day workshops on a range of production topics as well as an intensive one-week Armed to Farm training in sustainable agriculture.  A number of Maine-based organizations are involved in the project. As a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture—which oversees funding for the USDA—Pingree has made advocating for the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program one of her top funding priorities.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/blog-posts/veterans-meetings-and-events-spring-and-summer-2016,"Veterans meetings and events, spring and summer 2016",2016-08-16,2016,2016-08,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"I had the pleasure of attending a number of events this spring and summer to meet veterans and hear directly about the concerns--a few snapshots are below.   --Chellie Moving Wall in Thomaston Maine VFW Convention American Legion state meeting   Awarding medals to Afghanistan veteran",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/over-12-million-economic-development-administration-grants-coming-maine,Over $1.2 million coming to Maine to advance forest products economy,2016-07-29,2016,2016-07,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Aroostook County, Maine. Courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Today Congresswoman Chellie Pingree welcomed news of two Economic Development Administration (EDA) grants to fund efforts to advance the forest products industry in Maine.  “As Maine continues to deal with the loss of jobs in papermaking and manufacturing, this funding will help bolster these industries and support new ways to capitalize on Maine’s forest resources,” Pingree said. “Despite our challenges, Maine has many tools at its disposal—manufacturing infrastructure, abundant natural resources, and skilled, hard-working people.  These projects will give us great insight in how to adapt those assets to the current market. I’m excited at their potential to protect current jobs while creating new ones for the future.”  A grant for $711,600 will go the Maine Development Foundation in Augusta to support, coordinate and track long-term recovery efforts in the forest products industry that result from findings made by the Maine Forest Economy Economic Development Assessment Team (EDAT). The goal of the EDAT will be to leverage the power of multiple federal government agencies and harness stakeholder input to create economic development strategies that help pave the way for job growth in rural Maine communities in the years to come. A grant for $513,930 will go the Environmental Health Strategy Center in Portland to help diversify Maine’s forest products economy by creating a roadmap to advance the manufacture of bio-based chemicals and advanced materials from renewable biomass.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/collins-king-pingree-poliquin-announce-usda-plans-purchase-additional-38,"Collins, King, Pingree, Poliquin Announce That USDA Plans to Purchase an Additional 3.8 million pounds of Maine Wild Blueberries",2016-07-28,2016,2016-07,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin announced the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) plans to purchase an additional 3.8 million pounds of Maine wild blueberries to distribute to food banks and other charitable organizations across the country. Along with an earlier purchase made this year at the Delegation’s request, that would bring the total to 11.7 million pounds, amounting to an estimated $12.75 million for Maine blueberry growers.   “With the harvest getting underway in the weeks ahead, this news comes at a critical time for Maine blueberry growers,” Maine’s Congressional Delegation said in a joint statement.  “Not only will they get financial help in recovering from low prices in 2014 and 2015, but they will also be able to make room for the incoming harvest. This is welcome support for our industry in Maine, which provides for more than 3,000 jobs in its peak season.”   In January, the Delegation asked the USDA to purchase surplus blueberries through its Bonus Buy program to help growers who have faced declining prices because of record crop sizes in 2014 and 2015.  USDA answered in April by announcing that it would purchase up to $13 million of product.   USDA made an initial purchase in June of about 7.9 million pounds of berries at a cost of $8.6 million.  Based on that price, the additional 3.8 million pound purchase is worth an estimated $4.14 million.   The Bonus Buy program supports the emergency surplus removal of commodities, which are then distributed to domestic food assistance programs.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/grant-opportunities/nifa-small-business-innovation-research-grants,NIFA Small Business Innovation Research Grants,2016-07-25,2016,2016-07,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"PRESS RELEASE FROM USDA NIFAWASHINGTON, July 14, 2016 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) today announced more than $8.3 million in available funding to support small businesses in the creation of advanced research and development projects that will lead to innovative solutions for American agriculture. This funding is available through the Small Business Innovation Research program, administered by NIFA. “Small businesses are the economic back bone of rural America,” said NIFA Director Sonny Ramaswamy. “The SBIR program has provided small businesses with the opportunity to expand on innovative ideas and technology, resulting in more jobs and long-term commercial value.” The SBIR program stimulates technological innovations in the private sector and strengthens the role of federal research and development in support of small businesses. The program fosters and encourages participation by women-owned and socially or economically disadvantaged small businesses. Companies initially apply for Phase I feasibility studies, which may be followed by Phase II research and development projects. Phase I grants are limited to $100,000 and a duration of eight months, while Phase II grants are limited to $600,000 and a duration of 24 months. Recent examples of successful NIFA-funded SBIR projects include work by the Nitrate Elimination Company, Inc. that developed kits that allow farm managers to rapidly determine nitrate levels in plants; a project by Whole Trees, LLC that developed a new market for small-diameter round timber – a waste product of well-managed forests; and research by Stony Creek Colors (USDA Blog) that developed indigo as a substitute cash crop that can be grown by tobacco farmers to produce natural dye for blue jeans.  See more examples of SBIR-funded projects in the SBIR brochure (PDF) available on the NIFA website. Applications are due October 6. See the request for applications for more information. Since 1983, the SBIR program has awarded more than 2,000 research and development grants to American-owned, independently operated, for-profit businesses with 500 employees or fewer. NIFA funds and administers the SBIR program, with additional funding provided by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the Agricultural Research Service, the Economic Research Service, the National Agricultural Statistics Service, and the U.S. Forest Service. Request a letter of support from Congresswoman Pingree",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/grant-opportunities/outreach-and-assistance-socially-disadvantaged-and-veteran-farmers-and-ranchers,Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Grant Program,2016-07-25,2016,2016-07,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, June 6, 2016 - USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Administrator Sam Rikkers today announced that USDA is seeking applications for grants to provide assistance to socially-disadvantaged business groups in rural areas. ""Rural America is an incredibly diverse place with many types of businesses and business owners participating in the economy,"" Rikkers said. ""This funding will give small, rural businesses the technical assistance they need to compete in the global marketplace."" The funding is being provided through the Socially Disadvantaged Groups Grant (SDGG) program. USDA provides grants to local cooperatives and other organizations that provide technical assistance to socially disadvantaged groups in rural areas. Examples of technical assistance include providing leadership training, conducting feasibility studies and developing business and strategic plans. Recipients eligible for these grants include groups of cooperatives, individual cooperatives and cooperative development centers that serve socially-disadvantaged groups. The cooperatives or development centers can be based in any area, but the groups that receive technical assistance must be located in an eligible rural area. USDA is encouraging applications for projects in census tracts with poverty rates of 20 percent or higher. USDA is making $3 million in grants available. The maximum award a recipient may receive is $175,000. All grants are awarded through a national competition. More information on how to apply can be found on page 36254 of the June 6, 2016 Federal Register. Applications must be submitted by August 5, 2016, or electronically by August 1, 2016. USDA awarded 126 grants totaling $19.5 million through the Socially Disadvantaged Groups Grant program between 2009 and 2015. Past recipients of these grants have been able to make life-changing improvements in rural areas. For example, in 2013, the Southern California Focus on Cooperation received a $200,000 SDGG grant to provide technical assistance to 95 immigrant and minority farmers. The technical assistance helped the farmers improve their productive capacity, helped them better manage their cooperative business and increased their revenue. Many of the farmers helped by this project had spent years suffering from persecution and oppression and had had no access to formal schooling in their native lands. Since 2009, USDA Rural Development (@USDARD) has invested $11 billion to start or expand 103,000 rural businesses; helped 1.1 million rural residents buy homes; funded nearly 7,000 community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care facilities; financed 185,000 miles of electric transmission and distribution lines; and helped bring high-speed Internet access to nearly 6 million rural residents and businesses. For more information, visit www.usda.gov/results. Request a letter of support from Congresswoman Pingree",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/blog-posts/sometimes-sitting-down-you-re-really-standing,"Sometimes by sitting down, youre really standing up",2016-07-21,2016,2016-07,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Each time there’s a mass shooting, citizens across the country have a conversation on how to keep the next one from happening and how to keep guns out of the hands of people who want to commit violence.  The nation holds this conversation at the dinner table, on the Internet, and in many other places. But it doesn’t happen in one place where it absolutely should—the halls of Congress.  Mass shootings have happened with such frequency in recent months that the House of Representatives now has a standard procedure for holding moments of silence. Yet the House Republicans won’t allow any debate on legislation to address gun violence, even for something as commonsense as preventing suspected terrorists from purchasing firearms.  In the wake of the recent shooting in Orlando—where a lone gunman armed with an assault rifle killed 49 innocent people—my Democratic colleagues and I decided that enough was enough.  If Speaker Ryan wouldn’t sanction a conversation on the House floor, we would hold one anyway.  The proceedings on June 23 began like any other, with 5-minute speeches on a variety of topics. I joined several Democratic colleagues to speak about the toll gun violence has taken on our country, of which mass shootings are just a small part. Shootings claim American victims of all ages and ethnicities, and occur many, many times more often than in other developed countries.  As legislative business was about to begin, we announced that we would sit on the House floor and not leave until the House debated closing the terrorist gun loophole.  We ended up occupying the floor for over 24 hours.  Providing guidance and leadership during that time was Representative John Lewis from Georgia.  He was a top leader in the 1960s civil rights movement and led lunch-counter sit-ins, Freedom Rides, and the famous voting rights march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. As he told us, “Sometimes by sitting down, you’re really standing up.”  We were able to teach him about something, too—Periscope.  When the GOP tried to silence us by shutting off the C-Span cameras, this live-streaming app on our smartphones made it possible to show the country that we weren’t going anywhere.  I got to see a different side of my colleagues that day. Unbound by parliamentary procedure, we stood up to share emotional stories of gun violence in our Districts. I talked about Darien Richardson, a 25-year-old woman who was shot and killed in Portland one night.  The police were never able to find her killer because the gun used in her murder—and then another—was purchased through an unregistered sale.  I shared a message from her parents, who said, “She might not be dead if there was a background check.” Other Representatives told stories from their own lives. Jackie Speier held up the bullets that doctors pulled from her body after being shot during the Jonestown Massacre.  Debbie Dingell spoke about how her own father had once held a gun to her head. Donna Edwards read a letter from our former colleague Gabby Giffords, who was shot while meeting with her constituents in 2011.  The Speaker held a vote in the middle of the night to end proceedings for the week.  But bolstered by boxes of pizza that people across the country had ordered for us, we stayed on the floor through the night and into the morning.  Since coming home, I’ve been asked what our sit-in accomplished. After all, the Speaker still hasn’t held a vote on gun violence—instead, he is considering reprimanding me and my colleagues for using smart-phones to broadcast our sit-in.  But, yes, it was worth it.  Our sit-in has ended—for now, at least—but our commitment to meaningful action is stronger than ever.  And, for a time, we were able to have the conversation America has been begging Congress for.  We showed our constituents that we were listening and that we would not let Congress go about business as usual in the midst of a national crisis. As Representative Lewis said to start our sit in, “We have been quiet for too long.  There comes a time when you have to say something. When you have to make a little noise. When you have to move your feet. This is the time. Now is the time to get in the way. The time to act is now. We will be silent no more.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-leads-house-effort-get-lease-approved-portland-va-clinic,Pingree leads House effort to get lease approved for Portland VA clinic,2016-07-21,2016,2016-07,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Pingree at the opening of the VA Clinic in Portland in 2011.   Congresswoman Chellie Pingree is leading a bipartisan effort to expedite the approval of a lease to significantly expand a VA outpatient clinic in Portland.    The leases in Portland and at 17 other VA facilities around the country need Congressional approval, but bureaucratic rules about how those leases are valued has slowed the process.   Pingree wrote a letter to the top Republican and Democrat on the Veterans Affairs Committee urging them to  “move forward in authorizing the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) major medical facility leases currently pending before Congress.” Pingree, joined by both Democratic and Republican colleagues, told the Committee that ""these 18 outstanding leases must be authorized by whatever means possible, without delay, to ensure that our veterans are provided the care that our country has promised them.""   Under current law, Congress must authorize VA medical facility leases with average annual rental payments in excess of $1 million.  Beginning in 2012, the Congressional Budget Office began assessing the cost of all VA clinics based on the total obligation for the life of the lease rather than the annual payment.  This makes the leases appear much more expensive than they really are and has delayed their authorization. The proposed expansion at the Portland Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) would be over 50,000 square feet and allow veterans access to many services not currently offered in southern Maine.   Maine Senators Susan Collins and Angus King organized a similar effort in the Senate earlier this summer.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-announces-grant-nearly-400000-restore-fish-passage-sheepscot,"Pingree announces grant of nearly $400,000 to restore fish passage on Sheepscot River",2016-07-19,2016,2016-07,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Coopers Mill Dam in Whitefield. Photo from maineencyclopedia.comCongresswoman Chellie Pingree said this morning that a federal grant of nearly $393,000 will help pay for the removal of a deteriorating dam on the Sheepscot River in Whitefield to allow passage of Atlantic Salmon, herring and other fish.   ""Allowing sea run fish up the Sheepscot is important to restoring this natural habitat for important sea run species like herring and salmon,"" Pingree said.  ""This is a great project that is going to invest in the local community and at the same time improve the health of these fish.""   Herring is a key source of bait for Maine's lobster industry, but recent shortages have caused hardships for fishermen.   The grant to the Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF) from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will partially finance a project that will cost nearly $800,000 to remove the Coopers Mills Dam in Whitefield.  The dam is in the main stem of the river, has only limited fish passage and has been leaking.    The town fire department uses the pond behind that dam for fire protection, but because of the leaks, it has become an unreliable source. The ASF project will not only remove the deteriorating dam but will also create three new hydrants in town that tap into the Sheepscot River.  In addition, ASF will create a viewing area at the site and preserve the history of some of the five mills that operated there in the early 1800s.   ""This is a win for everyone,"" Pingree said. ""Not only will it free up this part of the river for fish passage but it will improve fire protection in Whitefield and preserve the history of this site.""   In addition to Atlantic Salmon and herring, shad and river eels also swim upstream in the Sheepscot River and will be able to continue to the 13 ponds and lakes attached to the river after the dam is removed.   Andy Goode, VP of US Programs for the Atlantic Salmon Foundation, said they expect the project to be completed in 2018.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-poliquin-invite-maine-high-school-students-participate,"Pingree, Poliquin invite Maine high school students to participate in Congressional App Challenge",2016-07-18,2016,2016-07,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin today invited Maine high school students to participate in the 2016 Congressional App Challenge. Students have until November 2, 2016, to develop and submit their own smart-phone apps—a winning app from each of Maine’s Congressional Districts will be chosen to receive national recognition.  “I applaud how Maine schools are using STEM education to prepare our students for the jobs of tomorrow.  This competition is an exciting opportunity to put those skills to the test while learning how to develop the smartphone apps we use every day,” said Pingree.  “I hope students give it a shot—I can’t wait to see what they come up with.”  “Never has it been more important for our students to have the practical experience to use and master digital technologies,” said Poliquin.  “This program will give students across Maine the unique opportunity to broaden their skills and learn in a fun and competitive environment.” Students can participate as individuals or in a team of up to four.  The apps can cover any topic. In addition to the app, students must submit a 3-4 minute video explaining their app and how it works.  A panel convened by the Maine Technology Institute will judge the submissions. They will be judged on 1) the creativity and originality of the app idea; 2) user experience and design of the idea’s implementation; and 3) quality of coding and programming.  The deadline for submissions is November 2, 2016. Starting at noon today, students can register for the competition at http://www.congressionalappchallenge.us/compete-2016/sign-up/. The Congressional App Challenge is happening in Congressional Districts nationwide—Members 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.  The Internet Education Foundation coordinates the competition.  More information on the competition, as well as resources for teachers and students, can be found at www.congressionalappchallenge.us and pingree.house.gov/appchallenge Read about last year's winning app, Flex, developed by two students at the Baxter Academy in Portland.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/statement-shooting-baton-rouge-louisiana,"Statement on shooting in Baton Rouge, Louisiana",2016-07-18,2016,2016-07,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree issued the following statement on the shooting early today in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. ""Once again we are faced with the heartbreaking news of innocent Americans falling victim to hatred and gun violence.  As we mourn the deaths of three brave police officers today, and grieve for their families, we must find a way to bring an end to this cycle of violence.  And we can only do that through peaceful dialog and justice for all members of our communities.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-poliquin-win-protections-maine-urchin-fishery,"Pingree, Poliquin win protections for Maine urchin fishery",2016-07-14,2016,2016-07,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"A major spending bill that passed the House today contains a provision introduced by Representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin to exempt urchins imported to or exported from the United States from mandatory inspections by federal wildlife officials, providing important relief for an industry of more than 650 Maine workers. ""Urchin dealers in Maine were just losing too much product when it waited in a warehouse for these inspections,"" Pingree said. ""Lobsters and other highly perishable shellfish aren't subject to these inspections and neither should urchins. This has been a long process but I think we're finally close to the point where urchin dealers are going to get the protection they deserve."" This is all about jobs, said Poliquin. The sea urchin harvesting industry directly employs more than 650 hardworking Mainers and is a critical component to our States economy. Today, we are pushing one step closer to making an important revision in the law, removing an unnecessary federal regulation and providing critical relief for one of Maines staple trades. Pingree was contacted by Maine urchin dealers in late 2014 after federal officials started requiring inspections of urchins entering and leaving the United States. Currently, processors buy urchins harvested in Maine and Canada and process them in Maine. Urchins from Canada are inspected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service when coming into the state. After they are processed, all urchinsregardless of where they were caughtare again inspected before being exported. Almost all processed urchins are sold to markets in Asia. Pingree and Poliquin introduced a proposal that puts an end to repetitive, mandatory inspections of urchins and sea cucumbers being imported to and exported from the country. If illegal trafficking involving either product is found to be occurring anywhere in the country, inspections of urchins and sea cucumbers will resume in that area. During Appropriations Committee action on the major spending bill that funds the Department of the Interior, the language from Pingree and Poliquin's proposal was inserted. Pingree, a member of the Appropriations Committee, pushed leading Democrats and Republicans on the committee to include the proposal. Poliquin also encouraged the committee to include this important language. The spending bill, H.R. 5538, passed the House today. The Senate has yet to take up the bill.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/video-pingree-opposes-gmo-labeling-bill,VIDEO: Pingree opposes GMO labeling bill,2016-07-14,2016,2016-07,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"UPDATE: This bill has passed the House and now goes on to the President for his signature. Congresswoman Chellie Pingree spoke out against a bill that would require a complicated labeling scheme on foods containing GMO ingredients. The US House is taking up a bill today, recently passed by the Senate, that would allow manufacturers to place a QR code on the package of food containing GMOs. A QR code requires a smartphone and a special app to access ingredient information through a website. On the House floor this morning, Pingree called the bill ""a complicated solution to a simple problem."" ""The solution is simple,"" Pingree said. ""List GMO ingredients on the back of the package, in the ingredient list, in plain English. It's a solution that 64 other countries around the world have already adopted. Most of Europe, Japan, Russiaeven Chinaall require a simple, on-package label that anyone can read."" The bill taken up in the House today also pre-empts laws in states like Maine and Vermont that would require disclosure of GMO ingredients in plain English. Ted Quaday, Executive Director, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) praised Pingree for the vote. ""MOFGA applauds the action of Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today in voting 'no' on a GMO labeling measure aimed at keeping consumers in the dark about what is in their food. The Congresswoman made clear consumers have a right to know if there are GMOs present in the foods they buy for themselves and their families. The measure passed in the House today fails to provide that assurance, and we thank the Congresswoman for standing against it,"" Quaday said. Pingree said that although there is debate about the use of GMOs in food, the legislation is about transparency. ""This isn't about the safety or health of GMO ingredients, it's about the consumer's right to know, so they can make that decision for themselves,"" Pingree said. Ninety percent of Americans support mandatory labeling of GMO foods.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-calls-house-hold-votes-bipartisan-bills-strengthen-gun-laws,Pingree calls on House to hold votes on bipartisan bills to strengthen gun laws,2016-07-06,2016,2016-07,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree spoke on the House floor today, calling on Republican leaders to allow votes on bipartisan legislation to reduce gun violence.  In her speech, Pingree said that after the Democratic-organized sit-in two weeks ago, she's heard from many Mainers who have asked if Congress would act.""Will we finally do something to reduce the scourge of gun violence that is sweeping this country?  Will we finally do something to limit access to guns by criminals and suspected terrorists?"" Pingree said on the House floor.Pingree is cosponsoring two proposals—a bill to expand background checks to cover all gun sales and legislation to block anyone on the ""No Fly"" list from buying guns.  She and her colleagues are demanding a vote on these two bipartisan proposals as an alternative to the NRA-backed bill that House Republicans have decided to vote on later this week.""The NRA works for the gun industry, not the American people.  The legislation they are supporting does nothing to make our communities safer and would make it virtually impossible to stop suspected terrorists from buying guns,"" Pingree said.Last month, Pingree and 12 of her colleagues started a sit-in on the House floor that was eventually joined by nearly every Democrat in the House and several dozen Senators and lasted for over 24 hours.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-joins-colleagues-congress-push-bipartisan-vote-week-strengthen,Pingree joins colleagues in Congress in push for bipartisan vote this week to strengthen gun laws,2016-07-05,2016,2016-07,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree is headed back to Washington today where she plans to join colleagues in pushing for a vote in the US House on common sense bills to reduce gun violence in America.""Gun violence has taken a huge personal toll on the lives of so many families in this country,"" Pingree said.  ""We can do a lot more to keep guns out of the hands of people who should not have them and this week Republican leaders in Congress should let us vote on two bipartisan pieces of legislation that have the overwhelming support of the American people.""Pingree is cosponsoring two proposals—a bill to expand background checks to cover all gun sales and legislation to block anyone on the ""No Fly"" list from buying guns.Last week Pingree met with Erica Lafferty Smegielski, whose mother was the principal at Sandy Hook Elementary School and who was killed in the attack, as well as Wayne and Judy Richardson, whose daughter was shot and killed in Portland in 2010.""Every week it seems I meet another person who is living with the pain of losing someone to gun violence.  I have heard these stories first-hand from Maine families, from people who lost a loved one at Sandy Hook, even from my colleagues on the House floor who told very personal and heart-wrenching stories during our sit-in last month.""As Pingree heads back to Washington today, she and her colleagues are demanding a vote on these two bipartisan proposals as an alternative to the NRA-backed bill that House Republicans have decided to vote on later this week.""The NRA works for the gun industry, not the American people.  The legislation they are supporting does nothing to make our communities safer and would make it virtually impossible to stop suspected terrorists from buying guns,"" Pingree said.Last month, Pingree and 12 of her colleagues started a sit-in on the House floor that was eventually joined by nearly every Democrat in the House and several dozen Senators and lasted for over 24 hours.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/grant-opportunities/upcoming-national-endowment-arts-grant-deadlines-summerfall-2016,Upcoming National Endowment for the Humanities grant deadlines--Summer/Fall 2016,2016-07-01,2016,2016-07,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Public Humanities Projects: Deadline August 10 Public Humanities Projects grants support projects that bring thoroughly researched humanities content to life for general audiences. Eligible applicants are museums, cultural institutions, public and other types of libraries, state humanities councils, colleges and universities, and other public institutions. Applicants can apply for one of the three different formats: Community Conversations, Exhibitions, or Historic Places. Community Conversations support one- to three-year-long series of community-wide public discussions. Exhibitions support permanent exhibitions that will be on view for at least three years, or travelling exhibitions that will be available to public audiences in at least two venues in the United States (including the originating location). Historic Places supports the interpretation of historic sites, houses, neighborhoods, and regions, which might include living history presentations, guided tours, exhibitions, and public programs.  Humanities Initiatives at Community Colleges: Deadline September 7 Humanities Initiatives at Community College grants can go toward a variety of projects including new courses, new academic programs or minors/majors, faculty development programs, summer bridge programs for at-risk youth, collaborative projects across departments, and efforts to engage students. Project should be organized around a core humanities topic or set of themes. Grants can also go toward projects that incorporate humanities education into vocational programs. Eligible applicants are community colleges and post-secondary two-year institutions. Summer Stipends: Deadline September 29 Summer Stipends provide funding to individuals conducting research for a period of two months. Faculty members from two- and four-year colleges and universities as well as independent scholars are eligible. Humanities Connections: Deadline October 5 Humanities Connections grants support the development of three or more linked courses at two- and four-year colleges and universities. Eligible project teams should include faculty from two or more departments or schools within their institution. The projects must include high-impact student engagement activities like a long term research project or experiential learning at a local site. The Humanities Connections program gives special encouragement to projects that foster collaboration between humanities faculty and their counterparts in the social and natural sciences and pre-service or professional programs in business, engineering, health sciences, law, computer science, and other non-humanities fields. Dialogues on the Experience of War: Deadline November 2 Dialogues on the Experience of War grants support reading and discussion groups for U.S. military veterans. The funding includes support for the recruitment and training of discussion leaders and the convening of discussion programs with the intent to promote important questions regarding duty, heroism, sufferings, loyalty and patriotism. Eligible applicants are U.S. nonprofit organizations, state and local government agencies, colleges and universities, libraries, museums, cultural sites, and federally recognized tribal governments.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-asks-obama-administration-redefine-broadband-rural-areas,Pingree asks Obama Administration to redefine 'broadband' for rural areas,2016-07-01,2016,2016-07,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree and 28 of her House colleagues joined together this week to urge the Obama Administration to redefine what is considered ""broadband"" Internet connections for an important federal program.   In a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, the bipartisan group asked that the threshold for the Community Connect Grant Program be increased. Recently, other USDA programs changed their broadband definitions to speeds of 10 mbps (download) and 1 mbps (upload.)  The group asked that definitions under the Community Connect program also be increased—which is important because it will make more communities in which the available Internet service doesn't meet those minimum speeds eligible for help through the Rural Utilities service.   ""Broadband access is a vital link to a range of necessary services and resources for America’s rural residents. Not only is it an economic development tool for businesses that may be isolated from potential customers and employees, but it broadens educational horizons for students and offers health care providers flexible and cost-effective care-delivery approaches,"" the Representatives wrote.   Another USDA broadband program—the Broadband Access Loan and Loan Guarantee Program—already uses those higher standards and the letter urges Vilsack to update the Community Connect program to the same speeds. To find out your internet speed, take this test from the ConnectME Authority.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/maine-forest-products-industry-get-federal-assistance,Maine forest products industry to get federal assistance,2016-06-30,2016,2016-06,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C – U.S. Senators Angus King and Susan Collins and Representatives Bruce Poliquin and Chellie Pingree received letters today from the U.S. Department of Commerce announcing that it has agreed to establish an integrated, multi-agency Economic Development Assessment Team, known as an EDAT, to assist Maine’s forest products industry in the wake of several mill closures. The goal of the EDAT will be to leverage the power of multiple federal government agencies and harness stakeholder input to create economic development strategies that help pave the way for job growth in rural Maine communities in the years to come.   Maine’s Congressional delegation was informed of the decision in identical individual letters today from Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker. Senators King and Collins originally requested the formation of the EDAT in a March 2016 letter to Secretary Pritzker.   “This announcement is welcome news for Maine,” the Maine Congressional Delegation said in a joint statement. “Our forest products industry is a central part of the state’s heritage and a vital pillar of the state’s economy, and an Economic Development Assessment Team will assist local public and private stakeholders in coordinating strategies so the industry can continue to be a source of good-paying jobs for Mainers for generations to come.”   In the letter, Secretary Pritzker announced that Commerce Department intends to deploy an EDAT on the ground in northern Maine for three days in July – the exact dates are to be determined – to “participate in a comprehensive set of stakeholder meetings to evaluate new and existing economic strategies for addressing the state’s forest-based economic challenges.”   “At the conclusion of the EDAT process, regional and local stakeholders will have a bottom-up strategy, developed with input from their Federal partners, designed to foster robust economic growth and recovery,” Secretary Pritzker wrote in her letters. “EDATs are not designed to be a silver bullet, but EDA and its Federal partners are committed to working closely with you and the Maine stakeholders to come to help struggling communities statewide work toward building a robust and enduring economy.”   Secretary Pritzker also wrote that the EDAT will be modeled off the National Disaster Framework and will be similar to those that the Economic Development Administration has used to address more than 30 prior major incidents and other economic development crises, such as the New England fisheries challenges, Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Joplin’s EF-5 tornado, and Colorado wildfires and flooding.   The EDAT will leverage resources from multiple federal agencies including the Economic Development Administration, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Labor, the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of the Treasury, the Small Business Administration, and the Northern Border Regional Commission.   The following text was sent in individual, identical letters to Senators King and Collins and Representatives Poliquin and Pingree today:   +++   June 29, 2016     Following up from my previous letter on March 28, 2016, I am writing today to outline the Department of Commerce's response to the economic challenges occurring in Maine's forest-based economy. As I mentioned before, I have tasked the Economic Development Administration (EDA) with leading our response. Since March, EDA has taken steps to coordinate and prepare a multi-agency response to the region's economic challenges. EDA has worked diligently with your offices and regional stakeholders to encourage a community-led process capable of driving economic growth throughout Maine.   At the invitation of representatives from your state, we are excited to announce that an Economic Development Assessment Team (EDA T) will deploy to northern Maine next month and participate in a comprehensive set of stakeholder meetings to evaluate new and existing economic strategies for addressing the state's forest-based economic challenges. Over the course of three days, regional leaders, alongside the Federal partners, will have the opportunity to engage in an intensive set of economic development sessions, tours, and briefings in an effort to identify pathways of economic diversification and related Federal resources available to help develop those pathways. In particular, this process will also examine how local, state, and Federal partners can work together on new and existing research to foster future innovation and commercialization in the forest economy.   Modeled after the National Disaster Recovery Framework, this EDAT deployment will be similar to those EDA has used to address more than 30 prior major incidents and other economic development crises, including the New England fisheries challenges, Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Joplin's EF-5 tornado, and Colorado wildfires and flooding.   The Department and EDA believe that success in addressing this issue will depend upon a coordinated multi-agency effort and the dedication of significant public and private financial resources over an extended period of time. Furthermore, effectively addressing this issue will require the strong commitment and engagement of local, regional, and state leaders in Maine.   To that point, in addition to EDA, regional community representatives will meet with EDAT members from across the Federal Government, including the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Labor, the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of the Treasury, the Small Business Administration, and the Northern Border Regional Commission, along with invited economic development experts.   At the conclusion of the EDAT process, regional and local stakeholders will have a bottom-up strategy, developed with input from their Federal partners, designed to foster robust economic growth and recovery. EDATs are not designed to be a silver bullet, but EDA and its Federal partners are committed to working closely with you and the Maine stakeholders in the years to come to help struggling communities statewide work toward building a robust and enduring economy.               Sincerely,               Penny Pritzker",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/4-million-federal-grant-technology-job-training-headed-maine,$4 million federal grant for technology job training headed to Maine,2016-06-27,2016,2016-06,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today welcomed the announcement of a $4 million federal grant for Coastal Counties Workforce Inc. in Brunswick to recruit, train, and place Mainers in information technology jobs.  “This grant is great news for getting Maine people back to work in good-paying jobs that have bright potential for the future,” Pingree said. “The information technology industry is one of our state’s most promising options for filling the gap left by the loss of papermaking and manufacturing jobs across the state.  I’m so glad that Coastal Counties Workforce will receive this funding.  I think it not only will benefit individuals by helping them access these jobs, but will also be a major asset in attracting new businesses that need this kind of skilled workforce.”  Today Vice President Joe Biden and Department of Labor Secretary Thomas Perez announced a total of $150 million in Department of Labor TechHire grants for 39 partnerships across the country.  With these funds, awardees will launch innovative training and placement models to develop tech talent, as a way to keep and create jobs in local economies.  Below is a project description from the Department of Labor’s announcement. Brunswick, Maine. TechHire Maine: Offering a Wide Array of Training to Young and Underserved Workers Looking to Enter Maine’s Thriving IT Sector ($4 million) In one of the first statewide TechHire communities, Coastal Counties Workforce, Inc.’s (CCWI) TechHire Maine program will provide a host of services to train young adults and people who have been dislocated in their careers. Resources will include career coaching, paid internships, on-the-job training, and short-term, intensive IT boot camps. In partnership with workforce investment systems training providers, and employers such as Goodwill Workforce Solutions and Axiom Technologies, TechHire Maine will seek to recruit, assess, train and place underserved individuals into Maine’s IT industry in positions like computer systems analysts, software developers, and IT project managers. Completed training will also result in an industry-recognized credential for participants.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/supreme-court-striked-down-texas-law-would-have-restricted-womens-access,Supreme Court strikes down Texas law that would have restricted women's access to abortion,2016-06-27,2016,2016-06,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree released the following statement on the Supreme Court’s 5-3 decision to overturn a Texas law placing medically unnecessary regulations on abortion. The law would have slashed the number of clinics there, making it much more difficult for women to receive an abortion and other reproductive health services. “The intent of the Texas law was never about making women safer; it was meant to restrict access safe, legal abortion.  In doing so, the law would have forced millions of women to drive over a hundred miles to receive essential reproductive health care. I’m relieved the justices put a stop to it, overturning these unjust and unnecessary restrictions. More than just Texas, this decision tells states across the country that similarly restrictive laws will not stand.  This is a huge victory for women’s health and rights.”    Pingree signed an amicus brief submitted to the court in opposition to the Texas law.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-remains-house-floor-through-night-democrats-demand-action-gun,"Pingree remains on House floor through the night, as Democrats demand action on gun legislation",2016-06-23,2016,2016-06,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"UPDATE: House Democrats ended their sit in after over 24 hours on the House floor, but will not stop demanding action on commonsense laws to prevent gun violence Congresswoman Chellie Pingree remained on the floor of the US House of Representatives throughout the night, as Democrats occupied the chamber to demand action on common sense gun legislation. Pingree, who began the sit in with Congressman John Lewis and a dozen of her colleagues, had been in the chamber constantly since 9:00 am yesterday morning.  Democrats when Speaker Paul Ryan suddenly adjourned the House and declared an early start to the July 4th recess a little after 3:00 this morning.   ""The Republicans left town in the middle of the night without taking action on common sense gun legislation supported by the vast majority of Americans,"" Pingree said.  ""The public is demanding action and what House Democrats have been doing is merely an expression of the will of the people.  It's democracy in action.  What the Republicans have done is just the opposite of that.""   Pingree spoke forcefully yesterday morning on the need to close a loophole that allows people on the Terrorist Watch List or the No Fly List to buy guns and was followed by a few of her colleagues.  When Congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis spoke just after 11:00 am, Pingree and about a dozen other Democrats joined him at the front of the House chamber and sat on the floor in protest, demanding a vote on the terrorist loophole bill and another proposal to expand background checks.   Early this morning, Speaker Paul Ryan rushed through bills not related to gun violence.  Amidst chants of ""no bill, no break,"" Ryan refused to allow debate on the bills before holding a quick series of vote and then adjourning the House until after the 4th of July holiday.   Pingree was still on the House floor at sunrise this morning, as Democrat leaders vowed to continue the fight when Congress returns next month.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/if-state-stops-running-food-stamp-program-maine-families-will-lose,If state stops running food stamp program Maine families will lose benefits,2016-06-22,2016,2016-06,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Respondingto a proposal in Maineto withdraw from the SNAP program (formerly food stamps), Congresswoman Pingree saidMaine families would lose access to criticalbenefits. ""We are literally talking about taking the food off the table of Maine families struggling to make ends meet,"" Pingree said. ""SNAP is a program funded by the federal government but the law is clearit's up to the states to run it. If Maine were to pull out of SNAP, then Maine people would not have access to it. Families that depend on SNAPseniors, children, veteranswould go hungry. This is not how we treat each other in Maine."" In a statement tonight, the USDA told Pingree that ""states have the option to administer the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). If they choose not to do so, their citizens will not receive these nutrition assistance benefits. USDA does not have the authority or funding to administer SNAP at the State level.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-colleagues-occupy-house-floor-demanding-vote-bill-close,"Pingree, colleagues occupy House floor, demanding vote on bill to close terrorist loophole, expand background checks",2016-06-22,2016,2016-06,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"In a dramatic moment this morning, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree joined civil rights icon Congressman John Lewis and her colleagues to occupy the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to demand that Republican leaders allow debate and a vote on common sense gun legislation.    Pingree spoke on the House floor urging a debate and vote on bills to close the terrorist watch list loophole and to expand background checks.  After she and some of her colleagues finished speaking, Congressman Lewis walked onto the floor and refused to leave. Pingree and dozens of her colleagues joined him to stand together and demand a vote on gun legislation.   Republicans immediately adjourned the House, but the Democratic members remained standing on the floor, refusing to leave.  The group is demanding that Speaker Ryan keep the House in session through its planned recess to debate and vote on gun violence legislation. Specifically, the group is pushing for a vote on expanded background checks and legislation preventing gun sales to suspected terrorists.  In a letter to Speaker Ryan, the group outlined their objectives.    Prior to the action on the House floor, Pingree spoke out on the need to close the terrorist loophole.   Right now someone can be on both the Terrorist Watch List and the No Fly List—in other words the FBI thinks you are a terrorist and the TSA bans you from flying—but if you want to drive down to your local gun store and buy an assault rifle there is nothing anyone can do to stop you. This is wrong.  The American people know it is wrong, public health professionals know it is wrong and nearly every single law enforcement association in America knows it's wrong—which is why they are all in favor of closing the terrorist gun loophole.   Pingree said closing the loophole is something that most Americans support.   If you were to walk outside the House right now and stop someone on the street and ask the simple question, ""Should terrorists be allowed to buy guns?""  You would get a simple answer.  They would say, ""No, of course terrorists should not be allowed to buy guns.""  But they can, and Republicans here in the House won't even let us have a debate and vote on it.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/collins-king-pingree-urge-european-union-reject-proposed-lobster-ban,"Collins, King, Pingree Urge European Union to Reject Proposed Lobster Ban",2016-06-20,2016,2016-06,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. In a letter to a top environmental official at the European Union (EU), members of the New England Congressional delegation, including U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representative Chellie Pingree, spoke out against a proposal by Sweden to ban the import of live Maine lobsters into the EU. Earlier this year, members of the Maine Congressional delegation asked U.S. officials to respond to the proposed ban. The request resulted in a joint paper by top U.S. and Canadian scientists. In their letter today to Daniel Calleja Crespo, Director General of Environment at the EU, the members reinforced the paper's conclusion that although a few Maine lobsters may have been found in EU waters, there was no scientific evidence to suggest that they could survive long enough to be considered an invasive species. ""Earlier this month, the United States and Canada jointly submitted a response to Sweden's risk assessment, compiled by scientists with collective decades spent studying the species. We support their determination that, though a small number of American lobsters may have been found in European waters, there is no current scientific basis to suggest that they can survive in sufficient numbers to pose a legitimate threat to the native Homarus gammarus (European lobster),"" the members wrote in their letter. The letter was signed by Senators Susan Collins, Angus King, Ed Markey, Jack Reed, and Sheldon Whitehouse as well as Representatives Chellie Pingree, Seth Moulton, David Cicilline, Jim Langevin, Richard Neal, Bill Keating, and Stephen Lynch. The full text of the letter is below: June 17, 2016 Mr. Daniel Calleja Crespo Director General-DG Environment European Commission B-1049 Brussels Belgium Dear Mr. Crespo, We write to express significant concerns with the Swedish government's proposal to list Homarus americanus (American lobster) as an invasive alien species, effectively prohibiting importation of live lobster to the European Union. Earlier this month, the United States and Canada jointly submitted a response to Sweden's risk assessment, compiled by scientists with collective decades spent studying the species. We support their determination that, though a small number of American lobsters may have been found in European waters, there is no current scientific basis to suggest that they can survive in sufficient numbers to pose a legitimate threat to the native Homarus gammarus (European lobster). We represent parts of coastal New England, a region with strong cultural and economic ties to the American lobster. We recognize the importance of sound fisheries management, and as such, have the utmost respect for the EU's desire to develop environmental policy based on rigorous scientific analysis. In this case, the existing evidence does not support the listing of the American lobster as an invasive alien species. Thank you for your consideration of the joint United States-Canadian response to Sweden's proposal. We hope that this issue can be resolved quickly.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-bill-support-urchin-fishery-maine-passes-house-committee,Pingree bill to support urchin fishery in Maine passes House committee,2016-06-15,2016,2016-06,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"A bill written by Congresswoman Chellie Pingree to protect the urchin industry in Maine passed a key House Committee today. The measure would stop automatic, mandatory inspections of the highly perishable urchins when they are exported from the United States. ""The inspections aren't necessary and they've resulted in the loss of this highly valuable product while it sits in a warehouse in New York waiting for federal officials to examine it. This common sense change to the regulations is going to make it a lot easier for Maine urchin dealers to get their product to market,"" Pingree said. Pingree's bill, which passed the House Committee on Natural Resources today, puts an end to routine, mandatory inspections of urchins and sea cucumbers being imported to and exported from the country. If illegal trafficking involving either product is found to be occurring anywhere in the country, inspections of urchins and sea cucumbers will resume in that area. Pingree was contacted by Maine urchin dealers in late 2014 after federal officials started requiring inspections of urchins entering and leaving the United States. Currently, processors buy urchins harvested in Maine and Canada and process them in Maine. Urchins from Canada are inspected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service when coming into the state. After they are processed, all urchinsregardless of where they were caughtare again inspected before being exported. Almost all processed urchins are sold to markets in Asia. Atchan Tamaki, President of the Maine Sea Urchin and Sea Cucumber Association, said he was happy the bill passed. ""This is a huge win for us and Congresswoman Pingree has been fighting for this for the last two years. We really appreciate the work she has put into this legislation,"" Tamaki said. Since the 1980s, shellfish have been exempted from these export inspections and Pingree says urchins and sea cucumbers should enjoy that same exemption. Technically, urchins are echinoderms instead of shellfish, but only recently did federal officials start requiring U.S. Fish and Wildlife inspections. Pingree introduced her bill last December with Maine Congressman Bruce Poliquin as an original cosponsor.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/statement-orlando-shooting,Statement on Orlando shooting,2016-06-13,2016,2016-06,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree issued the following statement in the wake of the mass shooting in Orlando. Once again our country has been struck with an act of senseless violence and murder. We should put aside ideological and political difference and together stand up against acts of gun violence, hate crimes and domestic terrorism. My thoughts are with the families who have lost someone, the survivors and the police officers and first responders who put their own lives at risk today in Florida.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/shaws-resume-donations-food-local-pantries,Shaw's to resume donations of food to local pantries,2016-06-09,2016,2016-06,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree said today that Shaw's Supermarkets in New England will be resuming their Fresh Rescue program to donate food to food pantries throughout the region. Pingree wrote to Shaw's last winter after learning that food pantries in Maine had lost access to the donations when the program was ended. Pingree urged the company to consider the impact that ending the program was having on feeding programs around Maine. You can read the letter from Shaw's to Congresswoman Pingree here. ""I'm thrilled to hear that Shaw's is resuming their donation program,"" Pingree said. ""I know the company is committed to the community and has supported programs that help feed hungry families for years, but the loss of direct food donations hit some pantries hard. When we pointed that out to Shaw's they reacted quickly and did the right thing."" The company is partnering with Feeding America to distribute the donations, and will start rolling out the program with stores in Massachusetts and Maine. Once those programs are up and running, the company will start the program in New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. In Maine, Shaw's is partnering with Good Shepherd Food Bank to distribute donated food to food pantries across the state. Good Shepherd Food Bank President Kristen Miale welcomed the news that Shaw's would be resuming their food donation program. ""The Shaw's Fresh Rescue program will have tremendous positive impact on food pantries across Maine,"" Mialesaid. ""We are so appreciative of Congresswoman Pingree's leadership on this issue of hunger relief efforts in our state."" Pingree has become a national leader on the issue of food waste, and last year introduced the Food Recovery Act, a comprehensive bill aimed at reducing the amount of food that goes to waste every year in the United States.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-bring-local-man-hear-indian-prime-minister-address-congress,Pingree to bring local man to hear Indian Prime Minister address Congress,2016-06-07,2016,2016-06,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Chellie with South Portland residentSathyanarayana Bhasker Lakshmikanth. A South Portland man will hear Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi address a joint session of Congress tomorrow as a guest of Congresswoman Chellie Pingree. Sathyanarayana Bhasker Lakshmikanth, who goes by Bhasker (BASK-er), said the invitation came as a surprise and is a huge honor. ""This is a once in a lifetime opportunity,"" Lakshmikanth said. ""I've been to Washington before, but all the photos I've taken of the Capitol are from the outside. The fact that I'm going to be inside that building is very special to me. And to be in the same room as the Prime Minister as a guest of Congresswoman Pingree is a great privilege. This is a very special opportunity."" Lakshmikanth came from India to the United States and arrived in Maine in 2005. He works as a consultant at WEX in South Portland and lives in South Portland with his wife and two children. Lakshmikanth came to Pingree's office this spring for help while waiting for his application for permanent residency to be approved. Just this morning Lakshmikanth received his green card, making him a permanent US resident. ""Bhasker is a great example of someone who has come to this country and to our state to make a living, raise a family and participate in our community,"" Pingree said. ""I'm proud to bring him to a joint session of Congress so he can see American democracy at work first hand.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congresswoman-pingree-announces-552211-federal-funding-purchase,"Congresswoman Pingree announces $552,211 in federal funding to purchase firefighting equipment in Maine",2016-06-01,2016,2016-06,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today announced two federal Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) worth $552,211 to purchase firefighting equipment in Maine. The Sanford Fire Department will receive a grant to replace an aging pumper truck and the Maine Fire Service Institute will use funding to purchase equipment for a mobile training unit used around the state. Maine firefighters depend on having the right equipment and training to protect the people they serve as well as themselves. Tight municipal budgets, however, often make it difficult for them to get what they need, Pingree said. I'm very glad these federal grants will help fill that gap and support local firefighters in their very important work of keeping our communities safe. The Sanford Fire Department will receive $301,819 to replace a pumper engine that is 31 years old. The Maine Fire Service Institute will receive $250,392 for firefighting equipment, breathing apparatus, and protective clothing (also called turnout gear) to go with a mobile live-fire training trailer. Purchased with a previous AFG grant, the trailer will be used for regional fire trainings throughout the state.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-urges-president-obama-create-national-monument-maine,Pingree urges President Obama to create national monument in Maine,2016-05-31,2016,2016-05,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree wrote to President Obama today to urge him to create a national monument in northern Maine. ""I am writing today to express my strong support for the creation of a national monument on land owned by Elliotsville Plantation here in Maine. I believe the case for the creation of a National Monument is strong and is supported by most people in the region and throughout the state,"" Pingree wrote. In her letter, Pingree cited independent polling that shows strong support for a national park or national monument in Maine as well as a recent study that found substantial economic growth in regions where a national monument has been created. ""I've heard directly and indirectly from business owners throughout my District who benefit from the visitors who travel to Acadia National Park. Hotels and motels, outdoor recreation equipment dealers, restaurants and other businesses around the state benefit from the millions of visitors headed for Acadia, and I have no doubt the same would be true if a national monument were established in northern Maine,"" Pingree wrote. Full text of Pingree's letter to President Obama is below: Dear Mr. President: I am writing today to express my strong support for the creation of a national monument on land owned by Elliotsville Plantation here in Maine. I believe the case for the creation of a national monument is strong and is supported by most people in the region and throughout the state. As you know, Senator King recently invited National Park Director Jon Jarvis to a series of meetings and a public hearing in Maine. Director Jarvis heard a range of voices, differing viewpoints and some legitimate concerns. Most of the Mainers who turned out at the public hearing supported a national monument designation, which is indicative of the proposal's support across our state. In fact, according to one recent public survey conducted by an independent polling company, by a 3-to-1 margin Mainers support the creation of a national park from the Elliotsville Plantation. According to a recent independent study conducted for small businesses by BBC Research and Consulting, in ten communities in which a national monument has been created during your administration over 1,800 jobs are being supported by the increase in visitors to the area. And I've heard directly and indirectly from business owners throughout my District who benefit from the visitors who travel to Acadia National Park. Hotels and motels, outdoor recreation equipment dealers, restaurants and other businesses around the state benefit from the millions of visitors headed for Acadia, and I have no doubt the same would be true if a national monument were established in northern Maine. The private landowner who has agreed to donate the land to the American people and provide a $40 million endowment for its operation has made an unprecedented and generous offer. And as National Park Service Director Jarvis found when he visited the region earlier this month, the flora, fauna and culture significance of the land clearly meet the criteria for creating a national monument with that land. In addition, the landowner's offer to donate additional land nearby where traditional recreation uses like hunting, fishing and snowmobiling can take place further ensures the public will be able to enjoy this part of our state in many ways. The creation of a national monument in northern Maine would bring economic benefit to our state, is supported by the large majority of our citizens and would permanently protect a unique and beautiful area for the public to use and enjoy. I urge you to use the authority that Congress granted under the Antiquities Act to create a national monument in northern Maine. Sincerely, Chellie Pingree Member of Congress",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/memorial-day-2016-statement-congresswoman-chellie-pingree,Memorial Day 2016 statement from Congresswoman Chellie Pingree,2016-05-30,2016,2016-05,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"""Today we remember the brave men and women who sacrificed their lives in the defense of our country, our values and our freedoms. We will never forget that they fought and died to protect our freedoms, our values and us. Unfortunately, even though Americans always will remember these sacrifices, our government has not always lived up to our solemn commitment to the veterans who do come home. Unacceptably long wait times and poor administration of programs like Veterans Choice mean veterans have sometimes been denied access to the care they have earned in a timely manner. Congress and the Administration should set politics aside and work together to make sure these problems are addressed."" Recently Pingree called on a top VA official that the independent contractor running the Veterans Choice program isn't meeting the needs of veterans and should be replaced.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/university-maine-project-selected-top-tier-federal-offshore-wind-program,University of Maine project selected for top-tier federal offshore wind program,2016-05-27,2016,2016-05,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"The University of Maine launched a 1:8 scale demonstration of its offshore wind turbine VolturnUS in 2013 off Castine. Congresswoman Chellie Pingree released the following statement on the Department of Energy's decision to include the University of Maine's New England Aqua Ventus project in the top tier of its offshore wind demonstration program. The decision makes the project eligible for up to $40 million in funding in future years. This is game-changing news for this important project as well as Maine's economic future. Since being picked as an alternate for this program two years ago, the dedicated team at the University of Maine has not let up one bit in further developing and improving its VolturnUS wind turbine. I'm so glad that the Department of Energy is rewarding them for the incredible progress they've made. It is a pivotal step in securing significant future investments for this project as well as creating good-paying clean energy jobs in our state that can not be outsourced. Pingree has been a longtime supporter of the University of Maine's efforts to develop offshore wind power. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, she has also fought against cuts to the Department of Energy's offshore wind program.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/standing-lgbt-workers-spending-bill-vote,Standing up for LGBT workers in spending bill vote,2016-05-26,2016,2016-05,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree issued the following statement after House Republicans turned against the Energy and Water spending billa bill that funds the Department of Energy, the Army Corps of Engineers and several other agencies: Last night, I voted for the amendment that preserved the protections the President has created for LGBT workersI think it's unconscionable that Republicans have put language in these spending bills to strip away those protections. But I voted against the overall bill today because it is not good for Maine people. It contained provisions that blocked reporting on climate change and tried to roll back progress on energy efficiency. What's really sad is many Republicans wouldn't vote for this Republican bill after we added protections for LGBT workers to the legislation. Most Democrats opposed the bill, including Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney, the author of the amendment that Pingree voted for last night protecting LGBT workers.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-tells-congressional-committee-reducing-food-waste-calls-common,VIDEO: Pingree tells Congressional committee that reducing food waste calls for common sense solutions,2016-05-25,2016,2016-05,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree testified before the House Agriculture Committee today to kick off the first-ever Congressional hearing focused on the problem of food waste in the United States. ""When good food goes to waste on the farm, it means the resources used to grow that foodfuel, labor and wateris also wasted. When it goes to waste in a local restaurant it means less revenue for the owner. And wherever and whenever food is wasted, it means less food for the 50 million Americans who are food insecure,"" Pingree told the committee. Up to 40% of all food produced in the United States is wasted. In December, Pingree introduced the Food Recovery Act, a comprehensive package of proposals designed to reduce food waste in America. Last week, Pingree and Senator Dick Blumenthal also introduced a bill to reform date labeling, which has been identified as one of the most cost-effective methods for reducing food waste. ""There is no single solution to the problem of food waste. And not all of the solutions will be simple or easy. But manyif not mostof the solutions are common sense proposals that should be things we can all agree on,"" Pingree said in her testimony this morning. Also testifying at today's hearing are experts and advocates from the Natural Resources Defense Council, ReFED, Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic, the Grocery Manufacturers Association and other organizations. Later today advocates and well-known chefs like Tom Colicchio will be visiting Members of Congress, urging them to support the Pingree-Blumenthal date labeling bill.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-announces-734-million-federal-brownfield-grants-maine,Pingree announces $7.34 million in federal Brownfield grants for Maine,2016-05-23,2016,2016-05,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today announced that Maine will receive $7,340,000 from the Environmental Protection Agency Brownfield Program to assess and cleanup polluted properties throughout the state. Brownfield grants have been absolutely critical in helping Maine communities move forward by cleaning up sites contaminated by former industrial uses so they can be redeveloped. Both directly and indirectly, they have created and supported many jobs throughout the state, said Pingree. I'm very glad that these communities will receive funds to boost economic development and protect environmental health. Projects in Pingree's Districtwhich covers Southern, Midcoast, and parts of Central Maineaccounted for $4.14 million of the total. Nine other projects in Maine also received funding. Pingree is a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and the Environment, which oversees funding for EPA programs. Details on projects in Pingree's District below. Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission, $820,000 (revolving loan fund for Prime Tanning site in Berwick) Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission, $200,000 (assessment for Prime Tanning) Town of Berwick, $500,000 (cleanup for Prime Tanning) Marble Block Redevelopment Corp., $200,000 (assessment for Prime Tanning) Greater Portland Council of Governments, $400,000 (assessment) City of Portland, $800,000 (revolving loan fund) City of Gardiner, $200,000 (assessment) City of Gardiner, $200,000 (cleanup) Midcoast Economic Development District, $820,000 (revolving loan fund)",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/blumenthal-pingree-call-reforms-outdated-dod-discharge-policies,Blumenthal & Pingree call for reforms to outdated DoD discharge policies regarding survivors of military sexual assault,2016-05-20,2016,2016-05,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"On the heels of a Human Rights Watch report that documents and draws attention to the experience of survivors of military sexual trauma, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), a member of Senate Armed Services Committee, and U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree (D-ME) wrote Secretary of Defense Ash Carter urging the Pentagon to reform their procedures for reviewing the cases of veterans improperly discharged after experiencing military sexual trauma. Despite recent DOD policy improvements to better respond to current sexual trauma charges, there are still thousands of veterans with discharges that prohibit full access to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits, the Members wrote. These bad paper discharges and the ineffective, discriminatory discharge appeals process at the Boards of Correction for Military Records re-traumatize survivors. We urge you to implement policies that will enable veterans to determine precedence for discharge upgrades, ensure legal consultation for all sexual trauma survivors prior to administrative discharge, and train Board members to understand the impact of discharge characterizations on VA benefit eligibility. Over the years, thousands of service members who reported sexual trauma or harassment in the U.S. military have found their careers cut short involuntarily. Those suffering from trauma have been unfairly discharged for a personality disorder or given an other than honorable discharge for minor misconduct that prevents them from accessing important benefits. Under pressure from Members of Congress like Blumenthal and Pingree, the Department of Defense has introduced some reforms to improve protection for service members who are sexually traumatized. However, problems persist and little has been done to redress past wrongs. The Human Rights Watch report, based on more than 250 interviews and numerous public records requests, documents the ongoing harm to those living with wrongful discharges and their inability to access meaningful reviews of their cases before the military administrative bodies that are meant to correct injustices the Boards of Correction for Military Records and Discharge Review Boards. The full text of Blumenthal and Pingree's letter is available below: The Honorable Ashton B. Carter Secretary of Defense U.S. Department of Defense 1400 Defense Pentagon Washington, D.C. 20301-1400 May 19, 2016 Dear Secretary Carter: We write to express our concern regarding outdated policies at the Department of Defense (DOD) that prevent our nation's veterans from pursuing adequate recourse when improperly discharged after experiencing military sexual trauma. Despite recent DOD policy improvements to better respond to current sexual trauma charges, there are still thousands of veterans with discharges that prohibit full access to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits. These bad paper discharges and the ineffective, discriminatory discharge appeals process at the Boards of Correction for Military Records (BCMRs) re-traumatize survivors. We urge you to implement policies that will enable veterans to determine precedence for discharge upgrades, ensure legal consultation for all sexual trauma survivors prior to administrative discharge, and train Board members to understand the impact of discharge characterizations on VA benefit eligibility. Currently, BCMRs do not base discharge upgrade rulings on precedence when deciding cases unless an applicant or legal counsel specifically references prior rulings. Though online reading rooms exist for veterans and attorneys to review past Board decisions, these reading rooms are dysfunctional and lack user-friendly features. BCMRs should be required to index, summarize, and publish all decisions in an online database that is searchable by keyword so that applicants and their attorneys can cite legal precedence in appeal applications and Board members can review past decisions when adjudicating cases. This requirement will yield more informed applications and more consistent decisions. BCMRs should further ensure that any survivor of military sexual trauma is granted access to legal consultation prior to administrative discharge to better prepare for the discharge upgrade review process. DOD should require that the process to waive legal consultation should only be conducted in the presence of legal counsel. In addition, Board members should receive formal training on the consequences of different discharge characterizations on veterans' access to VA benefits. Greater understanding of the benefits for which a veteran would be ineligible under each discharge characterization will better ensure that the BCMRs do not unwittingly and unjustly deny benefits and services that a military sexual trauma survivor may require. The Senate Armed Services Committee recently reported out the Fiscal Year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act, which includes legislative text to require BCMRs to include mental health specialists when reviewing post-traumatic stress claims and require that the service branches publicly disclose claims online to better understand the impact of mental health issues on discharges. It would additionally encourage military boards to give liberal consideration to cases where symptoms of post-traumatic stress are present and consider post-traumatic stress and other mental health conditions as potential mitigating factors for misconduct. These provisions are crucial to ensuring that BCMRs fairly consider mental health conditions that resulted from military sexual trauma when adjudicating cases. Further, the House-passed Fiscal Year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act also includes language directing DOD to examine the feasibility of incorporating commercial, off-the-shelf video and video teleconferencing technologies. We will work to ensure that these provisions are included in the final National Defense Authorization Act and look forward to working with you to implement these policies in a way that fairly captures the needs of military sexual trauma survivors. Thank you for your immediate attention to this pressing issue.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congresswoman-pingree-expresses-concerns-house-child-nutrition-bill,Congresswoman Pingree Expresses Concerns with House Child Nutrition Bill,2016-05-19,2016,2016-05,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC — Congresswoman Pingree has joined a group of 111 Members of Congress, led by Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13), and Congressman Tony Cárdenas (CA-29), in expressing their concerns that the child nutrition reauthorization—the Improving Child Nutrition and Education Act of 2016—makes misguided changes that would hurt our children’s access to nutritious meals. The House Education and the Workforce Committee passed the bill yesterday.   The legislation includes detrimental changes to the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (Summer EBT) program, the school meals verification process, and nutrition standards, that would cause too many children, especially low-income children and children of color, to lose access to vital programs and healthier meals. The legislation also includes a school meals block grant pilot program, which would jeopardize the ability of school nutrition programs to provide children with consistent access to healthy school meals.  Participating states would receive a capped amount of annual funding rather than entitlement reimbursements for every meal served—there’s no guarantee that states would continue serving free meals to eligible students if the funding cap is reached.    “The Improving Child Nutrition and Education Act of 2016 would unacceptably raise the qualifying threshold for the Community Eligibility Provision from 40 percent to 60 percent. To say this change would be detrimental would be an understatement,” Members wrote in a letter to House leaders. “Raising the threshold to 60 percent would lead to far fewer schools qualifying for the program and more low-income children going hungry every day. According to CBPP and FRAC, if this bill becomes law, 7,022 schools now using community eligibility would have to reinstate applications and return to monitoring eligibility in the lunch line within two years. Another 11,647 schools that qualify for community eligibility, but have not yet adopted it, would automatically lose eligibility.”   “Gutting sodium standards, blocking scientific evidence from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and allowing junk food to be counted as an acceptable snack would undermine our children’s health and their future. We know that the 2010 standards have allowed our nation to make meaningful reforms to its core child nutrition programs. It is imperative that we continue to improve school nutrition and the hunger safety net for millions of children because hunger and under-nourishment prevent our kids from reaching their full potential, both physically and academically,” Members continued.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-reacts-new-report-concerning-military-s-improper-discharge,Pingree reacts to new report concerning militarys improper discharge of military sexual assault survivors,2016-05-19,2016,2016-05,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"At a press conference in Washington today, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree called on the Department of Defense to change practices that have led tens of thousands of veterans to be improperly discharged from the military. A report out today by Human Rights Watch documents how many survivors of military sexual assault suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) improperly received other than honorable dischargessuch as for a personality disorder or other pre-existing mental illnessafter reporting their attacks. Being told you have a personality disorder when what you really have is PTSD is a slap in the face to the men and women who put their lives on the line to defend this country, Pingree said. These discharges have been a way of sweeping veterans under the rug instead of dealing with the real problems at hand. This so-called bad paper'makes it very difficult for the veterans to get the care they need and the benefits they've earned, and it's almost impossible to change after the fact. Pingree joined Senator Richard Blumenthal (C-CT), a retired US Air Force Colonel, veterans who had been discharged under this policy, and representatives from Human Rights Watch at the news conference today. The 124-page report, Booted: Lack of Recourse for Wrongfully Discharged US Military Rape Survivors, found that many rape victims suffering from trauma were unfairly discharged for a personality disorder or other mental health condition that makes them ineligible for benefits. Others were given Other Than Honorable discharges for misconduct related to the assault that shut them out of the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system and a broad range of educational and financial assistance. The consequences of having bad paper (any discharge other than honorable) or being labeled as having a personality disorder are far-reaching for veterans and their families, impacting employment, child custody, health care, disability payments, burial rights virtually all aspects of life. Pingree told the story of one such veteran from Maine. Ruth Moore was sexually assaulted during her time in the Navy. After reporting her rape, she was sent to a Navyhospital where she was misdiagnosed with a personality disorder, discharged, and forced to relinquish her veteransbenefits. In the years afterward, she found some treatment options closed to her because of her diagnosis and it took her 23 years to finally receive benefits from the VA for the PTSD she suffered. Her attacker was never punished. The Department of Defense is getting better in how it treats veterans with PTSD, though it is still issuing too many personality disorder discharges for survivors of military sexual assault, Pingree said. But we have to do something for the veterans who have had to live with an inaccurate diagnosis on their permanent record for years. Under the current system, it's nearly impossible for veterans to correct it. The Department of Defense should expedite cases of veterans who were wrongfully dischargedit can do so on its own, but I will introduce legislation if necessary. Pingree and Blumenthal are writing to Secretary of Defense Ash Carter this week, urging the Pentagon to reform their procedures for reviewing the cases of veterans improperly discharged after experiencing military sexual trauma. Pingree has long been a leader in Congress on the issue of military sexual trauma (MST). She has introduced legislation, and pushed the Department of Veterans Affairs directly, to make it easier for survivors to receive benefits for the conditions they suffer because of their assault. She has also worked to change a question on the federal government's security clearance form that has kept many MST survivors from seeking counseling for their assaults.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/blog-posts/historic-moment-cuba-presents-opportunity-maine-businesses,Historic moment with Cuba presents opportunity for Maine businesses,2016-05-18,2016,2016-05,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Meeting with Josefina Vidal Ferreiro, the lead negotiator for the Cuban government in negotiations with the United States. On the recent trade mission I led to Cuba, one thing was made clear over and over again—the embargo the U.S. has had on the country for over 50 years is not working in either country’s interest.  The embargo has not worked to end the Castro regime, bring economic reforms, or significantly improve human rights. What it has done has separated the people of Cuba from the free flow of ideas that could actually lead to change in the country.  The embargo has done nothing to help American businesses either. In fact, it has kept us from accessing a market just 90 miles off our coast.  But that could change in the near future. In late 2014, the U.S. government announced that it would reopen diplomatic relations with Cuba, relax some trade restrictions, and allow more American travel there. Since relations have begun to normalize, more American leaders have traveled there—including Maine Senator Susan Collins—and President Obama himself visited earlier this spring.  At this historic moment in U.S.-Cuba relations, I thought it was an important time for me to go there as a Representative.  I wanted to see where diplomatic relations are headed and what kind of trade opportunities there might be for our state.  Joined by Luke Donahue of Johnny’s Selected Seeds in Maine and other important leaders in the country’s organic business community, I had a special interest in agricultural opportunities.  A recent report from Texas A & M University found that reopening trade with Cuba would be worth over $1 billion to the U.S. agriculture sector alone and create more than 6,000 jobs for the industry.  We toured urban farms, markets, and restaurants, while meeting with the U.S. Ambassador to Cuba and top officials in the Cuban Ministry of Trade and the Foreign Ministry.  We learned that, despite our differences, the two countries have a number of common goals, especially when it comes to agriculture.  The U.S. embargo and the fall of the Soviet Union have meant that, for several decades now, Cuba has had to produce most of its own food without access to synthetic fertilizers or pesticides.  As a result, it has developed great organic farming practices that are well aligned with the kinds of small, diverse farms that have been so successful in Maine.  Lifting the embargo could be a good economic opportunity for our state, but a challenge lies ahead. As relations reopen, big chemical companies would love to come in with pesticides and GMO crops.  I don’t think Johnny’s Selected Seeds or other Maine businesses would benefit from that. I hope the country avoids that temptation and keeps the organic practices it has developed.  To convince them of the value in staying organic, I brought along some our country’s largest organic food buyers and sellers—so Cuban farmers and officials could hear firsthand that the demand for organic produce in the U.S. is high.  The trip was a great success in getting our foot in the door and being ahead of the game in forming relationships.  Officials from the Cuban Ministry of Trade were especially interested in our visit, asking me to bring more Maine businesses to Cuba to start building relations.  But, for things to really move forward there, Congress needs to lift the embargo—a move backed by everyone from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to the Pope.   I hope Congress takes action, so Maine businesses can capitalize on the opportunities of building bridges with our neighbors to the south.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/introducing-commonsense-bill-standardaize-food-date-labelng,Introducing commonsense bill to standardize food date labeling,2016-05-18,2016,2016-05,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) today introduced commonsense bicameral legislation to standardize food date labeling. The current dizzying array of date labels on food products—such as “sell by,” “use by,” and “expires on”— confuses consumers and contributes to 90 percent of Americans prematurely tossing perfectly safe food. The lawmakers today introduced legislation to establish a uniform national date labeling system in order to reduce confusion, simplify regulatory compliance for companies, and reduce the waste of food and money.  “Before taking a swig of milk, many Americans glance quickly at the date label and toss it away, without realizing that it still may be perfectly safe to consume. Items at the grocery store are stamped with a jumble of arbitrary food date labels that are not based on safety or science. This dizzying patchwork confuses consumers, results in food waste, and prevents good food from being donated to those who need it most. By establishing a uniform national date labeling system, this commonsense legislation will provide consumers with clarity that will help them save money on their grocery bills and prevent perfectly safe food from going to waste,” said Blumenthal.   “One of the most common arguments people seem to have at home is about whether or not food should be thrown out just because the date on the label has passed.  It's time to settle that argument, end the confusion and stop throwing away perfectly good food,” Pingree said.   Blumenthal and Pingree announced the details of the legislation at a press conference today in Washington, DC, where they were joined by Emily Broad Leib, Director of the Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic; Steve Armstrong, Chief Food Law Counsel at Campbell Soup Company; Paul Bakus, President of Corporate Affairs at Nestlé; Carrie Calvert, Director of Tax and Commodity Policy at Feeding America; Pete Pearson, Director of Food Waste at the World Wildlife Fund; and Erik Olson, Director of the Health & Environment Program at the Natural Resources Defense Council.   The Food Date Labeling Act aims to reduce consumer confusion, simplify regulatory compliance for companies, and cut supply-chain and consumer waste of food and money. The bill establishes a uniform national system for date labeling that clearly distinguishes between foods that bear a label indicating peak quality from foods that bear a label indicating they may become unsafe to consume past the date. This bill would also ensure that food is allowed to be sold or donated after its quality date, and educate consumers about the meaning of new labels so that they can make better economic and safety decision.    This bill is based on recommendations from comprehensive reports from the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic, and the Food Date Labeling Working Group. The bill requires the use of food date label terminology (i.e. “best if used by”) that has gone through consumer perception surveys and has been identified as language that is the most clear and accurate to consumers. It is also consistent with two recent studies, one of which was conducted by the Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic, the National Consumers League, and the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, that both found that consumer education and standardizing food date labels are the most cost effective strategies to reduce food waste. A link to the Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic report is available here.    The Food Date Labeling Act has received widespread support from food waste and food policy advocates and organizations: Dr. Evelyn F. Crayton, President, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: “Academy members are actively engaged in efforts to improve individual and population nutritional health, and are in the unique position to influence consumer and institutional habits related to food safety and food waste. This legislation will standardize food date labeling for quality and safety across products and educate the public on the new labeling system, which will ease confusion by consumers and institutions. This is a necessary step as our country addresses food waste across the entire food supply.” Steve Armstrong, Chief Food Law Counsel, Campbell Soup Company: “We applaud Senator Blumenthal and Representative Pingree for their leadership in crafting a bill that addresses a source of consumer confusion – trying to understand ‘use by’ and ‘sell by’ code dating on food packages. Importantly, it would make it easier for companies to donate products to organizations such as food banks, which could help cut down on food waste while helping those in need.” Consumer Federation of America: “This legislation will not only reduce food waste but also help consumers to understand the safety risks associated with certain foods, and better protect themselves and their families. The current patchwork system of state laws with varying standards has created considerable confusion and left many consumers wondering when date labels really matter, and whether they should pay attention to them at all.” Diana Aviv, CEO, Feeding America: “Feeding America commends Senator Blumenthal and Representative Pingree for introducing legislation on standardizing date labels for food. We know that consumer confusion over date labels leads to a significant amount of food waste, and support legislation that provides federal standards on date labels. With 46 million Americans turning to the Feeding America food bank network for food assistance each year, the people we serve cannot afford to waste nutritious food because of confusion over what “use by” “consume by” or “best by” mean.  In addition, the legislation allows food to be donated past the quality date, which would mean increased donations to food banks and additional meals to people in need in the 20 states that restrict the donation of excess post-date food.” Tom Colicchio, Chef, Advocate, and Co-Founder, Food Policy Action: “Having no uniform date labels on food hurts our economy. It burdens businesses with inconsistent regulations and causes tremendous consumer confusion about food safety that results in perfectly good food ending up in the trash. I applaud Senator Blumenthal and Congresswoman Pingree for introducing common sense legislation to standardize sell-by date labels. These simple changes will make drastic improvements and help strengthen America’s food system.” Regina Northouse, Executive Director, Food Recovery Network: “Forty percent of all food produced in America is wasted, while at the same time, one in six of our neighbors is unsure where her next meal will come from. Food is wasted on farms, throughout the supply chain, by consumers and by institutions. Since 2011, Food Recovery Network's student leaders have taken over 1.3 million pounds of food that would have otherwise gone to waste from college and university campuses and donated it to community members in need. In addition to providing these million meals to people and not to landfills, students have raised the profile of food waste and hunger as major issues with practical solutions. At a grassroots level, FRN's work has educated members of more than 200 communities about food recovery and best ways to manage food surplus.” Emily Broad Leib, Director, Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic: “Clarifying and standardizing date label language is one of the most cost effective ways that we can reduce the 40% of food that goes to waste each year in the United States, so I am thrilled to see Senator Blumenthal and Representative Pingree introduce legislation to help reduce food waste, support the environment, and address hunger. The Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic just released data from a national survey that illustrates how consumer confusion over date labels impacts the amount of food waste nationally – leading 84% of consumers to throw food away when the date passes. When consumers misinterpret these indicators of quality as indicators of safety, the amount of food that is discarded greatly increases. The proposed legislation is a great step forward and will benefit many American families while preserving our environment.” Sally Greenberg, Executive Director, National Consumer League: “This sensible legislation couldn’t come at a better time. America's food waste – throwing out 25 percent of the food we buy – has environmental, financial, and moral consequences, and the food waste epidemic is at a tipping point. Our own new research confirms our theories that consumer confusion over date labeling--and the widespread false assumption that the federal government is regulating labels--is vastly contributing to wasteful behavior. Without uniformity in the system, consumers are tossing out millions of pounds of perfectly healthy and safe food because a mishmash of labeling practices are telling them it's the right thing to do. This badly needed legislation will begin to address the food waste problem at the policy level, and to help continue the conversation to make the issue gain traction with consumers.” The National Foundation to End Senior Hunger: “The National Foundation to End Senior Hunger, the only national foundation dedicated solely to understanding the complexities and consequences of senior hunger and undernutrition and to working to create innovative approaches and programs to reduce it, strongly supports the “Food Date Labeling Act of 2016.” We commend Representative Pingree and Senator Blumenthal for their leadership in crafting this important measure and we urge the Congress to work together in a bipartisan and bicameral manner to see it enacted before the end of the 114th Congress.” Dana Gunders, Senior Scientist, Natural Resources Defense Council, and author of the Waste-Free Kitchen Handbook: “Contrary to popular belief, expiration date labels often don't indicate whether food is still safe to eat. As a result, we are tossing massive amounts of perfectly good food in the trash-along with all of the water, climate pollution, and money it took to get it to our fridge. This bill will help clarify the true meaning of the dates on food labels, giving consumers a better sense of food's freshness, so we can keep more on our plates and out of the landfill.” Paul Grimwood, Chairman and CEO, Nestlé USA: “We fully support establishing federal standards to help food companies like Nestlé more clearly communicate with consumers and avoid confusion that leads to unnecessary food waste. Nestlé has already committed to achieve zero waste to landfill in 100% of our production facilities by 2020 and we're well on our way to achieving that goal. Standardizing date labeling is a practical and commonsense approach to giving consumers the information they need to help extend this effort all the way to their own kitchens.” John Mandyck, Chief Sustainability Officer, United Technologies Corp, and co-author of Food Foolish: The Hidden Connection Between Food Waste, Hunger and Climate Change: “The carbon footprint of food waste measured as a country would be the world’s third largest emitter of greenhouse gasses. That’s why we should consider many strategies and programs to help consumers waste less food.” Pete Pearson, Director of Food Waste, World Wildlife Fund: “When we waste food, we waste the land, water, and energy used to produce it. We need to conserve these resources so future generations inherit a planet where food production and consumption exist in balance with nature. The Food Date Labeling Act will ensure more food reaches people who need it, heighten consumer awareness on food waste, and clarify confusing expiration dates so that we waste less and save more. This is a win-win for consumers and the environment.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/reps-pingree-wittman-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-protect-working,"Reps. Pingree, Wittman introduce bipartisan legislation to protect working waterfronts",2016-05-17,2016,2016-05,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Representatives Chellie Pingree (ME-01) and Rob Wittman (VA-01) are introducing bipartisan legislation today to protect the kind of waterfront access and infrastructure that many businesses—and thousands of jobs—depend on in Maine, Virginia, and in communities all over the country.   “The importance of Maine’s coastline to our state’s economy can’t be understated.  It’s not only the reason millions of people visit our state every year, but many industries—like fishing, boat yards, and aquaculture—simply can’t operate without it,” said Pingree.  “Development pressures mean that we’ve lost an enormous amount of working waterfront in recent decades. To ensure the future of these critical industries, Maine and other coastal states need tools to protect waterfront access and infrastructure.  And that’s what our bill aims to do.”   ""Deteriorating waterfronts don’t just hurt our economy, they hurt our communities,"" said Wittman.  ""These waterfronts support businesses, provide access to water, vitalize the economy, and improve quality of life for folks all over the country. Unfortunately, pressure from population growth and development threaten to destroy Virginia’s many water-dependent industries and displace families that have deep cultural ties to the area. This legislation will protect communities along our coasts by supporting maritime industry, protecting vital jobs, and preserving our natural resources.""   Pingree and Wittman's bill, the Keep America’s Waterfronts Working Act, would establish a Working Waterfront Grant Program that would provide matching, competitive grants to coastal states.  The grants would go toward preserving and expanding access to coastal waters for commercial fishing, recreational guiding, aquaculture, boat building, and other water-dependent businesses.   The bill would also create a Working Waterfront Task Force at the Department of the Interior.  The task force would identify and prioritize critical working waterfront needs with respect to their cultural and economic importance, climate change and other environmental threats, and market conditions for water-dependent businesses.  It would also identify working waterfronts within communities.   “Strong working waterfronts are critical to the future of Maine's fishing communities and marine economy. Maine has less than 20 miles of working waterfront along our 3,500-mile coastline,” said Nick Battista, Marine Programs Director at the Island Institute. “In Maine, we have worked hard to ensure people can continue to make a living off of the water but we cannot do it alone. It’s essential that our federal agencies better incorporate the needs of our nation’s working waterfronts into their decision-making processes.”   According to the National Working Waterfront Network, working waterfronts support over 3.4 percent of the country’s total GDP, but there is no federal agency or program designed to help businesses, communities, and states protect these places.    “Once a working waterfront gets converted to another use, it’s very difficult to get it back. That means our coastlines can sustain fewer jobs both directly and indirectly,” Pingree said.  “I don’t think the loss of our working waterfronts has been a high enough federal priority.  The government needs a more coordinated response and to support states that want to protect the working waterfronts they still have and expand where possible.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/introducing-bipartisan-student-loan-forgiveness-tax-repayment-act,Introducing bipartisan Student Loan Forgiveness Tax Repayment Act,2016-05-13,2016,2016-05,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree joined Republican and Democratic colleagues in the House introducing legislation today to assist families who are dealing with the loss or sudden disability of a loved one.  The bill, the Stop Taxing Death and Disability Act, would save families from big tax bills when federal student loans are forgiven after death or disability.   Pingree introduced the bill with Representatives Peter Roskam (R-IL), Ron Kind (D-WI) and Ryan Costello (R-PA.)   Under the Higher Education Act, individuals and families can apply to have federal students loans forgiven if the recipient dies or becomes disabled to a high degree.  However, the forgiven debt is taxed as income—for many families, this can add tens of thousands of dollars in taxes. Not only are the taxes due the year the debt is forgiven, but the additional income can often bump families into a higher tax bracket, meaning that it’s taxed at a higher rate.  Pingree's bill would eliminate those taxes.   “This is an absolutely tragic situation.  You’re dealing with the loss of a child or your spouse becomes disabled, then all of a sudden you get a tax bill for tens of thousands of dollars,"" Pingree said.  “It’s just not right.  Having these student loans forgiven should offer some relief to these families, not put them in a financial hole for years to come.”   Pingree first introduced a bill in 2014 to provide relief for families in this situation in 2014 after hearing about the problem from the parents of Keegan Brennan of Topsham.  Keegan grew up in Maine and attended Mt. Ararat High School before studying illustration and creative writing at the New Hampshire Institute of Art, where he graduated in 2012.  The following November, he passed away suddenly at the age of 22.   His parents, Nora and Donald, suddenly owed over $25,000 in federal taxes and over $6,300 in state taxes after student loans they had co-signed for Keegan were forgiven. Donald and Nora Brennen are Navy veterans and have spent the last 3 1Ž2 years trying to fight this tax issue, while still trying to find space to mourn their son’s death.   “We are truly grateful to Congresswomen Pingree and Senator King for hearing our story. Keegan would have been proud of what is being done.  As veterans of the U.S. military, we feel that it is our duty to continue to fight to make things better for our country,"" Nora Brennan said.   ""We applaud Representative Pingree's leadership on ensuring that vulnerable student loan borrowers are not forced to trade an unaffordable student loan debt for an unaffordable tax debt,"" said Persis Yu, director of the National Consumer Law Center's Student Loan Borrower Assistance Project.  ""Taxing people who have had their federal and private student loans canceled due to a total and permanent disability or because of the death of their child is grossly unfair and defeats the purpose of those loan cancellation programs. Congress should move quickly to pass this common sense legislation.""   The bill is a companion to legislation introduced by Senator Angus King earlier this year.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/fda-decides-reevaluate-healthy-label-standards,"FDA decides to reevaluate ""healthy"" label standards",2016-05-11,2016,2016-05,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today welcomed news that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has agreed to reevaluate the standards for foods labeled ""healthy.""  Pingree has been pushing the FDA to update those standards since KIND Snacks and leading nutrition and public health experts filed a Citizen Petition last December, asking FDA to reevaluate its requirements to emphasize the importance of nutrient-dense ingredients as part of healthy eating patterns.   ""The regulations were, quite frankly, outdated.  The focus was on things like fat content and didn't take into account modern dietary science that shows moderate amounts of some fats are important parts of a healthy diet,"" Pingree said. ""That meant a Pop Tart could be labeled healthy but not a snack bar made with nuts and almonds.""   The FDA announced yesterday that they would reevaluate federal standards to reflect current dietary science.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/video-pingree-shares-stories-maine-families-impacted-addiction,VIDEO: Pingree shares stories of Maine families impacted by addiction,2016-05-11,2016,2016-05,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree took to the House floor last night to share stories of Maine constituents whose lives have been impacted by addiction and overdoses and highlight the need to adequately fund federal programs to address the crisis.   “In cities, small towns, and rural areas across the state, people are dying every week. Everyone knows someone – a family member, friend, neighbor – who has overdosed,” Pingree said.  “And no one is immune – people from every imaginable background, income level, and generation are at risk.”   Pingree mentioned three people in particular.   David McCarthy of Falmouth, whose struggle with addiction was highlighted in a Washington Post article last summer entitled “And then he decided not to be.” He died of a heroin overdose after being sober for several months. His brother, Michael, overdosed the next day on the same batch of heroin, but his life was saved by a doctor who administered Narcan.   Chris Poulos, a University of Maine Law student who has previously struggled with drug addiction. His recovery has inspired him to help others with similar struggles, including through fellowships with both the Sentencing Project and the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.   Helen, a mother and client of Crossroads, a treatment center for women in Southern Maine that Pingree visited in February. A program started with federal funds helped aid her recovery and she is now living in a long-term sober housing program with her young son.   This week, the House is debating a number of bills aimed at addressing the country’s current drug crisis. Pingree supports the legislation, but is concerned that Republicans in the House and Senate have blocked efforts to include funding necessary to help states respond to the epidemic.   “I can’t understand how it is possible that my colleagues fail to recognize the critical importance of investing in the lives of people suffering from addiction,” Pingree said in her speech. “Rather than provide them with access to health care and the supports they need to recover and regain their independence, it appears that some lawmakers would prefer to leave them to continue turning to our already overburdened emergency rooms for care, continue asking to enter treatment only to be turned away because they can’t pay, continue struggling to achieve recovery while also dealing with homelessness, food insecurity, and a range of other challenges. It is unacceptable.”   Pingree is a cosponsor of H.R. 4447 - The Opioid and Heroin Epidemic Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, which would authorize $600 million in emergency spending for prevention, treatment, and criminal justice programs.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-meets-lead-cuban-negotiator-uscuban-relations,Pingree meets with lead Cuban negotiator on US/Cuban relations,2016-05-06,2016,2016-05,Democrat,House,ME,Chellie Pingree,P000597,pingree.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Chellie Pingree met today with Josefina Vidal Ferreiro, the lead negotiator for the Cuban government in negotiations with the United States in Havana today.  Vidal, a top official in the Cuban Foreign Ministry, talked with Pingree about the economic benefits of normalizing relations between the two countries. ""There is growing bipartisan support in Congress for ending the Cuban embargo,"" Pingree said.  ""It's only a matter of time before relations between the two countries are normalized, and the economic benefit that will come from that will be significant."" In her meeting with Vidal, Pingree emphasized the opportunities for both Americans and Cubans when US companies are able to trade freely in Cuba.  Pingree is leading a delegation of organic experts from Maine and around the country on a four-day trip to Cuba.  The group is meeting with farmers, small-business owners, educators and government officials during the trip.  Earlier in the day, Pingree and her delegation met with officials from the Ministry of Trade, who asked Pingree to bring more companies from Maine back to Cuba to explore further opportunities to develop business relationships in Cuba. ""The two countries still are far from being on the same page when it comes to trade and business agreements, but we also have a lot in common and some common goals.  The Cubans have a commitment to organic agriculture and the companies that are with me collectively sell billions of dollars of organic products every year.  There are definitely some opportunities for both sides,"" Pingree said.   Pingree says the Cuban embargo hasn't been effective. ""The embargo is a failed 50-year experiment that has not resulted in widespread economic reform in Cuba,"" Pingree said.  ""Everyone from the Catholic Church to the Chamber of Commerce agrees that the best way to bring about progress and help the Cuban people is to create partnerships and closer relations between the US and Cuba.  President Obama got that process going, but the private sector is going to be key in keeping it going, and that's why our group is in Cuba this week.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z