Chellie Pingree tag:pingree.house.gov,2008-09-11://4 2009-11-20T22:14:02Z Latest News from Representative Chellie Pingree within the last 90 days Movable Type Enterprise 4.24-en The Free Press: Vinalhaven Celebrates Fox Islands Wind Turbines tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.503 "I get to go back to Washington tonight, where my colleagues are bickering about the energy bill, about whether we can really have renewable energy, and we have done it," Congresswoman Chellie Pingree said. "The people of this community have worked so hard to deal with the logistical, technical and financial questions to get renewable energy. How much more proud could I be?" This story appeared in The Free Press on November 19.

Vinalhaven Celebrates Fox Islands Wind Turbines

By Melissa Waterman

Pinwheels, both large and small, were the order of the day when a large crowd of approximately 450 people gathered to inaugurate Vinalhaven's three new wind turbines on Tuesday, November 17. The celebration was the culmination of a summer-long construction project by Cianbro Corporation to build the largest coastal wind facility in New England and the second largest along the east coast.

Islanders and visitors milled about in the sunshine while two of the three turbines whirled overhead in 20-mile-per-hour northwesterly breezes. George Baker, president of Fox Islands Wind LLC, a subsidiary of the Fox Islands Electric Cooperative, congratulated all the many partners in the project, from the Island Institute, EOS Ventures and General Electric to the many island residents who moved the project forward, among them Bill Alcorn, Del Webster and Addison Ames. The three men joined Governor John Baldacci, North Haven representative and Speaker of the Maine House of Representative Hannah Pingree, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree and children from the North Haven and Vinalhaven schools to cut the green ribbon stretched before the towering wind turbine.

Governor Baldacci then addressed the crowd. "This just reminds me of the Statue of Liberty," he said, gesturing toward the 263-foot-tall turbine. "It's energy independence." Baldacci congratulated the residents of the two islands for their support of the project. "You are at the forefront of renewable energy. You've made the investment because you know this is where your future lies," he said. Baldacci also noted that energy independence has become an issue of national security, one that influences the United States' actions throughout the world.

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree said she was proud to represent Maine in the U.S. House of Representatives in part because of the success of this project. "I get to go back to Washington tonight, where my colleagues are bickering about the energy bill, about whether we can really have renewable energy, and we have done it. The people of this community have worked so hard to deal with the logistical, technical and financial questions to get renewable energy. How much more proud could I be?" she said to the applauding crowd.

Hannah Pingree, who followed her mother at the podium, noted that this was the largest gathering of North Haven and Vinalhaven people she had ever witnessed, "bigger than any basketball game." She too complimented island residents for their willingness to embark on the $14.5 million project, which will meet the annual electricity needs of both islands. "It's a huge step toward the sustainability of our islands as year-round communities," Pingree said. "This project is only the beginning. I am very, very proud."

Mallory Brown, a senior at North Haven Community School, spoke briefly of the many renewable energy actions taken by students and residents on that island. She then introduced students from the third and fourth grade classes who performed a spirited rendition of "I'm a Great Big Turbine" to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot" while decorated as turbine blades and a nacelle.



Deb McNeil, representing Senator Olympia Snowe, and Michelle Michaud, representing Senator Susan Collins, each read a congratulatory letter from the respective Senators, who could not attend the ceremony in person.

Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Electric Program director Joseph Badin spoke about his office's involvement financing the project. "This was an occasion to help a community do the right thing," he said. RUS provides low-interest loans for electricity projects in rural and underserved communities through the Department of Agriculture. The RUS provided a $9.5 million loan to Fox Islands Wind for the project, followed by an additional $500,000 loan to cover additional costs. "Now it will be delivering dependable, clean power. This is an excellent example of how to bring electricity to rural communities," Badin said.

Cianbro Corporation chief executive officer Peter Vigue was delighted by the large turnout for the ceremony. "Thank you all for doing this," he said, waving his arm toward the large tent beneath which a lunch was later served. "We don't take the time to celebrate our successes often enough."

Vigue noted that just seven months ago the project had not received any of the necessary state permits, had not locked up its financing and hadn't contracted for the purchase of the turbines. "The naysayers said that this would never happen in 2009. So it's a testimony to what you can do when you work together toward common goals," Vigue said. He complimented Fox Islands Wind director George Baker for his exceptional enthusiasm and energy. "And thank you to the island residents for your exceptional hospitality," he said.

Island Institute president Philip Conkling noted that the wind turbines harken back to an earlier century, when wind was the power that sent Maine ships throughout the world. "Here we are at the beginning of the 21st century turning back to the wind. [Those turbines] are the sound of the future," Conkling said. He said that in past years Maine felt that it was at the end of the line and at the end of the world due to its far northern location. "Now we are at the beginning of energy independence. We have the Gulf of Maine [wind power] right behind us," Conkling said.

At the close of many speeches, the crowd gathered around the base of the turbine for a group photograph. Raising tiny colored pinwheels over their heads, the mass of people cried "wind power" as dozens of shutters clicked.

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]]> House votes to fix broken Medicare reimbursement system tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.502 Prior to this legislation, Congress had to repeatedly pass stopgap measures to prevent reimbursement rates from being cut dramatically. Congresswoman Chellie Pingree votes for bill to stabilize Mediare payments

Today Congresswoman Chellie Pingree voted for legislation that will provide reform to a broken system of Medicare reimbursements for doctors.  Prior to this legislation, Congress had to repeatedly pass stopgap measures to prevent reimbursement rates from being cut dramatically.  Without this bill, for example, the reimbursement rates for doctors would be cut 21% in January.
 
“One of the primary goals of health care reform is to strengthen Medicare and make sure that seniors can keep seeing the doctors they want to,” Pingree said.  “The bill we passed today is an important step toward meeting that goal.”
 
The new legislation will create an indexed payment system that will allow reasonable, realistic increases in payments to providers of  both Medicare and Tri Care services.  The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) supported the bill, saying  “[We must] do away with the current payment formula so seniors can have the peace of mind that comes with knowing they can see the doctor of their choice and get the care they need.”
 
“Not only does this bill stabilize Medicare rates to guarantee access to doctors,” Pingree said.  “It also has extra payments built in to promote access to primary care doctors and provides incentives for your doctors to communicate with each other to coordinate your care.”
 
Pingree said this bill complements the health care reform bill passed by the House earlier this month, which provides for more primary and preventative care for seniors and closes the donut hole in prescription drug coverage.
 
The legislation also ends a budget gimmick that made the deficit seem artificially low by assuming that these Medicare cuts would be put into effect each year, even though Congress has consistently intervened to prevent those cuts from occurring.
 
“Reducing the deficit over the long term is a major goal,” Pingree said.  “But we have to embrace honest accounting practices to do that.  The bill we passed today gets rid of one of the most blatant gimmicks that has been used over the last few years to artificially lower the deficit.”
 
The bill passed today, H.R. 3961, Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act, now goes to the Senate.


]]> Hot links: Stay warm and save money tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.501 At a workshop in Biddeford hosted by Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, dozens of residents learned about state, federal, and private resources aimed at helping them lower their energy costs. Click here to learn more about the many resources you can use to stay warm and save money this winter. At a workshop in Biddeford hosted by Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, dozens of residents learned about state, federal, and private resources aimed at helping them lower their energy costs. Programs ranged from a tax credit for efficient windows to incentives for businesses to save energy.

Find out more about these programs by clicking the links below. Please let our office know if you have any questions.

  • Get up to $1,500 in tax credits for buying energy-efficient windows, insulation, heating systems, and more in this federal Energy Star program. Learn more.
  • Buy a new energy-efficient refrigerator, washing machine, or air-conditioning and get a cash rebate. Learn more.
  • State grants can help you pay for weatherizing your home and replacing your heating system. Learn more.
  • Find out about a homebuying program that provides a low-interest loan, up to $5,000 for closing costs, and a $500 coupon for an energy audit. Learn more.
  • Homes aren't the only places that need to be heated. This program offers incentives to businesses to save on ernergy while decreasing their environmental impact. Learn more.

 

]]> Congresswoman Chellie Pingree supports funding for Maine firefighters tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.500 On the floor of the House, Pingree spoke up in support of Maine's small-town fire departments that are being asked to do more than ever before. Watch footage of her testimony. Pingree, managing debate on bill, says funds help small fire departments in Maine

Click here to watch footage of this testimony.

The U. S. House today passed a bill that will bring millions of dollars in funding to Maine fire departments.  H.R. 3791, the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act of 2009, provides funding for local fire departments to purchase equipment and vehicles and help improve the safety and training for firefighters. Congresswoman Chellie Pingree managed the procedural debate for the bill on the floor of the House today. 
 
On the floor of the House, Pingree said “the fire service in this country is being asked to do so much more--from hazmat response and safety planning for schools to EMT duties and homeland security responsibilities.  These days, fire departments do much more than just spray water on burning buildings.  Or, as a firefighter friend says, much more than just ‘put the wet stuff on the red stuff.’
 
“These increased responsibilities are why these programs are so vitally important.”
 
Last year Maine received nearly $6 million in grants from the programs that were reauthorized by the House today.   During debate, Pingree told her colleagues about how towns like Bath and Raymond had been able to buy defibrillators to respond to medical emergencies and breathing apparatus to protect firefighters entering burning buildings.
 
Pingree said the program is particularly valuable to small town fire departments.
 
“I think some of the real success stories lie in our rural communities—communities often staffed by volunteer fire departments. Just like bigger communities, these small-town fire departments are being asked to do more—but acquiring the equipment they need is often beyond the scope of small-town municipal budgets.  Through these programs, small town volunteer fire departments in my state have been able to acquire the turn-out coats, the breathing apparatus and the hazmat suits they need to do the job effectively and safely.”
 
The bill passed the House this afternoon and now goes on to the Senate. 

]]> Maine to Receive More than $9.5 Million for energy efficiency and conservation projects tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.499 The state plans to use the funding to implement programs to lower energy use, reduce carbon pollution, and create green jobs locally. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced yesterday that the Department of Energy (DOE) is awarding $9,593,500 in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to Maine to support clean energy projects across the state. Under DOE’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program, the state will implement programs that lower energy use, reduce carbon pollution, and create green jobs locally.

“This funding will allow states across the country to make major investments in energy solutions that will strengthen America's economy and create jobs at the local level,” said Secretary Chu. “It will also promote some of the cheapest, cleanest and most reliable energy technologies we have - energy efficiency and conservation - which can be deployed immediately. Local communities can now make strategic investments to help meet the nation's long term clean energy and climate goals.”

“Maine has been a leader in energy conservation, which is helping to reduce our reliance on oil and grow green jobs in our state. With ongoing support from the Recovery Act and our federal partners, Maine's economy will be stronger and our environment cleaner,” said Governor John E. Baldacci.

“Investing in the development of clean and efficient energy is the most cost effective method to strengthen and improve Maine's energy security,” said U.S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe. “This funding announcement is extremely welcome news that will not only build upon current state-wide efforts to transition towards the use of renewable energy but ensure Maine remains on the forefront of cutting-edge, 21st century energy technologies.”

“Unpredictable, and often increasing, prices for home heating oil, gasoline and diesel fuel are a huge burden for many families, truckers, and small businesses,” said U.S. Senator Susan Collins.  “One of the most effective and immediate ways we can help people stretch their energy dollars is through weatherization.  Weatherizing a home saves, on average, nearly 30 percent in energy costs.  This funding will help Maine invest in energy conservation and alternative energy technologies that will create jobs and help set us on a path toward energy independence.”

“The projects that will be made possible through this funding will help Maine's local economies improve energy efficiency, save money, and promote economic activity and job creation,” said U.S. Congressman Mike Michaud.  “Many Maine companies have already embraced energy efficient technologies and practices because it is good for business. Other countries are moving fast to adopt these practices and our country can’t afford to be behind the curve.”

“This is the kind of investment that we can put to work in Maine immediately, creating good paying jobs and saving home owners and business owners money.  One of the best ways for us to achieve energy independence is by making our homes and businesses more efficient, and keeping the money we were spending on imported oil right here in our communities,” said U.S. Congresswoman Chellie Pingree.

Maine will use its Recovery Act EECBG funds to promote the development of clean and sustainable energy infrastructure, laying the groundwork for a more prosperous economy while saving or creating more than 100 green jobs in the state.  Approximately sixty percent of the state’s funds will be competitively awarded to local cities and counties for energy saving projects, such as financial incentive programs, energy efficiency retrofits, transportation programs, energy distribution measures, and the installation of renewable energy technologies on government buildings.

The remaining EECBG funds will be combined with Recovery Act funding from the State Energy Program to support the Large Project Impact Fund that will provide grants for large-scale commercial projects.  Eligible activities for these awards will include improved insulation, air sealing, efficiency improvements in heating sources and distribution, efficiency controls and automation, efficiency upgrades in glazing, and other proven cost-effective measures.

Today’s award to the State Energy Office will be used to support state-level energy efficiency priorities, along with funding local conservation projects in smaller cities and counties.  At least 60 percent of the state’s award will be passed through to local cities and counties not eligible for direct EECBG awards from the Department of Energy.  The EECBG Program was funded for the first time by the Recovery Act and provides formula grants to states, cities, counties, territories and federally-recognized Indian tribes nationwide to implement energy efficiency projects locally.

Projects eligible for support include the development of an energy efficiency and conservation strategy, energy efficiency audits and retrofits, transportation programs, the creation of financial incentive programs for energy efficiency improvements, the development and implementation of advanced building codes and inspections, and the installation of renewable energy technologies on municipal buildings.

Transparency and accountability are important priorities for the EECBG program and all Recovery Act projects. All grantees have specific measures they must take before spending the full amount of awarded funding, such as ensuring oversight and transparency, submitting a conservation strategy to the Department of Energy, and complying with environmental regulations.

Throughout the program’s implementation, DOE will provide strong oversight at the local, state, and tribal level, while emphasizing the need to quickly award funds to help create new jobs and stimulate local economies. Communities will be required to report regularly to DOE on the progress they have made toward successfully completing projects and reaching program goals.

For a full list of awards to date, visit www.eecbg.energy.gov.

]]> Ribbon cut on Vinalhaven wind power project tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.498 Congresswoman Chellie Pingree joined Governor John Baldacci, House Speaker Hannah Pingree and others to cut the ribbon on the Fox Islands Wind Project in Vinalhaven today. Pingree, a resident of nearby North Haven Island, said the wind turbines will serve as an example for the rest of the country. North Haven resident Chellie Pingree says Maine project is “example” for the nation

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree joined Governor John Baldacci, House Speaker Hannah Pingree and others to cut the ribbon on the Fox Islands Wind Project in Vinalhaven today.  Pingree, a resident of nearby North Haven Island, said the wind turbines will serve as an example for the rest of the country.
 
“This project is a perfect example of what we can do across this country,” Pingree said.  “Instead of paying some of the highest electric rates in the country to buy power generated in part by oil we’ve had to import from overseas, our communities will produce their own electricity right here at home.  It’s a home-grown solution to our energy needs.”
 
The Fox Islands Wind Project is a community-based wind development that will provide residents of North Haven and Vinalhaven Islands with clean, renewable energy from three 1.5-megawatt turbines.  The turbines are nearly 400 feet tall and the project is the largest community-based wind project on the East Coast.
 
Pingree said the story behind the Fox Islands Wind Project is one she will share with others in Congress.
 
“I will be proud to tell my colleagues in Congress that my community has found a way to produce our own clean, renewable power and become truly energy independent,” she said.
 
The elected officials were joined by representatives from the Norwegian company Statoil Hydro, who are in Maine to study the possibility of partnering with the University of Maine to develop deepwater offshore wind power.  Pingree said the company could bring expertise and experience in offshore wind technology to Maine.
 
“They’ve been working on deepwater offshore wind for years,” Pingree said.  “Maine is a perfect spot for them to continue that research and development.  We’ve got the wind resources and we’ve got the infrastructure.  And as I said to the Statoil Hydro officials last night, our coast is pretty similar to theirs in many ways.”


 

]]> Congresswoman Chellie Pingree says drug companies practicing "bait and switch" tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.496 "The drug companies promised us they would deliver $8 billion in savings into the health care system," Pingree said. "What they failed to tell us was that they apparently planned to jack up prices by $10 billion first." Published reports show pharmaceutical companies raising prices while promising to deliver savings

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree expressed outrage today over published reports that the nation’s pharmaceutical companies raised prices last year more than any year since 1992.
 
“The drug companies promised us they would deliver $8 billion in savings into the health care system,” Pingree said.  “What they failed to tell us was that they apparently planned to jack up prices by $10 billion first.   It sounds like classic bait and switch scheme to me.”
 
According to today’s New York Times, the wholesale price of brand name prescription drugs went up 9% last year, a year in which overall consumer prices actually fell 1.3%.
 
“I can’t think of a worse time for the drug companies to suddenly start charging so much more for their products,” Pingree said. “With American families struggling economically and inflation at near record lows, there is just no excuse for it.”
 
Pingree said the report also shows the need to pass comprehensive health care reform like the bill recently voted on in the U.S. House.
 
“The bill I voted for last week is the kind of reform we need,” Pingree said.  “It will lower prescription drug prices for seniors and rein in health care costs for all of us. And this report today shows why we need a public option—unless we give these big companies some competition, they are going to continue to increase prices for all Americans.”
 

]]> Photo journal: Veterans Day 2009 tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.494 See pictures from Congresswoman Chellie Pingree's Veterans Day travels, with stops at Togus veterans hospital, Portland's Veterans Day Parade, and American Legion Post 17. On Veterans Day this year, Congresswoman Cheliie Pingree met and thanked veterans across the state for their service.

]]> Sunday, Nov. 15: 12:30 p.m.: The Way We Get By tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.493 If you haven't had the chance to see The Way We Get By, a very moving film about Bangor's dedicated troop greeters, PBS is airing it on Sunday afternoon. Click here to watch the trailer. If you haven't had the chance to see The Way We Get By, a very moving film about Bangor's dedicated troop greeters, PBS is airing it on Sunday, November 15, at 12:30.

]]> Maine technical and vocational schools receive $473,000 grant for video-conferencing tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.491 Equipment will expand learning opportunities and foster collaboration at 12 schools across the state Equipment will expand learning opportunities and foster collaboration at 12 schools across the state
 
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree announced today that 12 vocational and technical centers in 11 counties across Maine will receive a $473,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development grant for video-conferencing.
 
“Maine’s network of technical schools performs the extremely important tasks of training the state’s workforce and helping Maine adapt to a changing economy,” said Pingree.  “This equipment will help ease some of our large state’s geographical boundaries, allowing teachers and students of all ages to learn from each other, share resources, and collaborate from one end of Maine to the other.”
 
The system will connect 12 schools across the state, including the Sanford Regional Vocational Center in Sanford, Midcoast School of Technology in Rockland, and Lake Region Vocational Center in Naples. The video equipment allows a person to broadcast to one or all of the other stations simultaneously and for classrooms to communicate back and forth.  Schools will use the conferencing equipment to share program offerings, increase opportunities for professional development, deliver college courses to students, and more. 
 
Offering programs that include culinary arts, hospitality, early childhood care, and health care, Maine’s vocational centers serve students of all ages through public school, adult education, and community programs.
 
“A teacher in Houlton would be able to sit here and have a conversation with another teacher in Sanford,” said Mike Howard, director of the Region 2 School of Applied Technology in Houlton.  “But one of the best things about this equipment is its mobility. Right now, our stationary system constricts us to use one room, but we can easily move this system from the automotive classroom to culinary arts for the visual lessons people need in these areas.” 

]]> Op-ed: United States should do more to care for its veterans tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.489 "We should all take a moment to pause and remember veterans' sacrifices &mdash not just today, but every day. Because the freedom we enjoy today will still be there tomorrow, thanks to our veterans." This op-ed by Congresswoman Chellie Pingree appeared in November 11's Portland Press Herald

One afternoon last month I found myself sitting in the gallery of the U.S. House of Representatives watching the proceedings on the floor.  Next to me sat Jerry Mundy, one of the Bangor Troop Greeters featured in the movie “The Way We Get By.”  (Click here to watch the trailer.)As Jerry and I whispered about who was saying what on the floor below us, I thought of how fortunate I am to be a Member of Congress—and how, if it were not for people like Jerry, I wouldn’t be sitting there.

Today, on Veterans Day, we pause and reflect on the sacrifices our veterans have made to protect our country and preserve the freedoms that we sometimes take for granted.  Our system of government—of which we are justifiably proud—requires a strong and secure defense and depends on the protection that our Armed Services provide. 

The men and women who have worn our country’s uniform to safeguard our way of life define the term “service”—and Jerry is a perfect example of that.

Jerry first served our country when he volunteered for the Marines during the Korean War era.  Today, decades later, Jerry continues to serve, showing up at the Bangor Airport at all hours of the day and night, greeting today’s troops as they come and go from the Middle East.

Earlier this year, on a trip to Iraq and Afghanistan, I met countless men and women in uniform who had been welcomed by the troop greeters in Bangor and were grateful for a cup of coffee, the loan of a cell phone and a warm and welcoming face.   “You should be very proud of what those volunteers are doing,” one soldier told me.

Indeed, we are very proud.  Not just of the Bangor Troop Greeters, but of the strong military tradition we have throughout our state and of all the men and women from Maine who have served and who continue to serve. 

But we have to recognize that there have been significant changes in the years since Jerry first put on a uniform over 50 years ago.

For one thing the military is no longer made up almost entirely of young men just out of high school.  Today’s troops are often men and women in their 30s or 40s, many with families of their own.  In Iraq, for example, I had lunch with a woman who, along with her husband, was serving in the Army.  They had left three young children behind, in the care of her parents.

And earlier this year, at a troop send off in Bangor, Lt. Colonel Diana Dunn sat in the front row, her two teenage children next to her, as she got ready to ship out to Afghanistan as a combat battalion commander.

As the makeup of our Armed Forces changes, so must the way we take care of those who serve and have served.  One of the reasons I chose to sit on the House Armed Services Committee was to make sure that today’s service members--and tomorrow’s veterans--are taken care of.  That means better pay, bonuses for those who have been retained through stop loss orders and expanded family leave for service members---all provisions contained in the Defense Authorization Bill I watched President Obama sign at the White House last week.

We must also deliver on the promises made to those who have served.  That means delivering the health care and benefits our veterans are entitled to.   This year I cosponsored a bill to provide advanced, predictable funding of the Veterans Administration, a bill signed into law by the President just a few weeks ago.  But there is still much more we can do, such as streamlining the VA claims system and bolstering its health care system so it can adequately serve the people who served us so unselfishly is important.

We should all take a moment to pause and remember veterans’ sacrifices—not just today, but every day.  Because the freedom we enjoy today will still be there tomorrow, thanks to our veterans.
 

]]> New page for veterans tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.488 We've launched a new web page for veterans. One-stop for news and information about legislation, benefits, issues and other resources for veterans. Maine veterans are dearly important to us and we want to keep them and their families up-to-date on the decisions and resources affecting their lives. Visit http://pingree.house.gov/issues/veterans/ for regularly updated information on veterans legislation, issues, and benefts.

Thank you, Maine veterans and families, for your service and sacrifice.

]]> Congresswoman Chellie Pingree unhappy with reports of Wall Street employees getting H1N1 vaccine tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.481 Pingree tells HHS Secretary Sebelius that investment bankers shouldn't be getting vaccines ahead of high-risk individuals Pingree tells HHS Secretary Sebelius that investment bankers shouldn’t be getting vaccines ahead of high-risk individuals
 
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree is demanding an explanation of reports that executives at Wall Street banks have been getting vaccinations for the H1N1 virus while high-risk individuals are going without.
 
“I was stunned to hear that investment bankers at Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan may be getting these flu shots while children, pregnant women and health care workers in Maine are still waiting for theirs,” Pingree said.  “I’m afraid this is going to turn out to be another example of Wall Street thinking that they live by a different set of rules than the rest of us.”
 
In a meeting on Friday with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Pingree expressed her deep concern about these reports.
 
“We made it clear to the Secretary that we weren’t happy with the idea that these investment banks might be getting vaccines ahead of the public,” Pingree said. 
 
Pingree followed up her meeting with Sebelius with a letter urging her to look into the situation closely. 
 
LETTER TEXT:
 
November 9, 2009
 
The Honorable Kathleen Sebelius
Secretary
Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, DC 20201
 
Dear Secretary Sebelius,

Thank you for taking the time to meet with the Rules Committee last week. It was a pleasure to talk to you again about health care reform, and the needs of people in Maine. I wanted to follow up with you on our conversation about the outrageous reports that Wall Street executives are receiving the H1N1 vaccine before working families in Maine. These are the same Wall Street executives who benefited from billions of dollars in taxpayer assistance, and helped bring about this economic downturn that we are all fighting to reverse.

Although Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is working tirelessly to vaccinate as many people as possible, the vaccine continues to come in too slowly. The Maine CDC estimates that they are only vaccinating one out of every five people who are in one of the high priority groups.

While Maine families face uncertainty over whether there will be enough vaccines for them, it is unacceptable that Wall Street executives move to the front of the line. The H1N1 vaccines should be distributed to those who need them most. Thank you for your consideration, and I look forward to working with you on this very important issue.

Sincerely,
Chellie Pingree
Member of Congress
 
 
 
 
 

]]> President Obama re-Tweets Chellie! tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.480 President Obama posts comments made by Congresswoman Pingree minutes after the House passed healthcare legislation on Saturday. President Barack Obama reposted a "Tweet" made by Congresswoman Chellie Pingree after the House passed health reform legislation Saturday. The post went out to Obama's 2.6 million followers. A screenshot is below.

If you would like to follow Chellie yourself, visit www.twitter.com/chelliepingree.

 

Obama retweets.png

]]> Casting a historic vote for Maine and the nation tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.479 "It was the vote my constituents sent me to cast." Watch media coverage of Congresswoman Chellie Pingree's vote for healthcare reform. Media coverage of Congresswoman Pingree's healthcare reform vote.

 

]]> Welcome home tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.478 Constituents welcomed Congresswoman Chellie Pingree at the airport to show their support for healthcare reform. See more photos here. Constituents gather at the Portland Jetport on November 8 to welcome home Congresswoman Chellie Pingree after casting a historic vote for healthcare reform the night before.

 

]]> Congresswoman Chellie Pingree tells U.S. House that time has come to pass health care reform tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.476 Congresswoman Chellie Pingree spoke on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives today in favor of the historic health care reform legislation now being debated. Pingree told the story of her brother, who lost his health insurance while battling melanoma.

House begins debate on historic health care reform, vote expected later today
 
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree spoke on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives today in favor of the historic health care reform legislation now being debated.  Pingree told the story of her brother, who lost his health insurance while battling melanoma.
 
“I’m here in the memory of my brother,” Pingree said. “He had no public option to choose.  He did what so many young families did.  They spent down their savings, they sold everything they had…so they could qualify for Medicaid because no doctor would see him without insurance.”
 
“I have often wondered,” Pingree said, “if he would have survived if he had the medical care he needed.”
 
Pingree said the health care reform the House is considering would protect others from losing their insurance coverage. 
 
“This bill moves us much closer to a time when no one can be denied health care coverage because of a pre-existing condition, no one can be told you can’t have health care coverage, no one will have to go into personal bankruptcy.”
 
“I am so proud to be here casting the vote that so many of my constituents have waited too long for,” Pingree said. “There can be no more delay.”
 
Pingree says the health care bill will improve health care coverage for those who already have insurance and provide access to health care for 75,000 people in Maine and 36 million people nationally who don’t currently have insurance.
 
“This bill will help seniors by reducing prescription drug prices and closing the donut hole, it will help those who have coverage by cracking down on the worst practices of the insurance industry, and will provide subsidies to nearly 360,000 Maine individuals and nearly 40,000 Maine small businesses to make insurance more affordable,” Pingree said later.
 
Yesterday, Pingree’s Rules Committee held the final hearing on health care reform legislation in a session that lasted over 12 hours and heard testimony on over 200 amendments.

]]> Statement on unemployment report tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.474 "The unemployment figures out today show why we have to keep working hard in Congress to help get our economy back on track." Pingree says new figures show need to continue focus on economy
 
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree issued the following statement on the latest unemployment figures, released today.
 
“The unemployment figures out today show why we have to keep working hard in Congress to help get our economy back on track,” Pingree said.  “During these tough economic times, it’s important that we do everything possible to save and create jobs and help those who have been hardest hit by the economy.  That’s why this week in Congress we’ve passed measures to extend unemployment benefits, extend the first time homebuyers tax credit and protect consumers from sudden increases in credit card fees.”
 
“Passing meaningful health care reform is also critical to fixing our economy,” she said. “The bill we will consider in the House this weekend will make insurance more affordable and reliable for those who do have it, protect Medicare for seniors and put insurance coverage within reach for small businesses.  Our economy can’t recover without this reform.”
 
This afternoon Pingree’s Committee—the House Rules Committee—will hold the final hearing on the health care reform bill now in the House before it goes to the floor for a vote tomorrow.
 
Also this week in Congress:
 
On Wednesday the House passed legislation that which will make new credit cardholder protections effective as soon as the bill is passed by the Senate and signed by the President, instead of next spring, the date previously set when Congress first passed those reforms earlier this year.  Pingree said this reform “cracks down on the big credit card companies and their worst practices now, and not next year.”
 
Yesterday the House also passed an extension of unemployment benefits as well as an extension and expansion of the first time homebuyers tax credit.  The bill, which will be signed by the President later today, will extend unemployment benefits up to 20 weeks for beneficiaries in Maine.  The popular first time homebuyers credit, originally set to expire at the end of this month, will be extended through next April.  The income limit for the tax credit has also been increased and expands eligibility for veterans and individuals who had previously owned a home.
 
 
 
 
 

]]> Health care reform vote expected Saturday tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.472 Congresswoman Chellie Pingree says she plans to vote for the bill when it reaches the House floor. Congresswoman Chellie Pingree says she plans to vote for bill on House floor

Find out more on how the healthcare reform bill will affect Maine.

Major health care reform legislation will have a final hearing before the powerful Rules Committee Friday afternoon before a vote by the full House, which is expected Saturday.  Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, one of 9 Democrats on the Rules Committee, said she plans to vote for the bill when it reaches the floor.
 
“This bill will improve health care coverage for those who already have it, stop some of the worst practices of the insurance industry, give the insurance companies some competition with a public option and make health care more affordable for thousands of Maine people who don’t have it,” Pingree said.
 
According to an analysis of the bill, 75,000 Maine individuals would be able to get insurance that don’t currently have it, and over 17,000 people who currently cannot get coverage because of pre-existing conditions would be able to qualify under the bill.

Find out more details on how reform will impact Maine here.
 
Today the nearly 40 million-member American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) has endorsed the bill. AARP cites benefits for America’s seniors, including strengthening Medicare, lowering prescription drug costs by closing the “donut hole,” and improving the coordination and quality of care.
                                            
“The Affordable Health Care for America Act gives our seniors security and stability – and now seniors will hear from one of the most-trusted voices in America not to believe the scare tactics about this reform,”  Pingree said. “This bill makes huge gains for seniors to reduce costs, improve the quality of their care, and give them peace of mind that Medicare will be there for them for years to come.”
 
“Medicare has been a lifeline for America’s seniors for the last 44 years. This bill builds on its strengths to provide better benefits and the highest quality of care,” Pingree said.
 
The Affordable Health Care for America Act and its companion legislation, the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act, contain critical components that AARP and other senior advocacy groups have been fighting for for years.

]]> Get Ready For Winter Workshop to be held November 19 tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.471 Meet the experts who can help you apply for cost-saving state programs that will help you or your business better prepare for winter. Congresswoman Chellie Pingree presents a workshop in Biddeford on November 19 to help you get ready for winter
 

Date: Thursday, Nov. 19
Time: 4-6 p.m.
Location:
Biddeford Middle School
25 Tiger Drive
RSVP by calling (207) 774-5019 or by email.

Meet the people who can help you apply for cost-saving programs that will help you or your business better prepare for winter.  Learn about easy, low-cost ways to lower the cost of staying warm this winter.

Professionals at the workshop will include:

Bill Najpauer from Renaissance Energy Associates: A Certified Energy Auditor will show you what to look for in your home and low-cost ways to make your home more energy efficient. Find out exactly what you need to do to get your home ready for winter, now and in the long term.

Barbara Lizotte from York County Community Action Program: A LIHEAP coordinator will explain how to qualify for the Weatherization Program and Central Heating Improvement Program. Both programs provide grants to homeowners and renters to reduce energy costs. Get information and make an appointment on the spot.

Bob Fratto from Efficiency Maine: A member of the Efficiency Maine field staff will provide information on a business program that provides cash incentives and free, independent technical advice to help businesses save energy and money while improving the environment.

Kevin Leonard from Community Concepts: The Appliance Replacement Program helps people reduce their energy costs by replacing old refrigerators and other home appliances that are inefficient and expensive to operate. Find out how to apply and what’s available.

Maine State Housing Association: A representative from MSHA will be on hand to talk about the Gift of Green, a program that provides a $500 energy audit coupon for eligible homebuyers, as well as other weatherization programs for low- and middle-income residents.

In addition to their presentations, speakers will be available to answer questions on an individual basis.

  Please RSVP to our Portland Office – (207) 774-5019, or by email




 

]]> Congress passes extension of unemployment benefits, homebuyers tax credit tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.470 Congresswoman Chellie Pingree says legislation is 'essential to getting our economy back on track' Congresswoman Chellie Pingree says legislation is  'essential to getting our economy back on track'
Today the House passed legislation to extend unemployment benefits as well as expand and extend the popular first time homebuyers tax credit.
 
“Nearly 5,000 Maine people would otherwise have their unemployment benefits expire by the end of the year without this legislation,” Pingree said.  “With winter and the holiday fast approaching, this is not the time to let these critical benefits run out for the people who have been hardest hit by the recession.”
 
Pingree also said the measure passed today will help stimulate the Maine economy.  “Every $1 we invest in unemployment benefits generates $1.61 in spending. That’s money that goes directly into the local economy to pay for necessities like rent, heating and groceries.”
 
The bill the House passed today also extends and expands the popular first time homebuyers tax credit.  The credit was set to expire at the end of this month, but the legislation Pingree voted for today extends it to the end of April, 2010, with an additional 60 day window for homes put under contract by the April 30 deadline.  The bill also increases the income limit from $70,000 for individual taxpayers and $150,000 for couples to $125,000/$225,000 and creates a $6,500 credit for homebuyers who have been in their current residence for the last five years or more.

“This tax credit has helped stimulate the housing market and put the dream of home ownership within reach for many Maine families,” Pingree said.  “Extending and expanding the program is the right thing to do.”
 
The bill now goes on to the President for his signature.

]]> House votes to hasten credit card reform to protect consumers tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.469 By moving up the start date of the Credit CARD Act, a bill passed earlier this year implementing tough regulations on credit card companies, Congress can limit the worst practices of the industry before the full law takes effect. Bill would implement Credit CARD Act months earlier than originally scheduled
 
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree voted Wednesday to accelerate critical reforms that will protect consumers from abusive practices of the credit card industry.  By moving up the start date of the Credit CARD Act—a bill passed earlier this year implementing tough regulations on credit card companies—Congress can limit the worst practices of the industry before the full law takes effect.  The bill passed the House today and now goes on to the Senate.

“Unfortunately, credit card companies have taken advantage of the time between the law’s signing and its implementation next February to raise interest rates, minimum payments and fees on consumers,” said Pingree.  “Many of my constituents have opened their bills to see these rising charges and have called my office to say that they couldn’t come at a worst time for their families.”
 
The Expedited CARD Reform for Consumers Act moves the effective date for these critical credit card reforms from February 22, 2010, to immediately following the President signing the bill into law.
 
The original legislation includes crucial measures that protect consumers from unfair interest rate hikes on existing balances, double-cycle billing and due-date gimmicks.  Reforms in this bill will bring transparency and fairness to the credit card industry and will provide customers with the information they need to make smart financial decisions.
 
“American families have enough trouble making ends meet during this recession. The last thing they need is an unfair battle with deceptive credit card companies,” Pingree said.  “By putting these reforms into action sooner I hope we can level the playing field.”
 

]]> 'We hope the bill will change the behavior of rising costs of healthcare' tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.468 Congresswoman Chellie Pingree talks about the healthcare bill, HR 3962, released in the House on WCSH6 and WGME 13. Congresswoman Chellie Pingree talks about the healthcare bill, HR 3962, released in the House on WCSH6 and WGME 13. Read Pingree's statement along with the full text of the bill here.

 

]]> House passes legislation to help small businesses tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.467 Congresswoman Chellie Pingree managed the procedural debate on the House floor today for a bill that will help create jobs by making more tools and investment financing and capital available to small businesses. Bill to increase investment, other resources for small businesses passes House
 
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree managed the procedural debate on the House floor today for a bill that will help create jobs by making more tools and investment financing and capital available to small businesses.  The Small Business Financing and Investment Act of 2009 passed the House today.
 
“This is a bill that will support small businesses when they need it most by helping them access the investments they need to survive, to grow, to expand, and to create the jobs that will drive our economic recovery,” Pingree said in her testimony on the House floor today.

Pingree authored an amendment to the bill that would require the Small Business Administration (SBA) to study significantly increasing the size of most loans they guarantee, and report back to Congress.

“One of the things I’ve often heard from businesses in Maine is that SBA loans are too small,” Pingree said.  “It’s time the limits were significantly increased and I hope this is the first step toward accomplishing that.”

Recently President Obama joined the call to increase SBA loans from $2 million to $5 million. 
 
By modernizing the SBA capital access programs for the first time in 10 years, the bill will unlock lending and investment for cash-strapped entrepreneurs, allowing them to expand their operations and hire new workers.
 
Measures in the bill include:

· An amendment by Congresswoman Pingree directing the SBA to study increasing the size of small-business loans it guarantees;

· Supporting $44 billion in lending and investment every year, helping create or save 1.3 million jobs annually;

· Establishing a new public/private partnership at the SBA to invest in fledgling small businesses; and

· Providing increased technical assistance to recipients of microloans, an important source of capital for dislocated workers looking to launch their own businesses.

]]> House Health care reform bill, HR 3962, announced tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.466 Click here for Congresswoman Chellie Pingree's comments on H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, announced in the House of Representatives, along with the full text of the bill. Congresswoman Chellie Pingree issued the following statement on the health care reform package unveiled on Capitol Hill today:
 

 H.R. 3962 - Affordable Health Care for America Act
 Click here for full text of the Bill as Introduced

The health care bill introduced today takes important steps toward making quality, affordable health care available to all Americans.  It will lower costs, provide more choice and reform some of the insurance industry’s worst practices—like excluding people based on pre-existing conditions.
 
This bill includes a public option, which is essential to give consumers real choice and give the insurance companies real competition.
 
And the legislation introduced today will protect Medicare and Medicare recipients.   Nothing in this bill cuts basic Medicare benefits.  And it will close the donut hole for prescription drug prices.

 
 






]]> President Obama signs defense legislation tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.465 President Obama signed the 2010 Defense Authorization Act in a White House ceremony today as Congresswoman Chellie Pingree looked on. The legislation contains a provision authored by Pingree that will enable land transfers at the Brunswick Naval Air Station for local redevelopment. Bill includes provision Pingree authored to enable land transfer at Brunswick Naval Air Station
 

President Obama signs defense legislation at the White House.

President Obama signed the 2010 Defense Authorization Act in a White House ceremony today as Congresswoman Chellie Pingree looked on.  The legislation contains a provision authored by Pingree that will enable land transfers at the Brunswick Naval Air Station for local redevelopment. 
 
“We put a lot of work into getting that provision through Congress,” Pingree said.  “It is critical for redevelopment efforts in Brunswick and it was gratifying to see the President sign it into law this afternoon.”
 
Pingree sponsored a bill requiring no-cost transfers of land at former military bases, which passed the House as part of the Defense Authorization Act.   The provision will make it possible for the Department of Defense to transfer land from the Brunswick Naval Air Station to the local community without requiring that the local redevelopment authority come up with tens of millions of dollars to purchase the land.
 
Although the Senate did not include the provision in their version of the legislation, because it had passed the House it was possible for a compromise agreement to be reached to allow it to be included in the final bill.  Maine’s entire Congressional delegation supported inclusion of this important provision in the legislation.
 
The bill signed by the President today, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010, also includes historic hate crimes legislation that will allow the Justice Department to prosecute crimes based on sexual orientation, gender or gender identity.
 
“The hate crimes legislation takes an important step toward protecting all Americans who are victims of violent acts of intolerance,” Pingree said.  “I sponsored this bill in the House and I’m glad it is becoming law today.”
 
The President will sign the hate crimes portion of the bill in a separate ceremony at the White House later today.
 
Defense Secretary William Gates also attended the ceremony for the bill, which includes millions of dollars for Maine-based projects.
 
“I am extremely pleased that the final bill includes my authorization request for almost $12 million that will go directly to Maine’s economy.”  Pingree requested funding to build cellulose nanocomposite panels for ballistic protection at the University of Maine, for the design of high-speed composite boats, and to improve security gates at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.
 
“The bill also authorizes the last increment of funding for the DDG-1000, which will be built at Bath Iron Works.  This is an essential increment of funding that will help bring stability and longevity to the talented men and women of BIW,” Pingree said. “I am extremely proud to have worked so hard to include this funding, and it speaks volumes for the men and women of BIW that the funding is included in the final bill.”
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

]]> Funding secured for environmental projects in Maine tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.464 A final version of the bill funding the Department of the Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency has come before the U.S. House of Representatives and includes $5.75 million for Maine environmental projects requested by Congresswoman Chellie Pingree.  $5.75 million for Maine projects includes $3 million for land preservation in York County and $1.25 million for Portland wastewater system
 

RachelCarson_John_KarenHollingsworth.jpg
Included in the bill is $3 million for land conservation at Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge in York County.

The final version of the bill funding the Department of the Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency has come before the U.S. House of Representatives and includes $5.75 million for Maine environmental projects requested by Congresswoman Chellie Pingree.
 
Since the projects are included in the conference report for the bill, they will automatically be included when the final version of the bill is voted on.  The bill is expected to pass the House this week and the Senate next week, and be signed by the President shortly after. 
 
The bill includes $3 million in funding for the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, which will be matched by $3 million in private funds to purchase the 110 acre Timber Point in Biddeford and Kennebunkport.  The land includes 2.25 miles of coastline.
 
“Timber Point is a pristine piece of land with unique environmental value,” Pingree said.  “This funding will make sure it’s protected and preserved.”
 
Pingree worked to get $500,000 in funding to combat milfoil in the Sebago Lake area in the bill.  The funding will support research, mitigation and eradication of the invasive species in Little Sebago Lake and six other lakes, serving as a test bed for the development of milfoil action plans for other lakes across the state.
 
Congressman Norman Dicks, Chairman of the House Interior and Environment Subcommittee, praised Pingree for her work on the funding. “Congresswoman Pingree worked hard to secure this important funding to combat the invasive milfoil infestation in Maine,” Dicks said.  “I appreciate her dedication to supporting this important initiative.”
 
Also included in the bill is $1.25 million to help finance the separation of combined sewer overflows in the Portland wastewater treatment system.  Currently heavy rain can overload the city’s waste water system and cause raw sewage to flow into Casco Bay. 
 
“Providing federal funding for the necessary improvements to the Portland sewer system serves two purposes,” Pingree said. “It helps protect the waters of Casco Bay and helps stabilize local sewer rates and property taxes.”

Photo courtesy of John and Karen Hollingsworth.

]]> No on 1 press conference tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.462 Watch news coverage of a No on 1 press conference featuring Congresswoman Chellie Pingree. News coverage of a No on 1 press conference featuring Congresswoman Chellie Pingree.

]]> Congresswoman Chellie Pingree announces major investment in Maine's electrical grid tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.461 A federal Recovery Act grant of $96 million will be coming to Maine to help Central Maine Power provide "smart meters" for all 600,000 of its customers. Watch video of Energy Secretary Steven Chu talking about today's announcement. $96 million stimulus grant will allow CMP to install “smart meters” for 600,000 customers
 

Energy Secretary Steven Chu talks about the "smart meters" being supplied to Maine by a $96 million grant.

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree announced this morning that a federal Recovery Act grant of $96 million will be coming to Maine to help Central Maine Power provide “smart meters” for all 600,000 of its customers. Funding for the “Advanced Metering Infrastructure Project” will be matched by CMP, for a total project cost of nearly $200 million.
 
“These smart meters will help update Maine’s electrical grid and give consumers more control over their electrical bills,” Pingree said.  “Smart meters allow customers to see real time electrical consumption, and allow them to change their electrical usage patterns to take advantage of new pricing programs to lower their electric bills.”
 
CMP plans to start installing the meters early next year.  All the new meters should be installed by mid 2012.  The meters could allow “dynamic pricing” in which electrical rates are adjusted based on overall system demand and will give consumers increased flexibility in choosing electrical suppliers and pricing programs.
 
“The meters that we have on our houses today were invented early in the last century,” Pingree said.  “Smart meters are going to bring the Maine energy consumer into the 21st century.  Creating a “smart grid” in Maine will put our state in an even better position to develop new sources of clean energy.”
 
 
 

]]> Congresswoman Chellie Pingree welcomes Department of Veterans Affairs proposed PTSD rule change tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.460 Rule would make it easier for veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder to receive benefits and treatment Rule would make it easier for veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder to receive benefits and treatment

In a letter sent yesterday to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary, General Erik Shinseki, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree welcomes a proposed rule change that would make it easier for veterans to establish the service connection needed to receive treatment and benefits for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  The Congresswoman also urged that the rule apply to all veterans, no matter when they served.
 
“I commend the Secretary for his proposal, which is a dramatic shift in current policy. For years, veterans have carried the burden of proof to show that their PTSD is service-related,” said Pingree.  “This proposal is a step in the right direction to guarantee that veterans who suffer from PTSD get the care and benefits they need.  Veterans have already sacrificed enough and we don’t need to put unnecessary barriers between them and the benefits they deserve.”
 
Currently, in order to get benefits from the VA, veterans with PTSD must have an established medical link between a traumatic combat event and their diagnosis.  They also need military documentation to verify the traumatic incident.
 
Many veterans who suffer from PTSD cannot provide this documentation for various reasons, such as lost or inaccurate records and ever-changing battlefields where a “front line” no longer exists.
 
The VA’s proposal would require only a veteran’s testimony of the incident along with a diagnosis from a VA psychologist or psychiatrist, removing the requirement for military documentation.
 
“It is extremely important to me that all veterans who suffer from PTSD benefit from this new rule, regardless of when they served,” Pingree said.  “Some veterans have been suffering from this condition for decades and it’s time we give them the support they deserve.” 
 
This proposal was published in the Federal Register, with public comment period ending today, Friday, October 23, 2009.  The VA will review all comments received and establish the final rule in the coming months.
 
 
Full text of the letter (pdf also attached):
 
 
 
October 22, 2009
Dear General Shinseki,
            I write to extend my deepest appreciation for your recent decision to seek changes in the requirements for veterans who seek to establish service-connection for post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
As you know, PTSD is an invisible wound of war that has taken its toll on thousands of our veterans, regardless of the combat theater where they served. Under the current system, veterans who suffer from PTSD carry the burden of proof to establish a connection between their military service and their psychological disorder.  In order to establish this connection, a veteran must have a diagnosis and a medical link to a claimed stressor, which must be verified by either written documentation or “buddy statements.”  All too often, however, veterans are unable to provide the required information because the documentation has been lost, the stressing events have been poorly recorded, or, in some cases, the events have not been recorded at all.  Additionally, symptoms of PTSD can surface years after a stressors takes place, making it prohibitively difficult for veterans to locate former comrades and obtain a “buddy statement.”  This is an unacceptable situation.
I strongly believe that your recent decision to change the requirements for establishing a service-connection to PTSD is in keeping with recent medical research and embodies a common sense approach to ensure that our veterans receive the care and compensation they deserve.  As such, I respectfully request that the final rule to be established by the Department of Veterans Affairs applies to all veterans of any conflict, past or present.
I have been contacted by Maine veterans from almost every era who are seeking assistance with their VA claims.  While their stories of valor and service are common, these veterans also shared a common obstacle in documenting a service-connection to symptoms of PTSD. All of these veterans deserve to benefit from this rule change and I implore you to ensure that this happens.
I am sure we both agree that it is the responsibility of the Federal government to ensure that every veteran who suffers from PTSD has the proper access to care.  As such, I urge the VA to do everything in its power to spread the word about this dramatic shift in policy and work with the Veterans Service Organizations to inform the nation’s veterans of these changes.
I look forward to working with you in these endeavors.  Thank you for your service to our nation, and for your steadfast dedication to our nation’s veterans. 
 
Sincerely,
Chellie Pingree
Member of Congress
 
 

 

 

]]> Congresswoman Chellie Pingree amends Coast Guard legislation to help Portland research facility and local Coast Guard tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.459 An amendment by Congresswoman Chellie Pingree will help the Gulf of Maine Research Institute expand its facilities and complete construction of a new bulkhead and wharf that will provide the local Coast Guard station with much-needed berthing space. Amendment paves the way for transfer of land to Gulf of Maine Research Institute in exchange for new berth for Coast Guard
 
The House today passed the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010, which included an amendment written by Congresswoman Chellie Pingree to help the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) expand its facilities and complete construction of a new bulkhead and wharf that will provide the local Coast Guard station with much-needed berthing space.
 
“The Gulf of Maine Research Institute is conducting important research that helps support commercial fishing, as well as educating Maine schoolchildren about the Gulf of Maine and about the importance of science,” Pingree said.  “This legislation will enable GMRI to grow and expand their mission.”
 
“At the same time, this deal will give the Coast Guard the new berthing space they need.  This space will allow Coast Guard boats to be protected from the weather and ready to respond to search and rescue missions during storms,” Pingree said.
 
The Coast Guard agreed to transfer 3.5 acres of land along the Portland waterfront to GMRI in 2002, in exchange for the construction of a $4 million bulkhead that the Coast Guard would use to berth their vessels. The current deal expires this year, and GMRI has raised most, but not all, of the necessary funding to build the bulkhead.  Pingree’s amendment gives GMRI additional time to finish raising funds for the project.
 
“This amendment gives us the time to get this bulkhead project started this year and completed next year.  We’re looking forward to having the Coast Guard here, using our facility,” said Don Perkins, President of the Gulf of Maine Research Institute.
 
 

]]> $13 million for heating assistance in Maine release tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.458 This distribution, for the first quarter of fiscal year 2010, will partially cover the first round of LIHEAP payments that will go out in early November. LIHEAP funding to help Maine families during winter months
 
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree announced the release of $13 million in Low Income Heating Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding for Maine.  This distribution, for the first quarter of fiscal year 2010, will partially cover the first round of LIHEAP payments that will go out in early November.

“LIHEAP is a very important program for Maine. With our long, cold winters, widespread reliance on oil heat and volatile energy prices, LIHEAP assistance can make the difference in staying warm for many Maine families,” Pingree said.  “And helping them with their energy bills allows them to spend money on other things, which helps stimulate the local economy.”
 
Maine officials expect the average benefit to be about $750 for recipients this year.  Last year 61,000 households in Maine received assistance under the program.
 
“LIHEAP is important, and I’m going to continue fighting for all the funding we can get for Maine,” Pingree said.  “But it’s also important to work toward long term solutions to our energy problems.  The Recovery Act we passed this year has money in it to help weatherize homes across the state, which is going to help permanently reduce energy costs for homeowners.”

]]> Congresswoman Chellie Pingree votes to boost job creation, innovation in solar technology tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.457 "By laying out a strategic plan for the research and development of solar technology, we can reduce our dependence on foreign oil and spur economic growth at the same time," Congresswoman Pingree said. solar panel resized.jpg

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today voted to boost job creation and provide real solutions to our energy needs by developing a concrete plan for the research and development of American-made solar technology. The Solar Technology Roadmap Act passed the House today and now goes on to the Senate. 

“By laying out a strategic plan for the research and development of solar technology, we can reduce our dependence on foreign oil and spur economic growth at the same time,” said Congresswoman Pingree.   “This is just one of many steps we have taken to boost our economy by implementing short-term fixes and making smart, targeted long-term investments in our future.”
 
The Solar Technology Roadmap Act establishes a comprehensive process to facilitate the research, development and demonstration of American solar technology in partnership with the private sector. It requires the Secretary of Energy to appoint an 11-member Solar Technology Roadmap Committee to write, review and update a Solar Technology Roadmap.
 
The Roadmap will lay out short-term and long-term objectives for solar technology research and development while accounting for, and mitigating, any negative environmental impacts. It will provide a path forward to make solar technology more dependable and widely available to American consumers. The Roadmap will also authorize the Department of Energy to award grants to entrepreneurs, research agencies and academic laboratories that are leading the field in solar tech development and solar manufacturing.
 
“This legislation ensures that we have a strategic plan to work with the private sector to spur American innovation and unleash the full economic potential of our solar tech industry,” Pingree said. “It will help us create American jobs and lower energy costs for consumers while at the same time addressing one of our nation’s greatest challenges.”

 

 

 

Photo courtesy of www.freefoto.com

]]> Getting the 411 on 2-1-1 tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.456 Chellie Pingree takes a tour of 2-1-1 in Portland, an organization whose mission is to put Maine residents only three digits away from the full range of social services offered in Maine. Congresswoman Chellie Pingree talks with clinical social worker Karen Turgeon, a program director for 2-1-1 Maine, on a recent tour of 211's call center in downtown Portland. A collaboration between the State of Maine, Youth Alternatives Ingraham, and the United Way, Maine 211's mission is to connect anyone in Maine who wants to give help or get help with a full range of health and human services in their community. Find out more at www.211maine.org.

chellie-tour-Monday.jpg]]> $100 million in contracts announced for BIW and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.455 Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, a Member of the House Armed Services Committee, today announced nearly $100 million in Navy contracts for Bath Iron Works and Cianbro Corporation. Work will include DDG 1000 and repairs to dry dock at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
 
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, a Member of the House Armed Services Committee, today announced nearly $100 million in Navy contracts for Bath Iron Works and Cianbro Corporation. 
 
“Both BIW and Cianbro have a well earned reputation for high quality, on-time work—and these contracts are a reflection of that.”
 
Bath Iron Works is being awarded a $79.5 million modification to a previous contract to exercise an option for additional services related to the design and construction of the DDG 1000, for work to be performed in Bath.
 
This year the House Armed Services Committee authorized funding for the completion of a third DDG 1000 at BIW.  “I worked with my colleagues on the Committee to get this funding because it is critical to keep workers at BIW fully employed,” Pingree said.
 
Cianbro Corporation is being awarded a $19.5 million contract for work on a dry dock at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery. The work is expected to take place over the next year.
 
“The repair work in Kittery is necessary to maintain capacity at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard,” Pingree said.  “The yard has proven that they are a tremendous asset for the Navy and improvements and maintenance of the infrastructure there is essential to keeping the yard operating at full capacity.”
 
Earlier this year Pingree toured both Bath Iron Works and the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard with Navy Secretary Ray Mabus.
 
 
 

]]> Protecting our working waterfronts tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.454 Hear Congresswoman Chellie Pingree talk about the importance of protecting an important part of Maine lives and livelihoods--the working waterfront. Congresswoman Chellie Pingree testifies on the House floor in support of a bill to protect working waterfronts. Find out more about the bill here.

 

]]> Department of Defense announces retroactive special pay for service members, veterans, and retirees affected by stop loss tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.453 Eligible individuals can get $500 for each month their contracts were extended in the last eight years Eligible individuals can get $500 for each month their contracts were extended in the last eight years
 
Today Congresswoman Chellie Pingree welcomed a Department of Defense decision to provide retroactive special pay to service members whose contracts were extended due to stop loss during the last eight years.  The Department of Defense estimates that approximately 185,000 active and former service members are eligible for the payment.
 
“I am very pleased with this decision,” said Pingree, a member of the House Armed Services Committee.  “This payment is the least we can do for the brave men and women and their families who continued to faithfully serve our country after their contracts were scheduled to end.”
 
Service members—including members of the Reserve components, and former and retired members—are eligible if they served on active duty between September 11, 2001, and September 30, 2009, while their enlistment was extended or retirement suspended.
 
Eligible members will receive a payment of $500 for each month, or any portion of a month, they were retained on active duty due to stop loss.
 
Service members have until October 21, 2010, to file a claim for the special pay.  Survivors of service members killed in combat or who died after their service can also make claims.
 
Each branch of the armed services has its own online filing process.
·    Army: https://www.stoplosspay.army.mil or e-mail RetroStopLossPay@conus.army.mil
·    Navy: E-mail NXAG_N132C@navy.mil
·    Air Force: http://www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/stoploss/
·    Marine Corps: https://www.manpower.usmc.mil/stoploss or e-mail stoploss@usmc.mil

]]> Congresswoman Chellie Pingree encourages Mainers to take advantage of appliance rebates tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.452 Rebates include $75 for energy-efficient refrigerators and $50 for washing machines. Federal stimulus to help support energy efficiency program launched in Maine October 1
 
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree is encouraging Maine citizens to take advantage of a program that offers cash rebates for purchasing energy-efficient Energy Star appliances.  Administered by the Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC), the program was launched in Maine on October 1 and will be supported by stimulus funds.

“This is an important part of the Stimulus Act because it will help people save on appliance costs in the short term and electric bills in long term,” said Pingree.  “It will also stimulate the local economy and bring business to local appliance dealers and contractors.”
 
In Maine, the rebates cover Energy Star refrigerators, washing machines and air conditioners. Consumers can get:

·     $50 for washing machines
·     $75 for refrigerator/freezers over 7.5 cubic feet
·     $25 for refrigerator/freezers 7.5 cubic feet and less
·     $25 for air conditioners and dehumidifiers
 
Unlike the “cash for clunkers” program, consumers do not need to trade in an old appliance to be eligible.  To receive the rebate, consumers obtain a mail-in form from retailers and send it to the State with a copy of the receipt.
 
Pingree set up an information page on her website at www.pingree.house.gov. 
 
The rebate program in Maine has been kicked off with funds from the proceeds from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, but over $1.2 million in stimulus funding has been planned for the program and is expected to come in over the next few months.  The Maine PUC expects the rebates to be available for about a year and a half.
 
The Stimulus Act was passed by Congress and signed by the President earlier this year.
 




]]> Congress holds hearing on working waterfront bill tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.451 Rep. Chellie Pingree's legislation would help communities in Maine and other coastal states retain water access Hear the congresswoman speak on the House floor

Rep. Chellie Pingree’s legislation would help communities in Maine and other coastal states retain water access

At a hearing on Capital Hill today, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree testified before the House Natural Resources Committee, talking about the threats to working waterfronts in Maine.

“The pressures facing working waterfronts are real and I have seen these pressures first hand,” Pingree said.  “We are not doing enough.  We need a federal grants program to help states.  Many states have already recognized the need to protect working waterfronts and now it is time for the federal government to recognize them too.”

Pingree’s bill, the “Keep America’s Waterfront Act of 2009” (HR 2584), would create a federal grant program to acquire working piers and other points of waterfront access and provide funding for waterfront planning.  The program is designed to allow states and local communities to support and protect places along the coast where commercial fishermen, boat builders, excursion and tour boat operators and other small businesses operate.
 
BoatU.S., which represents 600,000 boaters around the country, told Pingree that the program outlined in her bill “would be an extremely positive step in preserving access and facilities for recreational boaters and anglers.”   The Conservation Law Foundation said the bill would “preserve and enhance the unique character, culture and economy of our nation’s coastal communities.”  And the National Marine Manufactures Association said the legislation “would ensure the economic health of waterfront communities through the protection, preservation and expansion of the nation’s working waterfronts.” 


Highlighting successes of a pilot program in Maine, Jennifer Litteral, director of marine programs for the Island Institute in Rockland, Maine, also testified in support of the bill.

“We feel that creating a model from this (pilot program) at the federal level will go a long way towards sustaining coastal resilience,” Litteral said in her prepared testimony, “and the future of our nation’s iconic centuries-old tradition of working and living by the sea.”
 
Writing in the New York Post about Pingree’s bill, columnist Ken Moran talked about the threat to working waterfronts:  “Even in this slow economy, developers eye waterfront parcels and water-dependent businesses such as marinas, boat yards, commercial fishing operations and boat builders, and turn them into high-end residential communities.” (See full story here.) 
 
Background statistics:
 
·  Maine’s coastline is over 3500 miles long, yet less then 20 miles support working waterfronts.  These 20 miles support more than 35,000 jobs and bring in hundreds of millions of dollars. 

·  The lobster industry has $250 million worth of landings and indirectly contributes nearly $1 billion to Maine’s economy.

·  Maine’s total economy is valued at $48 billion (estimated 2007 GDP).  Maine’s coastal economy is valued at $29 billion—nearly 60% of the total economy. 


 





]]> Maine Delegation calls on Department of Commerce to declare fisheries disaster for Maine shellfish industry tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.450 "The shellfish industry is vital to Maine's economy. Approximately 3,000 harvesters and dealers depend directly upon access to healthy shellfish beds to make their living and support their families." U.S. Senators Olympia J. Snowe and Susan Collins and Representatives Mike Michaud and Chellie Pingree today, in a letter, urged the U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Gary Locke to heed to Governor John E. Baldacci’s request for federal assistance and declare a fisheries disaster for the Maine shellfish industry.

“Last spring and summer, the shellfish industry in Maine experienced a severe economic crisis as a result of the closure of 97% of the State’s shellfish beds and 100% of the offshore beds in federal waters,” the delegation wrote.   “The shellfish industry is vital to Maine’s economy.  Approximately 3,000 harvesters and dealers depend directly upon access to healthy shellfish beds to make their living and support their families.  Maine’s Department of Marine Resources (DMR) estimates total annual economic value of this industry in Maine at $50 million, with the largest proportion of that value coming from May through August.  We once again urge you to consider declaring a fisheries disaster for the Maine shellfish industry and immediately make funds available under Section 312(a) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, and any other assistance you can provide.”    

Full text of letter:


October 19, 2009

The Honorable Gary Locke, Secretary
Department of Commerce     
1401 Constitution Avenue
Washington, DC 20230

Dear Secretary Locke:
                                                           
               Last spring and summer, the shellfish industry in Maine experienced a severe economic crisis as a result of the closure of 97% of the State’s shellfish beds and 100% of the offshore beds in federal waters.  These closures due to extensive rainfall and a subsequent, severe outbreak of a harmful algal bloom known as red tide have impacted the shellfish industry and coastal economy far more drastically than similar events occurring in 2005 and 2008.  In those years, Maine received disaster declarations and Federal financial assistance for red tide-related fisheries failures.  On October 5, 2009, Maine’s Governor John E. Baldacci formally requested assistance for the Maine shellfish industry under section 312(a) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.  We strongly support the Governor’s request for assistance to this industry so vital to the State of Maine.

               The fisheries failure of this past spring and summer was not a product of overharvesting, overly restrictive regulatory measures, or other management actions. Rather, it was due to the overabundance of the naturally occurring toxin Alexandrium, exacerbated by the wettest summer in Maine’s recorded history.  At its peak, the density of this toxin was nearly 100 times the federally mandated quarantine level, a concentration not seen since the early 1980s.  The closure of these shellfish beds, some of which remained in effect until September, was justified in the interest of maintaining public safety, but could not have come at a worse time for Mainers dependent on the shellfish resource.  Further, because this failure came as a result of natural oceanic and meteorological occurrences, a disaster declaration and subsequent allocation of relief funding will not cause any expansion of this failure, and may help mitigate the impact of future red tide events.

The shellfish industry is vital to Maine’s economy.  Approximately 3,000 harvesters and dealers depend directly upon access to healthy shellfish beds to make their living and support their families.  Maine’s Department of Marine Resources (DMR) estimates total annual economic value of this industry in Maine at $50 million, with the largest proportion of that value coming from May through August.  On July 23, 2009 NOAA awarded $121,000 to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the University of Maine to conduct cruises to monitor the extent and magnitude of the red tide outbreak. We sincerely appreciate this investment and recognize this commitment to reducing the impacts of this disaster. Yet, while this emergency funding was justified and hastened reopening of some areas, it did not address the ongoing concerns of the hard-working shellfishermen who rely on this income to carry them through Maine’s long, cold winter.

We once again urge you to consider declaring a fisheries disaster for the Maine shellfish industry and immediately make funds available under Section 312(a) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, and any other assistance you can provide. We look forward to your expeditious response to Governor Baldacci’s request and thank you on behalf of the people of Maine.    
 
                                                                


]]> Talking healthcare reform on FOX news tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.448 Congresswoman Chellie Pingree appears on FOX news to argue that healthcare reform is needed for Maine and the nation. Congresswoman Chellie Pingree appears on FOX news to argue that healthcare reform is needed for Maine and the nation.

]]> Maine Congressional Delegation announces $8 million grant to develop offshore wind test center in Maine tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.447 University-led partnership will develop and test offshore wind turbine technology windmillresized.jpgUniversity-led partnership will develop and test offshore wind turbine technology

Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins and Representatives Mike Michaud and Chellie Pingree today joined Governor John Baldacci and U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu in announcing an $8 million Department of Energy grant to develop a deepwater offshore wind test center in Maine.  The funding comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, passed by Congress and signed by the President earlier this year.
 
“This grant will put Maine in the forefront of the deepwater offshore wind industry,” Senators Snowe and Collins and Representatives Michaud and Pingree said.  “And it will help us create good paying jobs and develop new sources of clean energy produced right here in Maine.”
 
The Department of Energy Wind Energy Consortia grant is being awarded to a public-private partnership led by the University of Maine.  The $8 million grant will be matched by $14 million in additional investment from other federal funding sources, the University, state government and industry to fund research and development of floating offshore wind turbine platforms.  Over 30 public and private partners, from the University of Maine and Maine Maritime Academy to Bath Iron Works and Cianbro Corporation, joined together to form the consortium that won the grant.
 
“Secretary Chu recognizes the unique advantages Maine has in developing offshore wind technology:  the research capabilities of the University of Maine, an abundant offshore wind resource and generations of experience in boat building and commercial fishing,” the Delegation said.  “Selecting Maine as the home of the only deepwater offshore wind test center in the nation will help make us a leader in the clean energy industry.”
 
The Congressional Delegation, along with Governor Baldacci and Dr. Habib Dagher from the University of Maine Advanced Structures and Composites Center, met with Secretary Chu to discuss the grant proposal this summer.  Two other similar grants, for land-based wind power research in Illinois and Minnesota, were also announced today.
 
Secretary Chu said the grants announced today will help create new jobs in the growing clean energy industry:
 
 “Wind power has the potential to provide 20 percent of our electricity and create hundreds of thousands of jobs,” said Secretary Chu.  “We need to position the United States as the clear leader in this industry, or watch these high-paying jobs go overseas.  The investment we’re making today will help ensure that America has both the talent and the technology we need to compete.”


 

]]> $8 million Department of Energy grant to support offshore windpower research in Maine tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.446 See the news stories from Channels 6 and 13. On October 15, Maine's Congressional Delegation announced a major federal grant for windpower research in Maine. With $14 million in matching funds, an university-led partnership will use the grant to create an offshore windpower test center.

 

 

]]> 'Support bill to get funding on the waterfront' tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.445 Columnist Ken Moran wrote this piece in support of legislation sponsored by Congresswoman Chellie Pingree to provide federal funding to preserve and protect working waterfronts. Support bill to get funding on the waterfront

By KEN MORAN

New York Post, October 14, 2009

Functioning waterfronts are a dying breed.

Even in this slow economy, developers eye waterfront parcels and water-dependent businesses such as marinas, boat yards, commercial fishing operations and boat builders, and turn them into high-end residential communities.

Even party and charter boat fleets are getting pushed out from the only place they can do business.


A bill now in Congress would provide federal funding to coastal and Great Lakes states to help preserve and protect working waterfronts. Boat Owners Association of The United States is urging boaters and anglers to contact their members of Congress to co-sponsor and support H.R. 2548, the "Keep America's Waterfronts Working Act of 2009."

Introduced in May by Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) and co-sponsored by Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA), the legislation would allow local governments to use federal grant funds to purchase a threatened marina outright. It would also allow a non-profit group to obtain a grant to buy development rights in order to keep a working boatyard in business, rather than see it sold for residential development.

In introducing her bill, Rep. Pingree said, "Water-dependent, coastal-related businesses are economically and culturally important places to many coastal communities and working waterfronts are quickly disappearing under the tremendous pressures from incompatible uses."

The passage of H.R. 2548 would be particularly timely in that it would amend the federal Coastal Zone Management Act, which is now up for congressional reauthorization.

Grants made under the Pingree bill must "provide for expansion or improvement of public access to coastal waters" and be matched at 25 percent by non-federal funds. The act would authorize $25 million, $50 million and $75 million to the states over three successive years.

To be eligible for grant funding, a state would have to develop a working waterfront plan and appoint an advisory committee to oversee the program.

"That would put decision-making where it should be, closer to the people and the businesses that depend on the waterfront in a given state," said Ryck Lydecker, Assistant Vice President of Government Affairs for BoatUS.

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]]> Speaking out against Don't Ask Don't Tell tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.444 See video of Congresswoman Chellie Pingree speaking on the House floor. Congresswoman Chellie Pingree speaks out against Don't Ask Don't Tell on the House floor.

 

]]> No-cost transfer option survives tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.443 Coming into House-Senate conference negotiations, the House version of the defense bill included a provision introduced by Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, that called for all closing bases to be turned over to civilian redevelopment groups for no cost. Provision could shave millions off cost of redeveloping BNAS
By Seth Koenig, Times Record Staff

BRUNSWICK — Language allowing civilian reuse planners to acquire closing military base properties at no cost is part of a compromise defense spending bill forged by U.S. House and Senate negotiators Wednesday.

Conferees from the two legislative chambers finished their work reconciling differences between the House and Senate versions of the 2010 Defense Authorization Bill late Wednesday afternoon.

Republican Sen. Susan Collins, the only member of the Maine delegation involved with the conference negotiations, told The Times Record the bill includes a provision that allows the military to give decommissioned military properties to civilian planners for little or no cost, as long as the planners can demonstrate local economic hardships.

The wording aims to benefit the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority, which hopes to take over the Brunswick Naval Air Station property for as little cost as possible after the Navy departs in 2011. Under federal law in place when the Base Realignment and Closure commission voted in 2005 to close BNAS, the Defense Department was obligated to seek market value for the properties it was vacating, regardless of local conditions. That provision, which was not in place during past BRAC rounds, would add millions in acquisition costs to civilian redevelopment efforts.

“I think this changes things — a lot,” Steve Levesque, executive director of MRRA, said Wednesday. “It opens the door for us to get a low- or no-cost (economic development conveyance) based on the economic conditions in the area, and because of the investments we’ll have to make in the base in order to redevelop it.”

Conference negotiations

Coming into House-Senate conference negotiations, the House version of the defense bill included a provision introduced by Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, that called for all closing bases to be turned over to civilian redevelopment groups for no cost. Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, introduced similar language in the Senate draft, but Snowe’s measure was weakened before the Senate bill moved on to the conference committee for reconciliation.

In the end, no-cost conveyance language that reached the final bill was considered a compromise between Pingree’s no-cost mandate and the weaker Senate wording.

“I’m happy that it stayed included in the bill,” Pingree said Wednesday night in a telephone interview from Washington. “I would have felt more comfortable with the House language, because it required the Secretary (of Defense) to use no-cost (conveyances), but this certainly gives the secretary the latitude to do no-cost (conveyances). I’m thrilled that it’s in there. I would have been happier with the House version, but that’s the nature of conference committees and negotiations. From what I understand, there were some long, difficult negotiations in the Senate on this. So in some ways, we’re lucky it wasn’t taken out completely.”

Although the version of the bill that emerged from the conference talks doesn’t include verbiage as strong as what Pingree introduced in the House, the compromise might be better suited to pass muster with President Barack Obama. The president, who must sign the bill into law, has opposed blanket no-cost base conveyances.

The conference report faces routine approvals by the full House and Senate, likely in votes to be taken next week, before landing on Obama’s desk.

“The president has been opposed to having conveyances of former base properties below market rates, much less at no cost, even for economic development reasons,” Collins said Wednesday evening in a telephone interview from Washington. “That made it hard to get the language included in conference. I do think the language was sufficient to send a very strong signal to the Department of Defense that they can and should look at transferring the properties at below market value or at no cost.”

Collins acknowledged that the bill doesn’t guarantee low- or no-cost transfers, as the Defense Department still holds final discretion, but Levesque still touted the bill as a great leap forward compared to the department’s prior policy.

“It’ll give us a much greater opportunity than we had under the previous legislation to make a case for a low- or no-cost (economic development conveyance),” he said. “We do have to make that case, but we have no problem doing that. This is a directive from Congress, saying (to the Defense Department and Navy), ‘We want you to look at these things — we want to you consider these things.’”

Past efforts, ‘paradigm shift’

If the 2010 Defense Authorization Bill gains Obama’s signature, it will cap at least two years of work by Maine’s congressional delegation to soften the Defense Department’s 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) directive to seek market value for its closing bases.

Past rounds of base closures dating back to the early 1990s did not include such a directive, and communities looking to redevelop base properties were given control of those former military parcels for free.

Snowe initially pushed to apply the no-cost conveyance option to the 2005 round two years ago. However, her plan encountered stiff resistance in Congress. In a Wednesday night statement, Snowe said she is “pleased” many of her goals finally reached fruition, and called the news “a victory for Brunswick Naval Air Station.”

“This is a tremendous paradigm shift that will take the focus back to economic redevelopment by communities and away from the maximum profit by the (Defense Department),” Snowe said in her statement. “While it is true that no-cost (economic development conveyances) are presently allowed, the expectation of fair market value has weighed heavily during prolonged negotiations to determine the exact cost of a piece of land.”

Opponents of the measure argue that giving away potentially valuable base properties strips the federal government of revenue it can use to fund the environmental cleanups of the bases being abandoned.

Also, as Collins said Wednesday, “There was a feeling among some members of Congress, as well as the president, that developers were getting too good a deal on former base properties.”

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]]> Congresswoman Chellie Pingree statement on Nobel Peace Prize tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.442 "The Nobel Committee recognized that President Obama has not only done much to restore America's image abroad, but also to repair international relations and foster cooperation around the world." Congresswoman Chellie Pingree issued the following statement on the announcement that President Barack Obama has won the Nobel Peace Prize:
 
“The Nobel Committee recognized that President Obama has not only done much to restore America’s image abroad, but also to repair international relations and foster cooperation around the world. By reaching out across national, cultural and religious boundaries, the President has shown the world that the United States is willing to once again be a full partner in international diplomacy.”
 

]]> Legislation passed to extend first-time homebuyer tax credit for military members serving overseas tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.441 Members who served out of the country for 90 days or more in 2009 will have an extra year to qualify for the $8,000 credit Members who served out of the country for 90 days or more in 2009 will have an extra year to qualify for the $8,000 credit
 
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree voted on October 7 for legislation that grants a one-year extension of the first-time homebuyer tax credit for members of the Armed Forces who served overseas in the last year.  The legislation passed the House 416-16.
 
“Our men and women in uniform should not be penalized because they are far from home serving their country,” said Pingree.  “This credit is helping hundreds of Mainers make the dream of owning a home come true, and our military members and their families deserve the same opportunity.”
 
The extension includes members of the military as well as Foreign Service members and intelligence workers.  To qualify, individuals need to have served outside the country for at least 90 days in 2009.
 
The legislation also waives the repayment clause in the existing credit if a service member receives official orders and is forced to sell his or her house within three years of purchase.

The first-time homebuyer credit is part of the American Recovery Act, passed by Congress and signed by the President earlier this year.

]]> House passes Defense Authorization Act tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.440 Congresswoman Chellie Pingree says bill will bring investment to Maine but criticizes provision to fund F-35 fighter engine Congresswoman Chellie Pingree says bill will bring investment to Maine but criticizes provision to fund F-35 fighter engine
 
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree voted today for H.R. 2647, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (NDAA).  The bill passed the House by a vote of 281-146.  Passage in the Senate is expected next week.
 
“This bill invests in sensible national security strategies that will keep our country safe, and improving the care and benefits for our men and women in uniform,” Pingree said.  “And it takes an important step towards trimming wasteful defense spending.”
 
“Although the bill is not perfect and could be substantially improved in a number of ways, this bill will have significant positive impact on Maine’s economy,” Pingree said.  “I am extremely pleased that the final bill includes my authorization request for almost $12 million that will go directly to Maine’s economy.” Pingree requested funding to build cellulose nanocomposite panels for ballistic protection at the University of Maine, for the design of high-speed composite boats, and to improve security gates at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.
 
“The bill also authorizes the last increment of funding for the DDG-1000, which will be built at Bath Iron Works.  This is an essential increment of funding that will help bring stability and longevity to the talented men and women of BIW,” Pingree said. “I am extremely proud to have worked so hard to include this funding, and it speaks volumes for the men and women of BIW that the funding is included in the final bill.”
 
Congresswoman Pingree also said she was pleased with a compromise agreement worked out between House and Senate negotiators that will make it possible for the Department of Defense to transfer land from the Brunswick Naval Air Station to the community without requiring that the local redevelopment authority come up with tens of millions of dollars to purchase the land.  Pingree sponsored a bill requiring no cost transfers of land at former military bases, and her provision became the basis for a compromise agreement in the Defense Authorization Act.
 
The bill also gives members of the Armed Services a 3.4% pay increase, expands TRICARE health coverage for reserve members and bars fee increases on TRICARE inpatient care for one year. “I’m glad we’ve prohibited an increase in Tricare inpatient fees,” Pingree said.  “And I will continue to advocate against any increase-we’ve made a promise to our military retirees and we should keep it”
 
The Defense Authorization Act also deals with the ongoing war in Afghanistan.   “The bill requires an assessment of progress in Afghanistan and Pakistan toward security and stability,” Pingree said.  “As the President considers new strategies in Afghanistan, nothing could be more important than oversight of our progress in the region and I hope these reports will shed a powerful light on the reality that the United States needs a focused and smart strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan; not a surge of troops and additional spending.”

Pingree took issue with a provision in the bill that authorizes development of an alternative engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.  “I think that spending is wasteful and unnecessary, and represents politics as usual in defense spending,” Pingree said.  “Pratt and Whitney has already developed a reliable and technologically advanced engine for the F-35.  Not only am I opposed to this, but so is the President, the Department of Defense and national security experts. This authorization is a step in the wrong direction but it’s not the final battle and I’m going to continue to work with my colleagues to ensure that the alternative engine is not funded.”   
 
The bill also includes the exact provisions of H.R. 1913, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009, an act which passed the House in April and will extend hate crimes to include acts of violence that occur against a person because of perceived gender identity, gender, disability or sexual orientation.   In addition, these provisions will also provide local law enforcement with access to additional resources to combat these crimes and would further deter hate crimes through enhanced penalties.
 
“I was proud to cosponsor the Hate Crimes bill when it was in the House,” Pingree said.  “And I’m glad to see it included in the bill we passed today that will soon be on its way to the President.”

]]> $2.8 million grant announced for Kennebec Valley Community College to train solar energy installers tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.439 Congressman Mike Michaud and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today announced that Kennebec Valley Community College (KVCC) in Fairfield will be receiving $2.8 million Department of Energy grant to lead a regional training program for solar-energy installers. College one of only nine in country selected to lead ‘train-the-trainer’ programs
 
Congressman Mike Michaud and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today announced that Kennebec Valley Community College (KVCC) in Fairfield will be receiving $2.8 million Department of Energy grant to lead a regional training program for solar-energy installers.
 
“This is really great news for Maine,” said Michaud and Pingree. “It not only highlights the state’s excellent community college system and our leadership in clean energy, but will create good paying jobs that can’t be exported.”
 
KVCC will work with all seven community colleges in Maine, Maine’s high school technical centers as well as community colleges from New Hampshire and Vermont to train and certify photovoltaic and solar heating instructors.  Those certified instructors will then be able to certify students in their local communities to work in solar technology.
 
As part of the program, KVCC will create a mobile lab to demonstrate solar technology at institutions around Northern New England. This will allow students to learn best installation and design practices.
 
“This is going to give us a chance to work with our colleagues to help deliver training to the business community,” said Barbara Woodlee, President of KVCC.  “It’s an exciting partnership and in many ways this will be the first time we have worked together this way.  We are absolutely thrilled to be able to coordinate this effort.  The clean energy industry is going to be very well served by having access to these training opportunities.”

Kennebec Valley Community College is one of only nine institutions in the country selected to lead the solar-installer training programs. The projects will support a national ramp-up and coordinated network of trainer programs, helping address the critical need for qualified solar energy system installers.
 
The Department of Energy announced that $87 million is being awarded to 47 projects across the country to support the development of new solar energy technologies and the rapid deployment of carbon-free solar energy systems.

Other projects receiving this money include solar power research, research effects on power grid, and deploying solar power in urban areas.
 
 
 

]]> Provision to help Brunswick Naval Air Station included in defense bill tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.438 Congresswoman Chellie Pingree said today she was pleased with a compromise agreement worked out between House and Senate negotiators that will make it possible for the Department of Defense to transfer land from the Brunswick Naval Air Station to the community without requiring that the local redevelopment authority come up with tens of millions of dollars to purchase the land. House Leadership praises Congresswoman Chellie Pingree’s provision for no-cost land transfers that became basis for compromise
 
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree said today she was pleased with a compromise agreement worked out between House and Senate negotiators that will make it possible for the Department of Defense to transfer land from the Brunswick Naval Air Station to the community without requiring that the local redevelopment authority come up with tens of millions of dollars to purchase the land.
 
“I’m glad that some compromise was found with the Senate,” Pingree said.  “Now it will be possible for the land in Brunswick to be transferred in a way that makes it economically feasible to redevelop it.  When the Defense Department closes a base it’s essential to help communities like Brunswick acquire the land so they can redevelop it and bring new economic activity to the area.”
 
House Leadership praised Pingree’s work on the provision.  
 
“Congresswoman Pingree took the lead in introducing legislation to change the way the Defense Department transfers land at former military bases,” said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer.  “She was a moving force behind this legislation and thanks to her, this provision made it into the final bill.”
 
Earlier this year Pingree introduced a bill (H.R. 1959, the “Defense Communities Redevelopment Act of 2009”) that instructed the government to transfer land at decommissioned military bases to the community at no cost if there is a significant economic benefit.  Over the last eight years, the Department of Defense has required communities to pay for the land—sometimes millions of dollars—and that has resulted in many parcels going unused after a base is closed.
 
Pingree’s proposal was incorporated into the Defense Authorization Act and passed by the House earlier this year.  However, the proposal relating to the no-cost transfers was not included in the Senate version of the bill so negotiators had to agree on a compromise, which was reached last night.  The bill is expected to pass the House today and the Senate next week.
 
Pingree’s original proposal required the Department of Defense to make a no-cost transfer of land to local redevelopment authorities, while the compromise reached with the Senate allows the land to be transferred at no cost.
 
“This case isn’t closed yet,” Pingree said. “It’s important that we make sure that Defense Secretary Gates uses the authority this legislation gives him and transfers the former Brunswick Naval Air Station land quickly and in a way that is economically feasible for the community.”
 
Steve Levesque, Executive Director of the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority, was pleased with the compromise agreement.

“This is an important development for us,” Levesque said.  “Without it, it’s hard to imagine how we could come up with the tens of millions of dollars it would take to purchase land at the base.”
 
 

]]> $553,000 grant to assist workers laid off from Biddeford textiles plant tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.435 Funds will help retrain over a hundred workers laid off from blanket manufacturer WestPoint Home in June. Funds will help retrain over a hundred workers laid off from WestPoint Home in June
 
Today Congresswoman Chellie Pingree announced that Maine is being awarded a $553,237 National Emergency Grant to assist workers affected by the closure of the WestPoint Home manufacturing plant in Biddeford.  Over 150 workers were laid off when the plant, which manufactured blankets, closed this summer.
 
“It is crucial that we do our best to help these skilled workers get back to work,” said Pingree.  “Many of them have been waiting weeks for training services and each day their situations get harder and harder.  Thanks to this funding they’ll get the resources they need.”
 
Awarded by the U.S. Secretary of Labor, National Emergency Grants are used to expand services at the state and local level for workers in response to significant layoffs.  The Maine Department of Labor will administer the funding through Coastal Counties Workforce, which will coordinate programming.
 
Coastal Counties Workforce Executive Director Mike Bourret said the funding will make it possible to serve more WestPoint employees and expand program offerings in York County.
 
“Without this funding it would be hard for us to go forward with training—which also involves getting these workers ready for the classroom,” Bourret said.  “Career retraining is especially important in this case because it would be difficult for them to find another manufacturing job in the area.”
 
These National Emergency Grants are funded by the American Recovery Act, passed by Congress and signed by the President.
 
 
 

]]> VA to issue emergency checks to veterans awaiting college benefits tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.434 Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today praised the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for quickly responding to the needs of student veterans by providing emergency checks under the new G.I. Bill. Eligible constituents encouraged to pick up benefits this Friday

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today praised the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for quickly responding to the needs of student veterans by providing emergency checks under the new G.I. Bill.  Thousands of veterans who applied for educational benefits under the program have not yet received their payments due to delayed processing and bureaucracy. These emergency checks will help them make payments towards books and housing.

“No veteran should have to dip into their savings or postpone buying books for class because of outdated technology and backed-up claims,” Pingree said. “I’m very glad that the VA has acted swiftly to remedy this problem and to ensure that our brave veterans have the resources they need to take full advantage of the new G.I. Bill college benefits they were promised. I hope that Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in Maine will take advantage of this program.”

The checks for up to $3,000 will be distributed to eligible students at VA regional offices across the country starting today.  In Maine, the regional office is at the Togus Veterans Center.  A special processing location has been set up in Building 248. The center is open today until 4:30, tomorrow (Saturday) from 8:00-noon and all next week.  Veterans can also apply online at the VA website at www.va.gov.  Online applications will be processed within three days and checks will then be mailed to veterans.  Applications made in person at Togus can be processed immediately. 

Students need a photo ID, a course schedule and a certificate of eligibility to request payment of their housing and book allowance.

This money will be deducted from future payments, which are expected to arrive on the normal schedule – the beginning of the month following the period for which they are being reimbursed.

Last year, Congress enacted the new G.I. Bill to restore the promise of a full, four-year college education for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. Qualified veterans were able to apply for the new college benefits beginning in May of this year, and started receiving tuition benefits in August, along with housing and book stipends which are paid retroactively. Almost 300,000 claims have been submitted for the program.

“I am very proud of the new G.I. Bill and the opportunities it offers to our brave veterans and their families ensuring that they are part of our country’s economic recovery,” Pingree said. “This Congress made a pledge to leave no veteran behind, and we are working hard to ensure that the men and women who sacrificed so much for our country get the very best care and the services and benefits they’ve earned in a timely manner.”

The VA is also working with Veteran Services Organizations to send representatives to campuses with large veteran student bodies and to help students access the regional offices.





]]> BIA troop greeters find themselves in D.C. spotlight tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.433 After thousands of hours of waiting in drafty airport halls, more than a million handshakes and four years of filming, three Bangor natives are in the spotlight in the nation's capital. By Kase Wickman
Boston University Washington News Service (printed in Bangor Daily News October 2, 2009) 

Way we get by.jpg
Congresswoman Pingree meets with "The Way We Get By" director Aron Gaudet (left) and one of the film's stars—Jerry Munday--in the Capitol rotunda. Visit www.thewaywegetbymovie.com for clips and a preview.

WASHINGTON — After thousands of hours of waiting in drafty airport halls, more than a million handshakes and four years of filming, three Bangor natives are in the spotlight in the nation’s capital. “The Way We Get By,” a feature-length documentary about the troop greeters at Bangor International Airport, was screened at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday and at Walter Reed Army Medical Center on Thursday.

Joan Gaudet, Bill Knight and Jerry Mundy are three of the 35 or so core group of people, most of whom are retired, who greet and see off every flight carrying troops overseas and every flight bringing them back home. About 200 people, by Mundy’s estimate, have signed up to greet troops.

The three arrived in Washington on Monday and have been carried away on a whirlwind of publicity events ever since.

Gaudet, whose son Aron Gaudet directed the film, said she and her fellow unexpected film stars had been very busy, with not much time for tourism.

“We get up in the morning, and he [Aron] says you’re going to do this, this and this today,” she said.

U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, took time out of her day Wednesday to visit with Mundy. She said she was surprised at one of his apparent interests.

“We had Jerry visit with us today, and took him on a tour of the Capitol and took him up to the gallery. I got the feeling he was a C-SPAN watcher, because he recognized a few of the members,” she said.

U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud, D-Maine, was also at the Wednesday screening, pushing Mundy in a wheelchair during a private reception before the screening. Michaud, who has greeted troops at the Bangor airport several times, said the troop greeting effort is special to him both personally and legislatively. He is chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee.

“Every time I’ve been over to Iraq and Afghanistan and the soldiers find out I’m from Maine, they always mention the troop greeters and how very pleased they were to see them there,” he said. “It’s such a huge crowd, no matter what time, no matter whether night or day. I don’t think [the troop greeters] can imagine how much it really affects the soldiers.”

“Volunteerism is alive and well with the troop greeters. You can see it,” said Michaud, who said he spotted himself in the background of some of the film’s scenes.

Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe, both Maine Republicans, came to the reception before the Capitol screening and posed for pictures with Gaudet, Knight, Mundy, the film’s producer and director and the rest of Maine’s congressional delegation. Snowe left before the screening began, while Collins delivered introductory remarks and stayed to watch the film.

“The first question many of you have is, why Bangor, Maine,” Collins said. “The simple answer is that the city that I’m proud to call home is the location of the easternmost airport in the United States, a former Air Force base that can accommodate trans-Atlantic flights. For our troops, Bangor is either the last American soil they touch upon deployment, or the first they touch upon their return.”

Collins then introduced Jill Biden, the vice president’s wife, who also spoke before the film.

Biden, a Blue Star mother, said that her son Beau had just returned to Delaware that afternoon after a year in Iraq. She said that he told her one of the most emotional experiences of his life was landing in New Hampshire to find 150 people lined up to greet him and his fellow service members. “I will never forget how much that meant to us,” Biden said her son told her.

Some troops, like Beau Biden, come through Portsmouth International Airport at Pease in New Hampshire, where troop greeters are also active.

“And that is what these greeters from Maine mean to our troops as they land on American soil. Joan and Bill and Jerry, you know firsthand what my son Beau was talking about,” Biden said.

For director Aron Gaudet and producer Gita Pullapilly, the film is more than a chronicle of Aron’s mother and the others’ post-retirement lives as troop greeters. It is also a behind-the-scenes romance. Gaudet and Pullapilly were both working as broadcasters at rival stations and they started dating. Gaudet took Pullapilly home to meet his mother, and Pullapilly’s fascination with Joan and the troop greeters planted the seed for what would eventually become their 84-minute labor of love: “The Way We Get By.”

And just as the film’s journey has ended happily — a world premiere and Special Jury Award at the South by Southwest film festival, a shelf full of other awards and honors and now a screening at the U.S. Capitol and limited runs in theaters around the country— Gaudet and Pullapilly’s story will have a happy ending as well. The two will get married in Stockton Springs, Maine, on Oct. 16.

Joan Gaudet, who was born in Bangor said in the film that she was “addicted to” greeting the troops, and was overwhelmed by the response the film had garnered.

“I cry a lot,” she said of how she feels when she sees the film. “I never expected all this.”

Though about half of the small crowd at the invitation-only screening at the Capitol stood when asked who was an active service member or veteran, Gaudet said the screening she was looking forward to most was not the one filled with the black and gray suits of Capitol Hill but Thursday’s at Walter Reed, populated by those wearing medals and uniforms who were wounded in combat.

“I’m excited about this one, but Walter Reed has a warm place in my heart,” Gaudet said. “We see so many of the guys come back. We went there for a really short time a while ago, and they were having a barbecue, and the first table we went to talk to there were two people there that had been through Maine. They came through in 2004, and one of them now has both of his legs gone. And it really brings it home to you then, when you think what they’ve gone through and what they’re going through and what their family’s going through. It makes it mean a lot more when you go to greet the troops. It’s really special.”

Now, on top of being recognized for their tireless volunteerism and empathy, Gaudet, Knight and Mundy are accidental documentary film stars.

“Congratulations, you’re famous now,” Collins said to Mundy before the film.

“I’m not famous,” Mundy replied. “I’m just lucky.”

bdn-logo.gif]]> House passes legislation that includes $6.25 million in clean energy investments for Maine tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.432 Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today voted in support of the final version of the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, which passed the House by a vote of 308-114. Congresswoman Chellie Pingree’s request for investments in wind & tidal power included

See a recent Newscenter story about windpower on Vinalhaven Island.


Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today voted in support of the final version of the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, which passed the House by a vote of 308-114.  The Act included Pingree’s requests for $6.25 million in federal investments in clean energy for the state of Maine.

“Maine is poised to become a leader in clean energy,” Pingree said.  “It’s critical that we make these investments now to help develop the clean energy industry in our state.  This is an industry that will create good paying jobs right here in Maine that can’t be exported.  And it’s a home-grown solution to our energy problems.”

The legislation passed today includes the following funding, requested by Pingree:

•    $5 million for the Maine Offshore Wind Initiative at the University of Maine, to help develop the offshore wind industry in Maine.

•    $250,000 for the Next Generation Composite Wind Blade Manufacturing Technologies at the University of Maine.   UM has become a leader in wind blade technology, and this investment will help advance its research.

•    $1 million for research on Environmental Impact Protocols for Tidal Power at the University of Maine.  This research will help establish standards for developing tidal power in Maine and around the country.

“Maine has some of the best wind and tidal resources in the United States,” Pingree said.  “And we have the people and the ingenuity to take advantage of these resources and become a world leader.  The Governor’s trade mission to Europe last week will give these efforts a boost and the funding we passed in the House today will provide much needed funding to this developing industry.”

This legislation now moves to the Senate where passage is expected.  Once this bill is approved by the Senate, it will be sent on to the President to be signed into law.

]]> Congresswoman Pingree meets with Maine astronaut tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.431 Chris Cassidy, who grew up in York, Maine, has just completed his first space mission in dramatic fashion--he spent 18 hours of it outside the spacecraft. Congresswoman Chellie Pingree was honored and excited to meet with Chris Cassidy and the rest of the crew from STS-127, recently back from their mission to the international spacestation. A former Navy SEAL who has been awarded two Bronze Stars, Cassidy grew up in York, Maine.

During their mission, the crew brought supplies and constructed an experiment module at the space station. Cassidy performed three space walks during the mission--totaling over 18 hours!

 

]]> Congresswoman Pingree hosts movie about Maine Troop Greeters tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.430 Chellie spent some time today with the people behind "The Way We Get By," before hosting a viewing of the film at the Capitol today. Chellie spent some time with the people behind “The Way We Get By” before the Maine movie was shown on Capitol Hill.  In this photo Chellie poses with director Aron Gaudet (L) and one of the stars of the movie—Jerry Munday (R) in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol.  Learn more about the movie and watch a preview at www.thewaywegetbymovie.com

 

]]> Recovery Act funds over $17 million for medical research and education in Maine this year tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.429 "It's encouraging to see that stimulus funds are helping our economy recover in a range of areas," said Pingree. "These grants have not only helped create and sustain hundreds of jobs in our state, but are supporting growth in a very important part of the Maine economy." Grants awarded for a range of programs across the state

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree announced that in the 2009 fiscal year, ending today, the American Recovery Act has funded over $17 million in medical research and education at facilities across Maine.  The funding is through grants awarded by the National Institutes of Health.
 
“It’s encouraging to see that stimulus funds are helping our economy recover in a range of areas,” said Pingree.  “These grants have not only helped create and sustain hundreds of jobs in our state, but are supporting growth in a very important part of the Maine economy.”
 
Research grants funded by the American Recovery Act have covered 34 projects in Maine overall.  Grants include:
 
·     $800,000 to Maine Medical Center for a study on the connection between genetics and bone growth;

·     $220,000 to the University of New England to use hormones in fruit flies to study higher functions of the human nervous system, such as memory, sleep, drug abuse, and addiction;

·     $150,000 to the Foundation for Blood Research in Scarborough to develop a high-school biology curriculum that will support learning in mathematics and science in the real-world context of clinical trials; and 
 
·     $200,000 to a University of Southern Maine program that will bring life on the nano-scale to Maine elementary and middle-school students using advanced microscopy tools and the Southworth Planetarium.

Click here for a full listing of programs in Maine that have received National Institutes of Health grants funded by the Recovery Act.
 
The 2009 American Recovery Act was passed by Congress and signed by the President earlier this year.

]]> Congresswoman Chellie Pingree announces up to $2.4 million to assist laid-off Maine workers tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.428 Congresswoman Chellie Pingree announced today that two National Emergency Grants totaling over $2.4 million are coming to Maine to help hundreds of unemployed workers affected by two major layoffs this summer. Grants awarded to assist workers laid off by closures of R.R. Donnelley in Wells and Standard Insurance Company in Portland and South Portland


Congresswoman Chellie Pingree announced today that two National Emergency Grants totaling over $2.4 million are coming to Maine to help hundreds of unemployed workers affected by two major layoffs this summer.  Funding will provide employment assistance to workers laid off at the R.R. Donnelley printing plant in Wells, which recently shut down, and Standard Insurance Company, which moved its Portland and South Portland locations out of state.
 
“This stimulus money is going to help those who need it the most—workers who have suddenly found themselves without a paycheck,” said Pingree.  “More than anything these skilled and dedicated workers want to get back to work and these grants will help the state give them the resources and tools they need to do so.  And putting people back to work is essential to getting our economy back on track.”   

The funding is being awarded in two grants to the Maine Department of Labor.  One for $430,000 covers Androscoggin, Cumberland, Sagadahoc, and York counties.  The other grant—for up to $2 million, with $850,000 released initially—covers York and Cumberland counties.
 
Awarded by the U.S. Secretary of Labor, National Emergency Grants are used to expand services at the state and local level for workers in response to significant layoffs.  The Maine Department of Labor uses the funds for a range of programs, including worker retraining.
 
These National Emergency Grants are funded by the American Recovery Act, passed by Congress and signed by the President earlier this year.

]]> Chellie Pingree talks about the public option on Fox News tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.427 Congresswoman Chellie Pingree talks about the need for a public option in healthcare reform on Fox news.

   

]]> Vinalhaven wind turbines nearing completion tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.426 Chellie's hometown of North Haven will soon be getting all its power from three wind turbines under construction on the neighboring island of Vinalhaven. Chellie was there for the ground breaking this summer and now, as Newscenter 6 reports, the wind turbines are almost ready to start producing power. Chellie’s hometown of North Haven will soon be getting all it’s power from three wind turbines under construction on the neighboring island of Vinalhaven.  Chellie was there for the ground breaking this summer and now, as Newscenter 6 reports, the wind turbines are almost ready to start producing power.

]]> Congresswoman Chellie Pingree announces $666,000 grant to support Maine families in child welfare system tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.425 Funds will help support a state partnership that expands resources for Maine families Funds will help support a state partnership that expands resources for Maine families
 
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree announced today a $666,000 federal grant to help fund the Maine Kinship Connections Project. The program is a new collaboration of state and private agencies to expand resources for at-risk children and Maine family networks.

“Everyday in this state, grandparents or other family members step in to protect and care for children who face unsafe situations at home,” said Congresswoman Chellie Pingree. “Extended families have an important role in protecting at-risk children and it’s important, particularly in these tough economic times, for us to help support them.”

Grandparents, aunts, and uncles often step in to provide care for children suffering from abuse and neglect. These family members can provide a permanent home or a temporary alternative as parents get assistance in making safe conditions for their children.

“We have found that children in the welfare system do best when they can stay in their family network,” said Virginia Marriner, director of Child Welfare Policy and Practice for the state office of Child and Family Services. “This grant will be a tremendous help as we work to keep families intact and support family members who provide crucial care in times of need.”

A partnership of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Maine Kids-Kin, Casey Family Services, Adoptive and Foster Families of Maine, and the University of Maine Senior Services Program, the Maine Kinship Connections Project aims to improve the health and well-being of youth entering the welfare system and those already in the system by expanding resources for extended families providing care. Efforts include helping families access resources, facilitating family group decisions, and building a child’s support network by finding relatives. 
 
The federal grant comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

]]> Chellie Pingree at Common Ground Fair tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.424 See photos from this year's Common Ground Fair. Congresswoman Chellie Pingree meets constituents at an annual favorite, the Common Ground Fair in Unity.


 

]]> Congresswoman Chellie Pingree announces $3.1 million to protect women in Maine tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.423 Funds will hire domestic violence prosecutors, streamline protection from abuse orders, and more Funds will hire domestic violence prosecutors, streamline protection from abuse orders, and more
 
Today Congresswoman Chellie Pingree announced that four grants totaling over $3 million have been awarded to Maine programs working to stop violence against women.
 
“No woman in this state should have to live in fear of abuse, sexual violence, or other threats, but sadly many do—far too many,” said Pingree.  “These funds will help support and launch efforts dedicated to changing that reality.”
 
Awarded by the Department of Justice, the grants include:
 
·     $2.3 million to the University of Southern Maine’s Muskie School to administer and review the effectiveness of grants awarded by the Office of Violence Against Women;


·     $399,000 to York County to hire prosecutors to prosecute domestic violence cases, and train law enforcement officers in handling stalking and domestic violence;


·     $228,000 to help the Maine Department of Public Safety make protection from abuse orders more efficient, accessible, and widely used; and  


·     $119,000 to support the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault’s collaborative work to end violence against women.

]]> Snowe, Michaud, Pingree Continue Work to Sustain Brunswick's Commissary & Exchange Service tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.422 Letter urges Under Secretary of Defense to review department's decision to close commissary and exchange Letter urges Under Secretary of Defense to review department's decision to close commissary and exchange

Pingree argues on the house floor for federal aid for Brunswick

As part of their ongoing effort to sustain commissary and exchange services for the thousands of veteran beneficiaries who will continue to reside in the mid-coast region of Maine following the closure of Brunswick Naval Air Station (BNAS) in 2011, U.S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe along with U.S. Reps. Mike Michaud and Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) yesterday, in a letter, urged Under Secretary of Defense Gail H. McGinn to thoroughly examine the U.S. Department of the Navy/Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) study which affirms the previous decision of the department to close the commissary and exchange.

“We strongly urge that you carefully review the Navy study as we believe that a critical examination will reveal that the Navy omitted and failed to analyze relevant facts, highlighted irrelevant statements, and relied on analytic methodologies that resulted in significant uncertainties in data on which Navy findings and recommendations are based,” the lawmakers wrote. “We believe that a critical analysis of the Navy’s review is particularly important as your review and findings will inform and shape Secretary Gates’ fiscal year 2011 budget recommendation to President Obama on this issue.””

The bipartisan trio concluded, “In addition to support from local community leaders, you should also be aware that General Craig McKinley, USAF, chief, National Guard Bureau, supports the request of Major General John Libby, USA, adjutant general, Maine National Guard, for continued exchange and commissary operations in Maine. In a letter to General Libby, dated July 8, 2009, General McKinley stated that, ‘The Department of Defense needs to continue providing these important benefits to the current and retired military members of our Nation’s military forces, and their families. They deserve nothing less.’ We couldn’t agree with General McKinley more.”
 

]]> Southern Maine Community College 2009 Commencement tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.421 See photos from Congresswoman Chellie Pingree's commencement address at Southern Maine Community College and read about her efforts to bring more funding to Community Colleges in Maine. Congresswoman Chellie Pingree was honored to make the address at Southern Maine Community College's 2009 commencement in May. To read about a bill currently in Congress to help Maine students pay for higher education and invest billions in the country's community colleges, please click here.



 

]]> Portland to get $3.6 million for community development, housing and emergency shelter programs tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.420 Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today announced $3.6 million in federal grants from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to fund community development, and to provide affordable housing and emergency shelter in the City of Portland. Congresswoman Chellie Pingree calls federal grants “essential” during difficult economic times

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today announced $3.6 million in federal grants from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to fund community development, and to provide affordable housing and emergency shelter in the City of Portland. The grants include $2.1 million for the Community Development Block Grant program, $1.4 million for the HOME program and $93,000 for the Emergency Shelter Grant program.

“This essential federal funding will be put to work directly in our community,” Pingree said. “This money is going to help provide critical services like housing to those in need and will stimulate the economy and create and save jobs in the Greater Portland area.”

The Community Development Block Grant program is awarded to the city of Portland, which then distributes most of it in grants to local organizations.

CDBG programs supports dozens of Portland’s public service agencies providing housing, homeless, health, substance abuse, child care, youth outreach, and community policing services. Recent recipients of CDGB grants include the Wayside Soup Kitchen, Preble Street Resource Center and the Boys and Girls Club.

CDBG grants also fund neighborhood improvements such as sidewalk and roadway reconstruction, parks, playgrounds, trees, handicap accessibility, and historic preservation in eligible neighborhoods.

The City of Portland is going to hold an informational hearing for organizations that want to apply for CDBG money on October 7th at 6:00 p.m. in Portland City Hall.

The HOME program benefit low and moderate-income Portland residents and city neighborhoods where a majority of the residents earn low and moderate incomes. The grant supports a wide variety of projects and programs including social & neighborhood services, public facilities & infrastructure in eligible neighborhoods and housing rehabilitation & housing development.

 

]]> Legislation to protect seniors from Medicare premium increase passes U.S. House tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.419 Congresswoman Chellie Pingree voted today to block a scheduled increase in Medicare Part B premiums that would have affected approximately one out of every four Medicare beneficiaries.
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree votes to block increase, protecting Social Security recipients from fee increase

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree voted today to block a scheduled increase in Medicare Part B premiums that would have affected approximately one out of every four Medicare beneficiaries. The bill passed the House today by a vote of 406-18 and now goes on to the Senate.

Premiums for Medicare Part B, which pays for doctor’s bills and outpatient care, would increase by nearly $25 a month without this legislation. Over 237,000 seniors and disabled individuals in Maine are enrolled in Medicare Part B.

“As we continue to debate health care reform, it is absolutely essential we protect, preserve and strengthen Medicare,” Pingree said. “One of my top priorities is protecting the Medicare benefits Maine people receive. And the last thing they need is an increase in their premiums.”

Current Medicare Part B premiums are $96.40 a month and will remain unchanged for most beneficiaries. But without the bill passed in the House today, 27% of beneficiaries would see their monthly premiums increase to $120 a month.

]]> Pingree pushes no-cost transfer tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.418 Maine's representatives to the U.S. House last week continued to keep the heat on fellow lawmakers to pass a defense budget with a provision that would trigger no-cost giveaways of closing military bases.

By Seth Koenig, Times Record Staff

Monday, September 21, 2009 2:08 PM EDT

BRUNSWICK — Maine’s representatives to the U.S. House last week continued to keep the heat on fellow lawmakers to pass a defense budget with a provision that would trigger no-cost giveaways of closing military bases.

The provision could allow civilian redevelopment planners to take over the Brunswick Naval Air Station property at no cost. In turn, a no-cost conveyance would remove financial hurdles to companies considering locating there.

Negotiators from the House and Senate will soon begin reconciling the differences between the two chambers’ respective defense spending bills.

The House bill features language calling for military installations to be turned over at no cost to civilian redevelopment groups, breaking with a previous directive for the Defense Department to seek market value for the properties. The Senate version, essentially, does not.

The budget applies to the federal fiscal year that begins on Oct. 1

U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, who represents Maine’s 1st District, penned a letter last week urging the conferees to adopt the House provision in its final revised defense bill. Her letter was signed by U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud of Maine’s 2nd District and 10 others.

Pingree and Michaud are both Democrats.

“Along with my colleagues, I’m urging members of the House and Senate to pass this provision,” Pingree said in a statement. “It’s essential to help communities like Brunswick redevelop after the closure of a base. The federal government should be giving these efforts a boost, not creating obstacles.”

If the language survives and is signed into law by President Barack Obama, the local Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority would take a big step closer to assuming ownership of the Brunswick Naval Air Station property after the Navy vacates it in May 2011.

“Without a no-cost transfer we would have to come up with $20 million to $30 million to purchase land at the base,” Steve Levesque, executive director of MRRA, said in a statement. “I don’t know where anyone would come up with that kind of cash in this environment. And that would mean a big part of BNAS would sit undeveloped. This region would suffer greatly.”

Maine’s two senators also have stood behind the no-cost conveyance provision. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, is slated to be among the select negotiators to reconcile the two defense bills, while Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, kept the pressure on during comments delivered from the floor of the Senate.

“I ... advocate that when this bill goes to conference, the conferees should retain language included in the House Armed Services Committee’s version of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2010, which would encourage the use of no-cost economic development conveyances when disposing of excess military property, in order to assist these communities with the difficult process of base closures,” she said during discussions on the bill.

Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, is among the conferees who will hash out the defense bill’s final language and one of the lawmakers to whom Pingree’s letter was addressed.

“Through the expansion of no-cost (economic development conveyances), communities impacted by (Base Realignment and Closure) will have another tool at their disposal to develop these lands for public use,” Skelton said in statement. “Thanks to the hard work of Rep. Pingree, these communities will find it easier to take advantage of the opportunity and improve the quality of life for those most impacted by these decisions.”

]]> Chellie Pingree appears on Hardball tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.417  

 Congresswoman Chellie Pingree pushes for health-care reform on Hardball

]]> Health care reform tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.383 People talk to me about health care more than any other issue. I often say that if it’s not the first concern people mention to me, it’s definitely the second. 
Learn about my principals for health reform, and what I'm working on in Congress on this important issue.

]]> Congresswoman Chellie Pingree votes to extend unemployment benefits tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.416 Without this legislation, nearly 5,000 individuals in Maine would exhaust their unemployment benefits by the end of December. Nearly 5,000 Maine workers would be eligible for additional 13 weeks of benefits

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree voted today to extend unemployment benefits for Maine workers by an additional 13 weeks. Without this legislation, nearly 5,000 individuals in Maine would exhaust their unemployment benefits by the end of December. The bill passed the House and now goes on to the Senate.

“Unemployment benefits go directly into the economy to stimulate new business,” Pingree said. “And they also help those struggling to get by while the economy improves.”

Pingree met with Maine Labor Commissioner Laura Fortman to discuss the issue on Monday.

“These benefits are not just important to the families receiving them, but they also have a tremendous impact on the economy overall,” Pingree said. “This is not the time to let benefits expire for thousands of Maine workers.”

“Nationally the rate of job losses has slowed,” Pingree said. “And we are seeing some signs of the economy improving. But it’s not going to happen overnight and this legislation is critical to prevent thousands of people from exhausting their benefits. Since early August, benefits have run out for over 1,200 people and thousands more will stop getting checks by the end of the year unless we do something.”

The legislation passed by the House provides the extended benefits to states that have had an average unemployment rate of 8.5% or higher over the last three months. Maine’s rate for June, July and August was 8.6%, 8.5% and 8.6% respectively.

The legislation does not increase the deficit and pays for the extended benefits by extending for one year a federal unemployment tax (FUTA surtax) that has been in place for over 30 years and which President Bush proposed extending in his last budget (the tax costs employers $14 per year, per employee).

]]> A clean energy future tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.389 We are at an historic moment – we are beginning to make real investments in energy technologies that will both stimulate the growth of a green economy and protect the environment. Investing in these economic incentives will reduce our energy consumption and end our dependence on fossil fuels, especially imported foreign oil, which harms our economy and our environment and threatens our national security.
Read more about renewable energy and the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009.

]]> Investments for Portland & Westbrook business parks tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.390 Congresswoman Chellie Pingree has announced an Economic Development Administration grant of $885,000 to help the cities of Portland and Westbrook build two business parks to support the region's biotechnology cluster. The grant, which will be matched by the two cities, will help pay for the necessary infrastructure to expand the Five Star Industrial Park in Westbrook and develop the Rand Road Industrial Park in Portland. Economic Development Administration grants will help support efforts to develop biotech centers

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree has announced an Economic Development Administration grant of $885,000 to help the cities of Portland and Westbrook build two business parks to support the region’s biotechnology cluster. The grant, which will be matched by the two cities, will help pay for the necessary infrastructure to expand the Five Star Industrial Park in Westbrook and develop the Rand Road Industrial Park in Portland.

“These business parks are part of a long term plan to develop a robust biotech industry in the region,” Pingree said. “This is the kind of investment that leads directly to good paying, high quality jobs. Economic recovery and long term economic growth depend on projects like these.”

The U.S. Department of Commerce estimates that the business parks will lead to the creation of 960 jobs and over $160 million in private investment.

The Five Star Industrial Park in Westbrook is the headquarters of Idexx and the home of a number other companies, and this grant will help make infrastructure improvements so existing companies can expand and to attract new businesses as well.

“This is a project that is going to improve the region’s ability to attract high quality biotech and high-tech business to the region,” said Keith Luke, Economic and Community Development Director for the City of Westbrook. “Idexx is one of the fastest growing biotechs in the country. And receiving this grant now and making the necessary infrastructure improvements will help us bring the next Idexx to the region.”

In Portland, the City of Portland will use the grant money to put in the initial infrastructure necessary to develop several sites at what will become the Rand Road Industrial Park. City officials hope to attract biotech businesses to the Park.

“The timing of this is perfect in terms of positioning the Greater Portland areas as a center for new high tech and biotech businesses, said Greg Mitchell, the Economic Development Director for the City of Portland. “Our goal is to have the park open for business a year from now and be ready to go when the economy improves.”

 

]]> $1.7 million grant to help Maine lobster gear exchange tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.392 Congresswoman Chellie Pingree announced a $1.7 million federal grant today to help Maine lobster fishermen exchange floating ground line for new sinking line. The sinking line, mandated by the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan, reduces the likelihood of right whales becoming entangled in fishing gear. Grant will help lobster fishermen switch to sinking ground line
 
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree announced a $1.7 million federal grant today to help Maine lobster fishermen exchange floating ground line for new sinking line. The sinking line, mandated by the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan, reduces the likelihood of right whales becoming entangled in fishing gear.
 
“It can cost a full time lobster fisherman up to $25,000 to replace all their floating ground line with sinking line,” Pingree said. “In these tough economic times that’s a pretty high price for most fishermen to pay. This money is going to help them afford to make the switch and preserve the jobs that the Maine lobster industry supports.”
 
Most of the money will fund the Bottom Line Project at the Gulf of Maine Lobster Foundation. Over the last two and a half years, the Project has taken in over 1.4 million pounds of floating rope from Maine lobster fishermen. In exchange, the fishermen have received vouchers worth over $2 million to buy new, sinking line.
 
“This is really a financial aid package for the lobster industry,” said Laura Ludwig, Project Director at the Gulf of Maine Lobster Foundation. “They’re being required to change their floating ground line to sinking line. That’s an expensive proposition and this kind of assistance is critical for Maine fishermen. We’re very grateful for this federal grant.”
 
The floating rope that has been collected had mostly been recycled into low-grade plastic, but more recently a number of companies have started creating doormats out of used rope. (Two of the companies are Custom Cordage and the Maine Float Road Company, both in Waldoboro.)
 
 

 

]]> Chellie Pingree calls for no-cost transfer of former Brunswick Naval Air Station land tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.391 Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle have joined Congresswoman Chellie Pingree to support passage of a provision in the Defense Authorization Bill that would make a substantial contribution to the redevelopment of the Brunswick Naval Air Station.
House Members join in urging passage of Pingree’s proposal

Pingree argues on house floor for federal aid for Brunswick


Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle have joined Congresswoman Chellie Pingree to support passage of a provision in the Defense Authorization Bill that would make a substantial contribution to the redevelopment of the Brunswick Naval Air Station. Congressman Mike Michaud and nearly a dozen other Representatives signed Pingree’s letter to the House-Senate negotiators working on a final version of the bill.
 
Earlier this year Pingree introduced a bill (H.R. 1959, the “Defense Communities Redevelopment Act of 2009”) that instructed the government to transfer land at decommissioned military bases to the community at no cost if there is a significant economic benefit.   Over the last eight years, the Department of Defense has required communities to pay for the land—sometimes millions of dollars—and that has resulted in many parcels going unused after a base is closed.
 
Pingree’s proposal was incorporated into the Defense Authorization Act and passed by the House earlier this year. However, the proposal relating to the no-cost transfers was not included in the Senate version of the bill, so negotiators from the House and Senate have to agree to a compromise. This week Pingree wrote a letter, signed by 11 other Members of the House, urging those House-Senate negotiators to include the no-cost transfer provision in the final version of the bill. Congressional leadership hopes to be able to vote on the final bill within the next month.
 
“Along with my colleagues, I’m urging Members of the House and Senate to pass this provision,” Pingree said. “It’s essential to help communities like Brunswick redevelop after the closure of a base. The federal government should be giving these efforts a boost, not creating obstacles.” 
 
Pingree’s provision directs the Department of Defense to make no-cost transfers (called “no-cost economic development conveyances” or “no-cost EDCs”) to a Local Redevelopment Authority. In Brunswick, that would be the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority (MRRA).
 

Earlier this year, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton praised the work that Pingree had done on this issue.
 
“Through the expansion of no-cost EDCs, communities impacted by BRAC will have another tool at their disposal to develop these lands for public use,” Skelton said. “Thanks to the hard work of Representative Pingree, these communities will find it easier to take advantage of the opportunity and improve the quality of life for those most impacted by these decisions.”
 
Local officials say the “no cost economic development transfer” bill that Pingree introduced is critical.
 
“Without a no cost transfer we would have to come up with $20 to $30 million to purchase land at the base,” said Steve Levesque, Executive Director of the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority. “I don’t know where anyone would come up with that kind of cash in this environment. And that would mean a big part of BNAS would sit undeveloped. This region would suffer greatly.”
 

]]> Student aid bill amended to bring more federal money to Maine tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.393 The bill is the single largest investment in history to help students and families pay for college--and at no cost to taxpayers. It will expand access to an affordable college education to more American students, transform early education opportunities, and build a world-class community college system. Largest single investment in college aid in American history would support Maine students, colleges and elementary schools

Click here to see video of Congresswoman Pingree arguing in support of this bill on the House floor.

Yesterday Congresswoman Chellie Pingree introduced two amendments to the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA) (H.R. 3221). The amendments were accepted as part of the bill today, which then passed the House by a vote of 253-171.

The bill is the single largest investment in history to help students and families pay for college--and at no cost to taxpayers.  It will expand access to an affordable college education to more American students, transform early education opportunities, and build a world-class community college system.

“This is a crucial step toward rebuilding the Maine economy,” Pingree said. “It will help make sure young people have the ability to attend college or get career training, and that our work force remains the most highly skilled, cutting-edge and effective in the world.”
 
The bill reforms the system of federal student loans by converting loans to the stable, cost-efficient Direct Loan program. By making these direct loans instead of through taxpayer-subsidized lenders, an estimated $87 billion will be saved over 10 years. $10 billion of the savings will go toward deficit reduction and the remaining $77 billion will be reinvested in education, with a focus on making college more affordable. The bill will increase Pell grants, lower student loan costs, simplify the loan process and invest billions of dollars in community colleges.
 
Pingree successfully amended the legislation to make sure all Maine community colleges will be eligible for approximately $5.9 million in funding to repair or renovate existing facilities and build new ones to accommodate more students. As the bill was originally written, colleges that had accepted Recovery Act money were not eligible for the new funding, which would have made it impossible for all but one community college in Maine to access that funding. Pingree’s amendment lifted that prohibition.
 
Congresswoman Pingree also successfully added a provision that could bring significant new investment to K-12 schools in the Brunswick area. The legislation invests $4 billion over two years in K-12 education across the country, with $200 million set aside for areas suffering from severe economic distress or affected by natural disasters. Pingree amended the bill to include areas affected by base closings in this category. This amendment means Brunswick area schools would also be eligible for a share of this special set-aside fund, due to the pending closure of the Brunswick Naval Air Station. (The closure of BNAS will reduce the Brunswick public school population by 10% and reduce school funding by $1 million.)
 
Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller praised Pingree for her work on the amendment. “I want to thank Congresswoman Pingree for offering this amendment,” Miller said on the floor of the House. “I know how hard she has worked on this problem and the impact that a BRAC closure can have on a community.”
 
The bill will make college more affordable and help more Maine students graduate. Some of the provisions will:
 
·      Invest nearly $140 million over ten years in increased Pell Grant scholarships in Maine, increasing the scholarship from $5,350 today to $6,900 in 2019. In Maine, 23,000 Maine students will be eligible for Pell Grant awards next year.

·      Invest $750,000 a year for five years in programs designed to help Maine students get into college and complete their degrees.

·      Keep interest rates low for the 35,000 Maine students who get federal student loans.

·      Simplify the FAFSA student aid form for all Maine students and their families.

“This commonsense reform is long overdue, and I’m proud to join President Obama and my Democratic colleagues in standing up for the American taxpayer by eliminating billions in waste, while at the same time dramatically expanding access to essential educational opportunities,” Congresswoman Pingree said. “With tuition costs at both public and private colleges on the rise even as families struggle through a difficult economy, I’m thrilled we could come together to expand critical opportunities for higher education in this country.”
 
The bill now goes on to the Senate for consideration.

Click here to see video of Congresswoman Pingree arguing in support of this bill on the House floor.

 

]]> Safety zone around Seal Island rescinded tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.395 Congresswoman Chellie Pingree welcomed news that the Coast Guard has rescinded a rule that effectively blocked lobster fishing in the waters around Seal Island. Coast Guard reopens waters to lobster fishing
 
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree welcomed news that the Coast Guard has rescinded a rule that effectively blocked lobster fishing in the waters around Seal Island.

“I’m pleased that the Coast Guard responded quickly to our questions about their decision to place a safety zone around Seal Island,” Pingree said.  “Safety is everyone’s top concern but the sudden closing of the waters around Seal Island just didn’t make sense to me.”

Tuesday night Coast Guard officials, responding to questions from Congresswoman Pingree, informed her that in light of “unvalidated level of risk to the mariners and a larger than expected economic impact on local fishermen” they have withdrawn a rule that placed waters up to sixty feet deep off Seal Island in a safety zone.  This effectively blocked lobster fishermen from tending traps in this area.  As many as 35 lobstermen fish up to 100 traps each in these waters.  Seal Island is located between Matinicus, Isle au Haut and Vinalhaven.

Pingree’s daughter, Maine House Speaker Hannah Pingree, also worked with the Department of Marine Resources and Coast Guard officials to help resolve the situation quickly.

“I appreciate the Coast Guard’s cooperation and I look forward to working with them and state officials to better assess any potential dangers in the area and to develop plans for any necessary cleanup,” Pingree said.  “Obviously safety should remain everyone’s top priority and if there is debris that needs to be removed I’ll work with federal and local officials to make sure that happens.”

 

]]> Grant secured for Maine clean energy company tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.394 Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today announced that Portland-based Ocean Renewable Power Company (ORPC) has been awarded two Department of Energy grants, totaling over $1.3 million, to develop tidal power technology. Ocean Renewable Power Company to get funding to develop tidal power technology

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today announced that Portland-based Ocean Renewable Power Company (ORPC) has been awarded two Department of Energy grants, totaling over $1.3 million, to develop tidal power technology.
 
“Maine has a huge potential to develop a clean energy industry, both in wind power and tidal power,” Pingree said. “These grants give tidal power an important boost and will help create and preserve jobs in our state.”
 
“ORPC is at the forefront of tidal power and is helping develop the clean energy industry in this country,” Pingree said. “New forms of energy like those being developed by ORPC will be part of an American-made solution to our energy problems, creating new jobs, bringing down energy costs and helping reduce global warming pollution. This is a great investment for Maine and for the country.”
 
“This investment is going to go a long way toward allowing us to develop the tidal power industry in Maine and create new jobs based right here in America,” said Chris Sauer, President and CEO of ORPC.
 

There are two DOE grants being awarded. The first, for $750,000, is to help ORPC develop a standard mooring system for the tidal generators they are building. The mooring system will be tested and deployed in the waters off Eastport, where ORPC is developing a tidal power project.

The second grant, for $600,000, is to help the company monitor the effects of tidal generators on marine mammals, particularly whales. That technology will be tested in Cook Inlet, Alaska, where ORPC is also operating.

Energy Secretary Stephen Chu praised the kind of work ORPC is doing:
“Hydropower is our largest source of renewable energy and it can play an even bigger role in the future. These investments will create jobs, cut carbon pollution and help put us on a path to a clean energy economy,” said Secretary Chu.

 

 

]]> $1.4 million in stimulus grants to support community and economic development in Maine tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.408 Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today announced that five Maine communities will be getting $1.4 million in stimulus-funded grants through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, which primarily benefit low- to moderate-income families. First rounds of awards will revitalize neighborhoods and create jobs around the state

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today announced that five Maine communities will be getting $1.4 million in stimulus-funded grants through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, which primarily benefit low- to moderate-income families.  CDBG enables state and local governments to undertake a wide range of activities intended to create suitable living environments, provide affordable housing and create economic opportunities.  
 
“These grants are a critical investment in the economic recovery of our communities,” Pingree said.  “I am proud to announce this funding, which will create jobs and help to revitalize the nation’s hardest hit neighborhoods in places like Portland and Biddeford.  It’s important to put this money to work for long-term, sustainable community and economic development.”  
 
The City of Portland will get $572,670 and Biddeford will receive $127,479.  
 
Other CDBG grants elsewhere in the state include Auburn ($169,648), Bangor ($278,574), and Lewiston ($276,909).
 
Since 1974, CDBG has provided more than $127 billion to state and local governments to target their own community development priorities.  The rehabilitation of affordable housing and the construction and improvement of public facilities have traditionally been the largest uses of CDBG funds although the program is also an important catalyst for job growth and business opportunities.

The funding announced today is the latest installment of what will eventually total approximately $2 billion in stimulus funding that will flow to Maine.

First rounds of awards will revitalize neighborhoods and create jobs around the state
 

]]> Congresswoman Chellie Pingree asks Coast Guard to explain Seal Island safety zone tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.396 Congresswoman Chellie Pingree has asked Coast Guard officials to brief her on the sudden establishment of a permanent safety zone around Seal Island. The island, between Matinicus, Vinalhaven and Isle au Haut, has been used as a military practice area in the past. The safety zone extends into water up to 60 feet deep around the island, effectively putting important lobster fishing territory off bounds. Emergency ruling closes area that had been fished for 50 years

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree has asked Coast Guard officials to brief her on the sudden establishment of a permanent safety zone around Seal Island. The island, between Matinicus, Vinalhaven and Isle au Haut, has been used as a military practice area in the past. The safety zone extends into water up to 60 feet deep around the island, effectively putting important lobster fishing territory off bounds.
 
“The island hasn’t been used for target practice for 50 years, and has been fished for decades since then,” Pingree said. “Obviously safety is an important concern but it’s hard to understand what has suddenly changed that prompted the closure of this area.”
 
The Coast Guard issued an emergency interim rule without advance notification or any opportunity for a public comment prior to the ruling.
 
“No one knows those waters better than the people that fish them every day,” Pingree said. “At the very least the Coast Guard should be talking to them before making decisions like this.”
 
“I’ve asked the Coast Guard to come to my office and explain this decision to me,” Pingree said. “I’d like to get some answers.”
 
Coast Guard officials are expected to meet with Pingree in her Washington office next week.  

 
 
 

 
 

]]> Congresswoman Chellie Pingree gives statement on President Obama's address to Congress tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.397 "In many ways it’s the same message I have heard from people in Maine all summer—the time has come to bring about the reform we’ve been talking about for so long." Congresswoman Chellie Pingree issued the following statement about President Obama’s address to a joint session of Congress tonight:

“I was pleased to hear the President talk about how we’ve gotten to the point where we need to pass health care reform. In many ways it’s the same message I have heard from people in Maine all summer—the time has come to bring about the reform we’ve been talking about for so long.”

“Maine people have had it with the bureaucracy of insurance companies, skyrocketing premiums and out of pocket expenses and they are tired of living in fear of losing their health insurance. They want us to crack down on the insurance companies and make health care more affordable and accessible.”

 

]]> Maine clean energy projects to receive $40 million grant tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.398 Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today announced a $40 million federal grant for First Wind, a major wind power developer in Maine. The grant is a direct payment in lieu of tax credits, giving the developer important capital to finance new projects. First Wind will use investment to help develop wind power in Maine

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today announced a $40 million federal grant for First Wind, a major wind power developer in Maine. The grant is a direct payment in lieu of tax credits, giving the developer important capital to finance new projects. The grant program is part of the stimulus package passed by Congress earlier this year.
 
“This money is going straight into the Maine economy to create jobs and stimulate business across the state,” Pingree said.
 
“First Wind is part of the growing clean energy industry in our state,” Pingree said. “It is an industry that is going to create new jobs and new sources of clean, renewable energy to Maine. I’m committed to helping develop this industry and this grant is going to give those efforts a big boost.”

The federal grant effectively gives First Wind the benefits of tax credits that would have been spread over the life of their Stetson Mountain project, but instead provides those credits in the form of an upfront grant.  

 “The economy and credit markets were nearly shut down earlier this year,” said Michael Alvarez, President and COO, First Wind. “With these grants, First Wind will reinvest in the US and Maine economy on new renewable energy projects that will create jobs, generate clean power, and help the United States gain energy independence. ”


 

 

]]> Congresswoman Chellie Pingree issues statement on death of Senator Kennedy tag:pingree.house.gov,2009://4.399 “I am deeply saddened by the death of Senator Kennedy. He was an inspiration to all of us and his contributions to this country will be felt for generations to come.” Calls Kennedy “an inspiration to all of us”

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree issued the following statement on the death of Senator Ted Kennedy:

“I am deeply saddened by the death of Senator Kennedy. He was an inspiration to all of us and his contributions to this country will be felt for generations to come.”

“Because of Senator Kennedy’s efforts, millions of children and seniors have access to health care, millions of young people have been able to afford college and millions of working Americans earn more because of increases in the minimum wage.”

“One of Senator Kennedy’s greatest dreams was universal access to affordable health care for all American’s, and it’s in part because of his efforts that we are debating health care reform in Congress today.”
 

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