Press Releases

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (ME-01) released the following statement in response to Governor Mills’ announcement that the state will allow an influx of prospective asylum seekers who’ve come to Portland to apply for General Assistance (GA): “Governor Mills’ decision to expand general assistance funds statewide is pragmatic and a reflection of Maine’s values. She has shown tremendous leadership i... Read more »

Today in a Biotechnology, Horticulture and Research Subcommittee hearing of the House Committee on Agriculture, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) questioned United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Marketing and Regulatory Programs Undersecretary Greg Ibach on the National Organic Program and the delay in the origin of livestock rulemaking. “It’s completely unacceptable that you’re goi... Read more »

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) released the following statement rebuking President Trump’s racist statements about four elected members of Congress: “As I go back to Washington today, I'm taking Maine's values of inclusiveness with me. “In the face of President Trump’s racist statements and his Administration's assaults on immigrant communities, Mainers have responded by welcoming asylum ... Read more »

U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Jared Golden (ME-02), Chris Pappas (NH-01), and Annie Kuster (NH-02) have secured language in the FY 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to support Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PSNY) workers who were hired between January 2016 and December 2016, but declared ineligible for the Navy’s Accelerated Promotion Program (APP), a federal career advanc... Read more »

An amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) offered by Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and Congressman Jason Crow (D-Colo.) to support survivors of military sexual trauma (MST) has been approved. The Pingree-Crow amendment requires the Department of Defense’s Sexual Assault Response coordinators and advocates to advise servicemembers who report sexual trauma of their elig... Read more »

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and Congressman Charlie Crist (D-Florida) have secured an amendment in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) requiring the Secretary of Defense to account for sea level rise projections and future flood risk when creating climate resiliency guidelines at military facilities. Their amendment comes as a direct response to last month’s Government Accoun... Read more »

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today joined her House colleagues in passing the Securing America’s Federal Elections (SAFE) Act, H.R. 2722. The SAFE Act provides funding to protect the United States’ election systems, requires the use of paper ballots, mandates post-election audits of vulnerabilities, and helps defend against foreign hacking and attacks. “The Mueller report and American i... Read more »

In a letter, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today formally requested that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Inspector General Phyllis Fong investigate the suppression of valuable climate research conducted by the Agriculture Research Service (ARS), a division of USDA. Yesterday, Politico reported that only two ARS studies related to climate change have been publicized s... Read more »

Following a request for study made by Congresswomen Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) in October 2017, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) today issued a report with recommendations on how the federal government can expand its efforts to reduce food waste. Pingree praised the GAO report titled “Food Loss and Waste: Building on Existing Federal Efforts Could Help to Achiev... Read more »

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today announced the House Appropriations Committee has released an emergency supplemental spending package, which includes $60 million to support communities, like Portland, Maine, which have “experienced a significant influx of” asylum seekers. The legislation provides $4.5 billion in emergency spending to address the humanitarian crisis at the border, with... Read more »