Press Releases

Chellie with South Portland resident Sathyanarayana Bhasker Lakshmikanth. A South Portland man will hear Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi address a joint session of Congress tomorrow as a guest of Congresswoman Chellie Pingree. Sathyanarayana Bhasker Lakshmikanth, who goes by Bhasker (BASK-er), said the invitation came as a surprise and is a huge honor. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunit... Read more »

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today announced two federal Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) worth $552,211 to purchase firefighting equipment in Maine. The Sanford Fire Department will receive a grant to replace an aging pumper truck and the Maine Fire Service Institute will use funding to purchase equipment for a mobile training unit used around the state. “Maine firefighters depend on havi... Read more »

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree wrote to President Obama today to urge him to create a national monument in northern Maine. "I am writing today to express my strong support for the creation of a national monument on land owned by Elliotsville Plantation here in Maine. I believe the case for the creation of a National Monument is strong and is supported by most people in the region and throughout the... Read more »

"Today we remember the brave men and women who sacrificed their lives in the defense of our country, our values and our freedoms. We will never forget that they fought and died to protect our freedoms, our values and us. Unfortunately, even though Americans always will remember these sacrifices, our government has not always lived up to our solemn commitment to the veterans who do come home. Unac... Read more »

The University of Maine launched a 1:8 scale demonstration of its offshore wind turbine VolturnUS in 2013 off Castine. Congresswoman Chellie Pingree released the following statement on the Department of Energy’s decision to include the University of Maine’s New England Aqua Ventus project in the top tier of its offshore wind demonstration program. The decision makes the project eligible for up to... Read more »

Republicans abandon bill after Democrats add protection for LGBT workers Read more »

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree testified before the House Agriculture Committee today to kick off the first-ever Congressional hearing focused on the problem of food waste in the United States. "When good food goes to waste on the farm, it means the resources used to grow that food—fuel, labor and water—is also wasted. When it goes to waste in a local restaurant it means less revenue for the owner.... Read more »

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today announced that Maine will receive $7,340,000 from the Environmental Protection Agency Brownfield Program to assess and cleanup polluted properties throughout the state. “Brownfield grants have been absolutely critical in helping Maine communities move forward by cleaning up sites contaminated by former industrial uses so they can be redeveloped. Both directly an... Read more »

On the heels of a Human Rights Watch report that documents and draws attention to the experience of survivors of military sexual trauma, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), a member of Senate Armed Services Committee, and U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree (D-ME) wrote Secretary of Defense Ash Carter urging the Pentagon to reform their procedures for reviewing the cases of veterans improperly... Read more »

At a press conference in Washington today, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree called on the Department of Defense to change practices that have led tens of thousands of veterans to be improperly discharged from the military. A report out today by Human Rights Watch documents how many survivors of military sexual assault suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) improperly received “other tha... Read more »