Jobs and Economic Development

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (ME-01) and Congressman Bruce Poliquin (ME-02) successfully worked to kill an amendment to the Department of Defense Appropriations Act of 2018 that would have stripped $250 million from Bath Iron Work’s (BIW) DDG-51 destroyer program The Courtney Amendment failed 144-267 after the Maine lawmakers worked together petitioning their colleagues in the… Read more »

In light of the negative repercussions that Maine’s lobster industry and other businesses are facing from the Trump Administration’s latest trade actions, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) sent a letter today to U.S. Trade Representative C.J. Mahoney urging the Administration to pursue a more coherent trade strategy to save the state’s economy from further… Read more »

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today announced a $2,570,600 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to the University of Maine to form a regional transportation research center. The center will focus on saving taxpayer dollars by researching ways to extend the life of New England’s transportation infrastructure.  “Harsh New England winters take a toll on our… Read more »

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) welcomed over $65,000 in USDA Rural Development funds to help farms and other rural businesses in Bowdoinham, Cumberland and Freeport cuts costs through renewable power systems. During recent debate on the House’s failed Farm Bill, Pingree had advocated for the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) that provides the grants—the legislation… Read more »

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree released the following statement after voting in support of the National Defense Authorization Act, which the House passed earlier today.  “The National Defense Authorization Act for FY19 is critical for Maine’s economy in a number of ways. I am proud to support funding for the DDG-1000 and DDG-51 ships, ensuring economic security for the… Read more »

 Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today announced five National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) grant awards totaling more than $900,000 for organizations in Maine’s first district congressional district.    “I am pleased to announce that the NEA has once again made a significant investment in Maine’s creative economy,” said Pingree, co-chair… Read more »

$2 million in EPA Brownfields Grants will assess and clean up polluted sites in Southern and Midcoast Maine communities. Read more »

Today, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) announced that The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR), a nonprofit corporation established by the 2014 Farm Bill, has awarded Hugh Cowperthwaite of Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI) a $300,000 matching research grant. CEI has received the funding in order to investigate the economic viability of a Japanese scallop production… Read more »

Congresswoman Pingree with NEA Chairman Jane Chu at a 2016 event in Portland. Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi has selected Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) to succeed late Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (D-NY) as the Democratic Co-Chair of the bipartisan Congressional Arts Caucus.   “Chellie profoundly understands the power of the arts to revitalize and inspire… Read more »

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, following a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announcement that it would release 30,000 additional H-2B seasonal visas fiscal year 2019, about half of the maximum amount authorized by Congress, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) released the following statement: “For the last two summers, I’ve heard from seasonal business owners in… Read more »