Food and Agriculture

“I’m glad this partisan legislation did not pass. It would have taken food assistance away from millions of Americans, weakened environmental stewardship of the nation’s farmlands, and left Maine farmers and rural communities ill-prepared for the challenges and the opportunities of the next five years. ..." Read more »

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) today joined U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, as well as her colleague Congressman David Young (R-IA) and stakeholders, for a roundtable discussion on the issue of food waste.   “I applaud Secretary Perdue for exploring what USDA can do to help reduce the massive amount of food that goes to waste in the United… Read more »

Today, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) and Congressman David Young (R-IA) launched a bipartisan House Food Waste Caucus to explore opportunities to reduce food waste.   Last Friday was “Stop Food Waste Day,” an international day of action to address food waste.  It is estimated that 40 percent of the food produced in the U.S. goes to waste.  A recent U.S.… Read more »

Today, USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue appeared before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture where Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) pressed him on his support for the 2018 Farm Bill draft and FY 2019 USDA budget. Read more »

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) questioned today the Commissioner of the Food of Drug Administration, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, on nutrition facts labels on single-ingredient products, such as maple syrup and honey, during a hearing of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies.    “The… Read more »

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME), a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, released the following statement on the draft Farm Bill released by House Republicans today.  The draft Farm Bill released today leaves much to be desired, to say the least. Written behind closed doors with little to no input from Democrats, it is the product of a frustratingly… Read more »

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) has led a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer pushing back against a proposal to restrict consumer warning labels on packaged foods and non-alcoholic beverages in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) renegotiations. Read more »

I'm happy to report that many rural, nutrition, and agriculture programs important to Maine saw funding increases in the FY2018 Omnibus Appropriations legislation that was signed on March 23 and funds the federal government through September 30, 2018. Since President Trump suggested severely cutting or even eliminating funding for many of these programs in his budget proposal, it's very… Read more »

At a hearing of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture yesterday, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) asked USDA Inspector General Phyllis Fong about scientific integrity at the department and received very concerning answers about fear of retaliation among researchers. In February, the Office of the Inspector General released the findings of a survey of USDA scientists… Read more »

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) has signed on as an original cosponsor of the Stemming the Tide of Rural Economic Stress and Suicide (STRESS) Act. Introduced by Representatives Emmer (R-MN) and O’Halleran (D-AZ), the bill would reauthorize the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network, devoting resources to assist farmers coping with mental health issues and thoughts of… Read more »