Racial Justice

Today, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and the U.S. House of Representatives passed one of the most comprehensive marijuana reform bills ever introduced in the U.S. Congress. The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act decriminalizes marijuana at the federal level and aims to correct the historical injustices of failed drug policies that have… Read more »

 WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today voted with her House colleagues to pass H.R. 4, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. This critical legislation would restore key protections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 which were gutted by the Supreme Court in the 2013 Shelby County v. Holder decision and… Read more »

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today voted to designate June 19th as Juneteenth, a federal holiday to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States and celebrate Black freedom. “Juneteenth is both a day of celebration and remembrance, this year marking 156 years since the last forcibly enslaved Black people were told of their freedom, more than two… Read more »

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) released the following statement after a jury found former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty for the murder of George Perry Floyd, Jr.: “George Floyd should be alive today. My heart goes out to his loved ones, who have suffered unimaginable loss. This verdict offers small comfort but has demonstrated the overwhelming… Read more »

Ahead of tonight’s vote on the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) announced her intent to vote for the historic bill a second time. The landmark legislation will create mandatory accountability standards for police and address systemic racism in law enforcement and police misconduct.  The legislation originally passed the… Read more »

Today, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree joined a letter to Department of Justice Attorney General-Designate Judge Merrick B. Garland to prioritize President Biden’s commitment of working with Congress to end the federal death penalty and incentivizing states to end capital punishment across the country.  In the letter, the Members stated, "The death… Read more »

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today voted for passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which would enforce national mandatory accountability standards to end police misconduct and address racial injustice in policing. “After George Floyd’s murder by police was captured on video, millions of Americans called for law enforcement reforms to… Read more »

On Juneteenth, a date commemorating when the last forcibly enslaved Black Americans were freed on June 19th in 1865, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) launched a new webpage detailing more than 25 federal bills she supports to address systemic racism in the United States. Pingree’s new Racial Justice webpage outlines legislation she is co-sponsoring in the 116th… Read more »

Amid nationwide protests of police brutality toward Black Americans, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today announced her original co-sponsorship of the bicameral Justice in Policing Act of 2020, which would hold law enforcement accountable for misconduct and increase transparency in policing. “While policing happens at the local level, Congress must take the lead in enacting… Read more »

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today cosponsored two legislative initiatives to address systemic police brutality, racial profiling, and the use of excessive force against Black Americans. A resolution led by Reps. Pressley, Omar, Bass, and Lee calls on Congress to condemn police brutality, racial profiling, and to take urgent action in response; H.R.… Read more »