Press Releases

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (ME-01) today announced changes to operations in her three congressional offices in order to mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The changes include:  

1. The physical location of her Waterville and Portland offices in Maine as well as her Washington, DC office will be closed to the public beginning Monday March 16, 2020 and staff will begin teleworking. All meetings will be held virtually.  
2. At the direction of the Sergeant-at-Arms the Capitol building is closed to tours beginning today, Friday, March 13.  
3. The Congresswoman and staff will not hold or attend public meetings or other large gatherings, but all will remain available via phone or email.

“As public servants, we have a responsibility to guide our constituents through uncertain times. I’ve taken these precautions to keep my staff, constituents, and our community safe and to adhere to the CDC’s social distancing guidelines. Our offices will continue to serve constituents in a virtual capacity through email and phone calls,” said Congresswoman Pingree. “I hope these steps will help to flatten the curve of this outbreak and prevent our hospitals from being overwhelmed with patients. It is critical that we maintain the health and safety of all Mainers, especially the nurses, doctors, public health officials, and hospital staff who are facing this pandemic head on.”

At the federal level, Pingree has prioritized a robust response to the coronavirus outbreak. Last week, with her support, Congress passed H.R. 6074, an $8.3 billion emergency coronavirus funding bill. Maine will receive a minimum of $4.6 million dollars in CDC Public Health Emergency Preparedness funds through this funding bill. More info here.

Last night, Pingree hosted a telephone town hall on the government’s response to the coronavirus with Maine Center for Disease Control Director Dr. Nirav D. Shah. Her live telephone town hall was attended by approximately 1,400 constituents. Pingree has also launched a coronavirus resources page on her official website to keep constituents updated on COVID-19: pingree.house.gov/coronavirus

Contact information for Pingree’s offices is as follows:

Portland - (207) 774-5019 

Waterville - (207) 873-5713

Washington, D.C. - (202) 225-6116

Constituents can also contact the office via this link.