Press Releases

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, today voted against Republicans’ dangerous energy package, H.R. 1, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives today. After the vote, Pingree released the follow statement:

“Under President Biden, Congressional Democrats have made historic progress in our collective fight against climate change—all while lowering consumer costs and creating good-paying green jobs. But with H.R. 1, House Republicans are threatening that progress, emboldening the fossil fuel industry, eliminating protections that keep our communities safe, and doing nothing to lower energy costs. 

“Coming just one week after the world’s leading scientists issued a stark warning that humanity is quite literally on thin ice and nearing climate disaster, Republicans pushed forward with their energy bill that puts polluters over people, making H.R. 1 all the more dangerous and utterly disturbing. I strongly oppose this bill and proudly voted against its passage today. Although it passed the House, it’s reassuring to know that if H.R. 1 makes it to the president’s desk, he will use his executive power to veto it and ensure we move forward on climate action, not backwards.” 

Before the vote, Pingree shared a video message about the bill:

Pingree has championed a bold agenda to combat the climate crisis, including introducing legislation to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in U.S. agriculture by 2040. As Chair of the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Subcommittee in the 117^th Congress, Pingree wrote Appropriations bills for the 2022 and 2023 Fiscal Years that made unprecedented investments that reflect House Democrats’ enduring commitment to environmental justice, renewable energy, health infrastructure on tribal lands, and the arts, among other notable investments. 

She proudly supported and helped pass the Inflation Reduction Act, the most significant climate investment in U.S. history, as well as the American Rescue Plan and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. 

Click here to learn more about how Pingree is fighting climate change in Congress. 

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