Pingree, Chellie RSS Articles

On Heels of Fashion Week, Pingree Champions First-Of-Its-Kind Bill to Fight Fast Fashion Pollution

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), founder and chair of the Slow Fashion Caucus, introduced the Textile Waste Reduction Act (TWRA), a first-of-its-kind bill to address the harmful impacts of fast fashion-driven waste. Based on recommendations made in the first-ever Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on fast fashion pollution—originally requested by Pingree and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) in 2023—this landmark legislation establishes the first coordinated federal framework to reduce textile waste, improve data collection, and develop a national strategy to advance circularity in the textile industry.

“The GAO report confirmed what we’ve known for years: that textile waste is one of the fastest-growing waste streams in the U.S.; that it’s being driven largely by fast fashion; and that federal action is necessary to confront this crisis in a real, impactful way,” said Congresswoman Pingree. “This bill would help lay the foundation for that effort by creating a coordinated federal strategy to reduce textile waste and build a more circular textile economy. Our country has the resources and know-how to lead this effort on a global scale. It’s well past time we turn that potential into action—and help transform this wasteful industry into one that’s more efficient, more sustainable, and better for people and the planet.”

Specifically, the TWRA:

Directs the EPA Administrator to take coordinated federal action to advance textile circularity
Requires EPA to develop a comprehensive National Textile Circularity Strategy and conduct a needs assessment identifying the actions, investments, and policy priorities necessary to implement the strategy
Creates an Interagency Working Group on Textile Circularity to coordinate federal activities
Establishes an Advisory Board to provide recommendations to the Interagency Working Group
Requires EPA to identify and publish federal funding opportunities available to states, Tribal governments, local governments, and nongovernmental organizations that support textile circularity
Requires EPA to annually publish updated data on textile waste generation and management

Background:

Textile waste is now one of the fastest-growing waste streams in the United States, with millions of tons of textiles discarded each year and the vast majority ending up in landfills. These discarded materials may leach contaminants including PFAS and microplastics into water and soil and increase costs on communities grappling with capacity shortages at landfills.

Despite the harmful impacts of this fast fashion-driven increase in textile waste, there has been no coordinated effort at the federal level to tackle this problem and support a more circular textiles economy.

In addition, over the past several decades, hundreds of thousands of fiber and textile jobs that once sustained communities across America have shifted overseas, harming American farmers and communities in the process.

Pingree founded and launched the Congressional Slow Fashion Caucus in June 2024 to create climate-smart policies to reduce, repair, rewear, and recycle textiles. The caucus has garnered widespread support, including from American Circular Textiles, the Garment Worker Center, Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project, Patagonia, ThredUp, fashion designer and slow fashion influencer Kelly Dempsey, and more.

The full text of the bill can be found here.

Pingree is Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, which oversees the EPA.

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Pingree, Congressional Democrats Call Out Trump Admin’s Corrupt Offshore Wind Buyouts

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), joined members of Congress and labor and environmental advocates in front of the U.S. Capitol to speak out against the Trump administration’s continued attacks on offshore wind. Pingree joined Representatives Deborah Ross (D-N.C.), Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.) and Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.)—along with Kendall Martin, General Vice President of Ironworkers International, and Bob Keefe, Executive Director of E2 | Economy+Environment—to call attention to the lack of accountability around the corrupt, taxpayer-funded offshore wind buyout deals, which now cover 12 offshore wind leases and five developers. Since March, the Department of the Interior has made unprecedented use of the Treasury Department’s Judgment Fund to pay developers nearly $4 billion in taxpayer funds to vacate their offshore wind leases.

“The Trump administration is spending nearly $4 billion in taxpayer funds to cancel 12 offshore wind leases at the same time when Americans' utility bills are rising. Their priorities are completely out of whack," said Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (ME-01). “As Ranking Member of the Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, I take Congress’s power of the purse seriously. Taxpayers deserve to know who authorized these buyouts, how they were valued, and why the Judgment Fund was used. We need transparency, accountability, and more affordable, reliable domestic energy—not dirty deals that force taxpayers to pay for less of it.”

President Trump continues to wage his war on offshore wind amid rising electricity demand and skyrocketing energy bills. These cancellations jeopardize clean energy projects that would have delivered affordable, reliable energy to millions of U.S. households and businesses and hobble industries that create thousands of good-paying jobs across the country.

To date, the administration has bought out twelve offshore wind leases, including planned projects off the coasts of Maine, New York, New Jersey, California, North Carolina, and Massachusetts. Cancelling these leases takes away planned domestic power generation and hinders grid diversification, causing real reliability risks and higher energy bills for millions.

“I’ve seen firsthand what offshore wind and renewable energy can do for our communities. They can lower costs, provide new sources of power to our homes and businesses, and create good-paying jobs. My home state of North Carolina has been a long time leader in clean energy, including offshore wind," said Congresswoman Deborah Ross (NC-02). “The cancelled projects would have created thousands of good-paying jobs and powered over 300,000 homes. This is happening when we are already experiencing record-high electricity prices across our state. [...] President Trump and the Department of Energy put their political agenda ahead of North Carolina's economic and energy needs. Families cannot afford to pay the price for that.”

“What is so outrageous about these buyouts that are now totaling almost $4 billion of taxpayer money that’s just been lit on fire is that we’re going through a time when families are struggling," said Congressman Jared Huffman (CA-02). “We’ve got this industry ready to make major investments in coastal communities that will not only create jobs but will provide cheap and reliable clean power that will bring electric rates down. This is exactly what we need at this time.”

“The administration spent nearly $4 billion in taxpayer funds to illegally cancel promising offshore wind project leases across the country, including 2 of 3 in my district off of Morro Bay,” said Congressman Salud Carbajal (CA-24). “As families face higher energy costs because of the president’s disastrous war in Iran, these cancellations will just inflict more damage to our economy and family budgets—not to mention the big waste of taxpayer funds. I won’t let this extreme federal overreach go unchallenged, and I will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with all of my colleagues here and our communities affected by these cancelled leases to say yes to wind, no to dirty deals.”

“What is happening here? It’s just corruption on stilts. We need more affordable, made-in-America, union, ready-to-go power than ever before – and we need it to be clean, because climate change is getting worse and costing us millions and billions more every single year,” said Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts. “This is Economics 101. We’ve got a major supply and demand problem: Trump is killing our electricity supply at his donors’ demand. Instead of solving the energy affordability crisis he has created, Trump is blocking offshore wind from the grid. He’s taking union workers out of work by the tens of thousands. And to add insult to injury, he’s spending your money to do it.”

“Offshore wind is here, and it’s working. It’s saving ratepayers money, breaking our dependence on volatile foreign fuel markets, creating cleaner air, and putting thousands of American union members to work,” said Kendall Martin, General Vice President of Ironworkers International. “It is common sense to keep building this necessary infrastructure at a time of increasing energy demand. Union workers in offshore wind are just trying to do our jobs, pay our bills, and build something that leaves the planet a little better for our kids and grandkids. I ask the Trump administration to stop these senseless attacks on American energy and let us get to work.”

“It makes no sense to waste billions in taxpayer dollars paying companies not to build new energy sources – especially at a time when electricity demand and prices are soaring,” said Bob Keefe, Executive Director of E2 | Economy+Environment. “And we’re not just losing new made-in-America energy here. We’re losing new jobs, new investments, new tax revenues and new opportunities in coastal communities that could use a break.”

“While families face skyrocketing bills and worry about blackouts or power outages, offshore wind provides a cheaper, more reliable, and cleaner energy future for all of us,” said Sierra Club Chief Program Officer Holly Bender. “Offshore wind is here and ready to be deployed in the United States, but Donald Trump is hell-bent on creating obstacles that tip the scales in favor of fossil fuels. It is completely unacceptable that $4 billion of our taxpayer dollars have been wasted on paying off energy companies to cancel renewable energy projects and double down on fossil fuels. We are grateful for the support of our partners in Congress and together we will continue to fight for a healthier, more affordable, and cleaner future.”

“As if energy costs were not high enough, the Trump administration has spent almost four billion taxpayer dollars to keep our energy costs high by blocking affordable clean offshore wind energy,” said David Shadburn, Legislative Director at the League of Conservation Voters. “Trump is instead directing our tax dollars to new LNG export projects, shipping gas overseas and actually driving prices back home even higher, all while enriching Trump’s fossil fuel donors. We stand with clean energy leaders in Congress who are fighting to hold this administration to account and lower costs for working families.”

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House Passes Pingree Bill to Cut Diesel Pollution, Protect Maine Families

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) applauded the passage of the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act of 2025, bipartisan legislation aimed at protecting public health and lowering the cost of replacing older, heavily polluting diesel engines. Introduced by Pingree and Reps. Doris Matsui (D-Calif.), Ken Calvert (R-Calif.), and Nick Longworthy (R-N.Y.), the bill reauthorizes the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act program (DERA) through fiscal year 2029 at $100 million annually.

First created through the Energy Policy Act of 2005, DERA provides grants and rebates that help schools, local governments, small businesses, and fleet operators replace or upgrade older diesel-powered trucks, buses, construction equipment, and other heavy-duty engines.

“Diesel fuel powers Maine’s boats, ferries, buses, construction trucks, agricultural equipment, and more, but emissions from older diesel engines have serious consequences for public health and the environment. Since its passage in 2005, the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act has helped replace or retrofit nearly 100,000 diesel engines, vehicles, and pieces of equipment and deliver cleaner air and billions in public health benefits to communities across the country—including here in Maine,” said Congresswoman Pingree. “With Trump’s reckless war in Iran increasing volatility in global energy markets, and with the threats posed by climate change looming larger every day, Congress took a much-needed step today to reauthorize DERA so that we can continue to pursue solutions that help reduce our dependence on foreign energy and incentivize American consumers and businesses to embrace more efficient technologies. Reauthorizing this proven program will help us make progress on both fronts, while reducing pollution and improving air quality in Maine and across the country.”

“For more than two decades, DERA has been a model of effective, bipartisan policymaking,” said Congresswoman Matsui. “Under the program, California has replaced thousands of polluting trucks, tractors, and school buses, helping children breathe cleaner and healthier air as they ride to school. And now, as diesel prices reach $6 per gallon nationally, DERA is more important than ever. It doesn’t just save lives, it saves people money. I’m proud that the House voted to continue funding this practical, commonsense program.”

“Today’s passage of the bipartisan Diesel Emissions Reduction Act is a win for American workers, American manufacturing, and communities across the country,” said Congressman Langworthy. “This legislation will help replace aging diesel engines in school buses, snowplows, agricultural equipment, emergency vehicles, and other critical equipment with newer, American-made technology. That means cleaner air for our communities while supporting good-paying manufacturing jobs right here at home. I’m proud to have co-led this bipartisan effort with Congresswoman Matsui, and I urge the Senate to pass this bill and get it to the President's desk."

Diesel engines are known to produce an outsized share of pollutants that contribute to asthma, heart and lung disease, and premature death—but remain in service across the economy due to the significant cost of replacement.

Since its creation, DERA has helped retire these outdated engines sooner by lowering the cost of cleaner replacements, returning up to $30 in public-health benefits for every federal dollar invested. The program’s voluntary, technology-neutral model allows communities to choose the upgrades that best suit their needs.

Since 2008, the program has improved more than 76,900 vehicles and engines nationwide.

Pingree has long been a champion of the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act, cosponsoring its previous reauthorization in 2019.

Full text of the bill is available HERE.

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Responding to Pingree Request, GAO Finds USDA Has Done Too Little to Protect Farms and Forests from Climate-Driven Diseases and Pests

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), a longtime organic farmer and member of the House Agriculture Committee, is calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to swiftly implement recommendations from a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that examines the growing climate-related risks that diseases and pests pose to American farms and forests.

In September 2019, Pingree and former Representative Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.) asked GAO to undertake a broad examination of USDA’s climate-related work in agriculture, including the status of USDA Climate Hubs and additional actions the department could take. That oversight request previously produced a 2023 GAO report, which outlined 13 options for strengthening agricultural climate resilience. The latest report focuses on climate-related diseases and pests affecting both farms and forests.

For its latest review, GAO examined federal laws, regulations, agency guidance, and scientific literature; interviewed 84 government and nongovernment stakeholders; and conducted site visits in eight states, including Maine.

The report, “Agricultural Diseases and Pests: Nationwide Assessment and Strategy Needed to Enhance the Climate Resilience of Farms and Forests,” found that USDA has taken “few actions” to address these risks—and that staffing and funding for some of the programs doing this work have declined.

“Climate change is rewriting the rulebook for farming and forestry. Pests are moving beyond their typical boundaries, outbreaks are starting earlier and lasting longer, and some of the management methods farmers have relied on for years are becoming less effective. In Maine, where our economy and way of life depend on healthy farms and forests, this is not an abstract warning. It is already happening,” said Pingree. “USDA should be our first line of defense—providing farmers and forest landowners with reliable science, early warnings, and practical assistance. Instead, the Trump Administration is proposing deep cuts to the Climate Hubs and other programs while shedding the expertise needed to confront these threats. House Republicans have gone along with this and eliminated funds for Climate Hubs in the proposed fiscal year 2027 Agriculture Appropriations Bill. That is dangerously shortsighted. GAO has provided a practical roadmap, and USDA should act on both recommendations without delay.”

Among GAO’s key findings:

From 1960 through 2020, invasive species—including diseases and pests—cost the U.S. agricultural and forestry sectors at least $550 billion.
Climate change is expanding or shifting the geographic range of diseases and pests while increasing the timing, duration, and scale of outbreaks. The southern pine beetle, once concentrated in southern and mid-Atlantic states, has now been detected as far north as Maine.
Warmer winters are allowing pests such as corn earworm to appear earlier and in greater numbers, making some traditional pest-management methods less effective and potentially increasing crop losses and pesticide use.
USDA has not fully integrated disease and pest risks into its climate-resilience planning and has provided farmers and land managers with limited information and technical assistance addressing individual threats.
USDA Climate Hubs have supported research, forecasting tools, and outreach related to specific pests and diseases, but the hubs have lost staff and face proposed funding cuts.
The President’s fiscal year 2027 budget proposed cutting $153 million from Agricultural Research Service climate-science research and the Climate Hubs, as well as more than $300 million from Forest Service State, Private and Tribal Forestry activities.
An analysis published with the fiscal year 2024 President’s Budget estimated that, by 2100, climate change could increase federal crop-insurance payments by $300 million to $2.2 billion annually.

GAO requested updated information from USDA in April 2026, but the department did not respond. USDA also did not provide written comments stating whether it agreed or disagreed with GAO’s findings and recommendations.

The threats identified by GAO are already affecting Maine producers. Recent reporting by the Portland Press Herald described how Emma Sanchi of Crowfoot Farm in Lyman uses insect netting, row covers, and a high tunnel to protect vegetables from pests, diseases, and increasingly volatile weather. Sanchi has sought USDA assistance to construct another high tunnel—an investment that can cost more than $15,000. The article also highlighted efforts by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association to help farmers track and manage diseases encouraged by hotter, more humid conditions.

GAO made two recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture:

In consultation with agricultural and land-management stakeholders, conduct a nationwide assessment identifying and comparing the climate-related risks posed by agricultural and forest diseases and pests.
Use that assessment to develop a national strategy for managing the identified risks.

GAO identified four central areas for such a strategy:

Improve and coordinate disease and pest monitoring and surveillance;
Incorporate climate information into modeling and projections;
Coordinate and expand education, outreach, and technical assistance; and
Modify existing—or develop new—disease and pest management strategies.

“The longer USDA waits, the more expensive and difficult this problem will become,” Pingree said. “A nationwide risk assessment and coordinated strategy would help direct limited resources where they can do the most good, give producers the information they need, and reduce the growing costs borne by farmers, landowners, and taxpayers.”

Pingree’s letter to USDA Secretary Rollins is available here and copied below.

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Secretary Rollins,

I am writing to urge the U.S. Department of Agriculture to swiftly implement the recommendations in the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) recent report, Agricultural Diseases and Pests: Nationwide Assessment and Strategy Needed to Enhance the Climate Resilience of Farms and Forests. Farmers, ranchers, and foresters know all too well that the impacts of climate change are not distant or theoretical—they are already materializing on the ground and affecting their operations and livelihoods.

GAO found that USDA has taken few actions to enhance the resilience of farms and forests to climate‑related diseases and pests, despite clear trends showing rapidly escalating threats. USDA’s Climate Hubs—once instrumental in providing regionally tailored climate and pest information—have reduced their capacity at precisely the moment producers need them most.

The consequences of inaction are significant. Between 1960 and 2020, invasive species—including diseases and pests—cost U.S. agriculture and forestry at least $550 billion. Climate change is further compounding these risks. A 2024 analysis estimated that shifting climate conditions could increase federal crop insurance costs by $300 million to $2.2 billion annually. Given the scale of documented losses and projected future costs, it would be fiscally irresponsible for USDA to disregard these findings or delay action.

The GAO report lays out a practical, forward-looking roadmap that USDA should adopt without delay. The first step is for USDA, in consultation with stakeholders across the agricultural and land-management communities, to conduct a nationwide risk assessment to identify and assess the relative risks of climate‑related diseases and pests. Such an assessment would provide the analytical foundation for a national strategy to confront these threats before they escalate further. GAO identified four key activities that should inform such a strategy: “improve and coordinate monitoring and surveillances of diseases and pests, incorporate climate information into modeling and projection data, coordinate and expand education, outreach, and technical assistance, and modify existing or develop new diseases and pest management strategies.”

Farmers and foresters across Maine are already being forced to adapt to unpredictable and extreme weather, pest outbreaks, and shifting growing seasons. Visit with any producer across the country and their stories will confirm the urgent need for USDA leadership. Farmers in my state have seen dramatic increases in pest populations, requiring many to spend thousands of dollars investing in netting and high tunnels to protect their crops. Others have faced late freezes, heavy rainfall, extreme heat, and drought that have damaged or destroyed crops. Some have also struggled to obtain timely crop insurance or disaster assistance to recover from these losses. As the report notes, rising temperatures have enabled the southern pine beetle to expand its range into forests as far north as Maine. The resulting tree death and damage can leave forests more vulnerable to future insect outbreaks and wildfires.

These stories demonstrate that climate change is not a distant threat—it is a daily reality for Maine farmers, who are innovating and adapting but cannot shoulder the burden alone. USDA must meet this moment with urgency, leadership, and a clear commitment to implementing the GAO’s recommendations.

Thank you for your attention to this critical issue. I look forward to your response to assist farmers, ranchers, and foresters facing the impacts of climate change and your plans to reduce climate-related risks to American agriculture and forestry while protecting taxpayers from avoidable future costs.

Sincerely,

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Ranking Member Pingree Slams Interior Plan to Carve Up Yosemite for Private Development

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, is pushing back against the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) proposed land exchange in Yosemite National Park. The project is listed as DOI’s sixth most important priority—even though Interior has acknowledged that it has not identified the parcel it intends to exchange.

In a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Pingree warns that the Department is seeking approval without identifying the property involved or demonstrating any public benefit.

“Given the complete absence of any demonstrated conservation or other public benefit, the unavoidable conclusion is that this project has been deemed a departmental priority to advance a private transaction rather than a public purpose,” Pingree said. “The Land and Water Conservation Fund exists to safeguard land for the American people—not to serve as a federal concierge for a private landowner’s real estate ambitions. Absent compelling evidence to the contrary, which has not been provided by the Department, this project should not move forward.”

The full letter is available here and is copied below.

Congress established the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) in 1964 to protect natural areas, water resources, and cultural heritage while expanding outdoor recreation access. At no cost to taxpayers, LWCF provides matching grants to Tribal, state and local governments to support the acquisition and development of land for public parks and other outdoor recreation sites. Congress permanently reauthorized the program in 2019, and the Great American Outdoors Act of 2020 provided it with $900 million in permanent annual funding.

The proposed Yosemite exchange involves Kingsbarn Realty Capital, which owns the approximately 83-acre Hazel Green Ranch along the park’s western boundary. The developer has said it is seeking approximately 1.1 acres of federal land to construct a roughly 700-foot road connecting a planned lodging development to Big Oak Flat Road inside Yosemite. In return, it would acquire and transfer property of equal value in California, but that replacement property has not been identified. A previous owner of Hazel Green Ranch pursued separate easement claims seeking more direct access through Yosemite, but a federal district court dismissed those claims, and the Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal in 2012.

Interior has said no final decision has been made and that any proposal moving forward would be subject to environmental review and public notification.

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Dear Secretary Burgum:

I am writing in response to the Land and Water Conservation Fund project lists that the Department of the Interior (DOI) submitted for Fiscal Year 2026. As required by Section 428(2)(A) of Public Law 119-74, these lists are subject to the Committee’s reprogramming guidelines.

I strongly oppose proceeding with the land exchange project in Yosemite National Park, priority number 6. In its communication with the Committee, DOI asserted that this land exchange is a priority while acknowledging that it has not identified an exchange parcel. Therefore, the National Park Service cannot possibly have assessed the public benefit or suitability of the exchange. DOI is effectively asking the Committee to approve a solution before it has identified either the property involved or the public purpose served. Given the complete absence of any demonstrated conservation or other public benefit, the unavoidable conclusion is that this project has been deemed a departmental priority to advance a private transaction rather than a public purpose. The Land and Water Conservation Fund exists to safeguard land for the American people—not to serve as a federal concierge for a private landowner’s real estate ambitions. Absent compelling evidence to the contrary, which has not been provided by the Department, this project should not move forward.

Additionally, I am deeply troubled by the omission of certain Fish and Wildlife land acquisition projects, for which the Department has routinely requested funding for over recent years and for which additional funding needs remain. The information provided by the Department to date about the prioritization of projects in the Fish and Wildlife Service Fiscal Year 2026 land acquisition and supplemental lists has been wholly inadequate and provides no meaningful basis for evaluating these unexplained omissions.

Since these lists were transmitted to the Committee, staff have asked for additional details. To date, DOI has failed to provide sufficient responses to the requested information. Accordingly, I ask that the Department immediately provide complete responses to the Committee.

I appreciate your prompt attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

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Pingree: Trump’s Arch Tests Whether Congress Will Defend Its Own Power

Tue, 08 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, is calling on Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) to file a lawsuit on behalf of Congress to block construction of President Trump’s 250-foot arch. Pingree’s letter comes after the Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced they’d be breaking ground at Memorial Circle—which sits directly in the sightline between Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial—within two weeks, ignoring a pending lawsuit and bypassing Congressional authorization. Pingree argues that Congress has neither appropriated funding nor granted authority for this project under the Commemorative Works Act.

“Congress is the institution whose appropriations power and Commemorative Works Act authority this Administration is bypassing outright. That is a concrete, particularized injury, traceable directly to the Administration's own conduct and redressable by a court order halting construction,” Pingree said. “If the Administration wants to hide behind a standing argument, let it make that case against the body whose laws it is violating.”

Three Vietnam War veterans have sued the Trump Administration over the proposed arch, arguing that the arch would “dishonor their military and foreign service.”

“Americans are watching this White House pour concrete over the rules of their own government, and they are furious,” Pingree continued. “That fury runs deepest among veterans and Gold Star families. […] Gold Star families who walk through Arlington's gates to visit their loved ones would have to do it in the shadow of a 250-foot tribute to a man who, when asked who the monument was for, reportedly answered, ‘Me.’”

On Friday, Trump’s DOJ filed a notice of supplemental authority in the veterans’ lawsuit, Lemmon v. Trump, citing the Supreme Court's August 31 decision concerning the White House ballroom in support of its standing arguments in the pending arch litigation. Pingree, however, argues that Chief Justice Roberts’ dissenting argument stating that the ballroom construction was "likely unlawful" and emphasizing that the Court was allowing construction to proceed on standing grounds, not because the construction was legal, expressly puts the ball in Congress’s court to act.

“Mr. Speaker, this Administration is testing whether Congress will defend its own authority. This case is therefore an institutional obligation, not a dispute about architectural taste or party politics,” Pingree said. “The House has the standing, the authority, and the obligation to stop this before the excavators arrive. The window to act is closing; unless Congress intervenes, this project will irreversibly alter one of our nation’s most sacred landscapes, and you will have allowed Congress to further cede its constitutional authority to the Executive Branch.

During the House Appropriations Committee markups of FY2027 funding bills, Pingree submitted amendments to block construction of the arch, including one that would have required the Secretary of the Army, in coordination with Arlington National Cemetery, to conduct a study on the impact of construction of the Triumphal Arch on veterans, family members, and other visitors to Arlington National Cemetery.

The complete letter is available here and is copied below.

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Dear Mr. Speaker:

I am writing with extreme urgency to call on you to file a lawsuit on behalf of the United States Congress to stop construction of the 250-foot arch at Memorial Circle before it breaks ground. Congress has neither appropriated funding nor granted authority for this project under the Commemorative Works Act. The Administration is building it anyway, betting this body will do nothing to stop it. I am asking you to take all necessary steps to file suit immediately, while there is still ground left to save.

On September 3, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced on social media that excavation for what he called the "Great Triumphal Arch and Military Observation Deck" would begin within two weeks, framing it as the end of "a very long wait (over 125 years!)." That same day, Department of Justice lawyers filed a notice of supplemental authority in Lemmon v. Trump, a pending lawsuit that challenges construction of the arch.

The Administration invoked the Supreme Court's August 31 decision concerning the White House ballroom in support of its standing arguments in the pending arch litigation. That decision does not establish that the Executive may disregard Congress. The Court expressly stated, "we do not pass upon the legality of the government's East Wing project." It concluded only that the private organization before it was unlikely to establish Article III standing and that the remaining stay factors favored relief. Chief Justice Roberts, dissenting, stated that the ballroom construction was "likely unlawful" and emphasized that the Court was allowing construction to proceed on standing grounds, not because the construction was legal.

Congress is the institution whose appropriations power and Commemorative Works Act authority this Administration is bypassing outright. That is a concrete, particularized injury, traceable directly to the Administration's own conduct and redressable by a court order halting construction. If the Administration wants to hide behind a standing argument, let it make that case against the body whose laws it is violating.

Americans are watching this White House pour concrete over the rules of their own government, and they are furious. That fury runs deepest among veterans and Gold Star families. Three Vietnam War veterans are the lead plaintiffs in Lemmon v. Trump, arguing that the arch would "dishonor their military and foreign service." Their case is being fought steps from Arlington National Cemetery, where an estimated 400,000 service members, veterans, and their relatives are buried.

The site sits along the route funeral processions use to reach the cemetery's gates and less than two miles from Reagan National Airport's flight path. The arch would rise directly on the line of sight between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington House, a corridor built to symbolize the nation's reunification after the Civil War, the same war in which Maine sent a higher share of its people into the Union Army than any other state. Maine is home to nearly 100,000 veterans, among the highest concentrations in the country, and not one of them asked for a monument like this. Gold Star families who walk through Arlington's gates to visit their loved ones would have to do it in the shadow of a 250-foot tribute to a man who, when asked who the monument was for, reportedly answered, "Me."

Mr. Speaker, this Administration is testing whether Congress will defend its own authority. This case is therefore an institutional obligation, not a dispute about architectural taste or party politics. The House has the standing, the authority, and the obligation to stop this before the excavators arrive. The window to act is closing; unless Congress intervenes, this project will irreversibly alter one of our nation’s most sacred landscapes, and you will have allowed Congress to further cede its constitutional authority to the Executive Branch.

Sincerely,

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Ranking Member Pingree Statement on Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch

Tue, 08 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), the top Democrat on the Appropriations Subcommittee that oversees the Smithsonian Institution, released the following statement on Secretary Lonnie Bunch’s resignation:

Secretary Lonnie Bunch is a trailblazing historian and dedicated public servant who has devoted nearly four decades to the Smithsonian. From bringing the National Museum of African American History and Culture to life to becoming the institution’s first Black Secretary, his extraordinary leadership has strengthened the Smithsonian and enriched our nation.

Secretary Bunch has guided the Smithsonian through a period of unprecedented political interference while remaining committed to scholarship, expertise, and the public trust. Under his leadership, the Smithsonian continued to do what it does best: tell America’s story truthfully and completely—the good and the bad, the tragic and triumphant.

I am deeply grateful for Secretary Bunch’s service and wish him well in his next chapter. His departure comes at a consequential moment for this treasured American institution. As Ranking Member of the subcommittee that oversees the Smithsonian, I will continue fighting to ensure the institution has the resources, expertise, and curatorial independence necessary to fulfill its mission free from White House interference. The Smithsonian belongs to the American people, and no president has the right to erase, soften, or rewrite our history.

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Pingree, Homeland Democrats Host Hearing on ICE’s Deadly Use of Force in Biddeford

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, U.S. Reps. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), and Rep. Troy Carter (D-La.), a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, hosted a Democratic shadow hearing examining Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) use of force and abuse of power following the tragic killing of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in Biddeford.

The hearing, titled “Seeking Justice in Biddeford: Oversight of ICE’s Use of Force in the Death of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero,” brought Members of Congress to Maine to hear directly from the Durán Guerrero family’s legal representation, local officials, and immigrant rights advocates about the investigation, the need for accountability, and the effects of ICE operations on communities across the state.

Click here to watch the full hearing.

“Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero should be alive today. His family deserves answers, and the people of Biddeford deserve to know how an ICE operation in their community ended in an innocent man’s death. Today’s testimony laid bare the devastating human cost of allowing ICE to operate with impunity in our communities and underscored the urgent need for transparency and accountability,” said Pingree. “As demonstrated today by their absence and utter ambivalence to the terror ICE is inflicting across the country, Republicans refuse to hold this Administration accountable for the atrocities committed using Americans’ tax dollars. My Democratic colleagues and I will keep fighting for the truth, for justice for Johan and his loved ones, and for safeguards to ensure no other family has to endure a tragedy like this.”

“Today’s hearing made clear that the Durán family deserves accountability and justice for Johan’s Sebastian’s death. ICE cannot continue using reckless and deadly force without consequence,” said Ranking Member Thompson. “Congress must hold this agency accountable before another family is forced to endure this kind of tragedy.”

"While Republicans continue to fund, greenlight, and cover up for ICE, Democrats are shining a light on the truth. And the truth is these are not protectors. This is a masked, secret police force that has terrorized children, trampled on our Constitution, and wielded violence as a political weapon,” said Democratic Whip Katherine Clark. “We will continue fighting to secure justice for Johan, for his family, and for every American who has been targeted by this unhinged administration."

"We must hold the line against the Trump administration's reckless, unaccountable immigration enforcement. The killing of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero is not an isolated incident. It fits a pattern of ICE agents operating with impunity in communities across the country, from Louisiana to Maine. Democrats are stepping up when Republicans in Congress have failed to act, demanding the transparency and accountability that ICE and the Trump administration have refused to provide. The rule of law must still mean something in America, and that means no person, whether a mother detained without warning, a student punished for speaking out, or a man killed by the very agents meant to protect and serve, should be denied justice. Congress has a constitutional duty to conduct oversight, and we intend to fulfill it until ICE is held accountable," said Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (LA-02).

Witnesses included Biddeford Mayor Liam LaFountain; Ben Gideon, legal representative for the Durán Guerrero family; Sue Roche, Executive Director of the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project; Mufalo Chitam, Executive Director of the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition; and Crystal Cron, Executive Director of Presente! Maine.

“A federal force came into my city, exercised one of the most extraordinary powers the government possesses—the use of deadly force—and left the consequences for Johan's family and our small community to carry,” said Mayor Liam LaFountain. “An arrest can be challenged. A removal order can be reviewed. A death, however, cannot be reversed—not by Congress, not by a court, not by this Committee. That is why the safeguards around deadly force should be the strongest we have. And yet in Biddeford on the morning of July 13, they were the weakest.Biddeford is a city of 23,000 people. We were left to absorb the aftermath of that federal law-enforcement operation without federal support.”

“[...] What happened in Biddeford, Maine, in the early morning hours of July 13, was the result of intentional policies and decisions—at the highest levels of our government-that treat the killing of innocent people as acceptable collateral damage,” said Gideon. “We know it's not an unintended, random occurrence, because it keeps happening, over and over again, in Minnesota, and Houston, and now in Biddeford. We know it's not an unintended, random occurrence because there is no remorse, no apology or even the slightest concern shown to those whose lives have been destroyed. And we know it's not an unintended, random occurrence because there has been no effort to investigate the causes of what happened, or to change anything to stop it from happening again.”

“People come for our mountains, coast, and small towns. But people stay because of something deeper: community. Maine is a place where neighbors shovel each other's driveways, bring food when a family is struggling, and check in on each other,” said Chitam. “For immigrant families, that is part of what makes Maine home.VAnd on July 13, something about that sense of home was shattered. Before Johan Sebastián Guerrero was killed in Biddeford, people feared what an encounter with ICE could mean. After July 13, their reality became all too clear—an encounter could mean they may never return home. A father left for an ordinary day and did not come home.”

“Johan's death is not an isolated tragedy. It is part of a system that has inflicted fear, separation, detention, and death on immigrant communities. The responsibility for his death, and the many deaths by immigration police and in ICE detention this year, is a collective one,” said Cron. “Maine people have been clear about what is needed. ICE out of Maine, ICE out from everywhere. The abolishment of ICE and all immigration policing is one of many steps toward repair. It is not the last. Today, Presente! Maine is calling on Congress to pass Congresswoman Ramirez and Congresswoman Clarke's Melt ICE Act to end DHS's funding to detain and monitor immigrants and reinvest those funds into services that support life. We ask you to mourn and grieve Johan Sebastián's life by abolishing ICE and ending all funding for immigration policing. Our healing and future depend on it."

“Johan Sebastián’s death is a devastating tragedy, felt by his family, the Biddeford community, and all of Maine. It is also not an isolated incident, and it was not an accident. It is the direct and foreseeable result of deliberate federal policy choices, rooted in racism and dehumanization,” said Roche. “ICE is an imminent public safety threat and must get out of our communities now. The billions of dollars that have been appropriated to immigration enforcement are wholly unjustifiable. Congress should take all steps to defund and dismantle ICE and put those taxpayer dollars towards the public good.”

Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero’s father, Omar Durán Plata, and Maine Governor Janet Mills delivered remarks to open the hearing. Their statements, as well as those who testified, will be entered into the Congressional record.

“Our son was a wonderful person—responsible, honest, and loving. These are the values we taught him in our home. He was known for his big smile, his big, kind heart, and for always being willing to help others,” said Durán Plata. “Our son always worked hard to give the best he could to his little family, but also to us as his parents and to his sisters. Johan Sebastian always looked out for his mother, who suffered from breast cancer. Our son was always there, giving her the strength and support she needed to keep going. Despite the distance, he was always there for her, with a message or a phone call. Our dream was always to be reunited and to hold each other again. Today that dream can no longer come true. We do not know how to go on with life without you, son. We only hope we can find the strength to continue.”

“The people of Maine—like people across the country—do not want to live in fear in their own communities. They do not want to see their loved ones and peace-abiding neighbors struck down by federal agents,” Governor Mills said. “They do want to see qualified law enforcement agents cracking down on human trafficking, labor violations and illegal drug dealing. But they do not want federal agents roaming peaceful neighborhoods and stopping people for noncriminal behavior, stopping them based on the color of their skin, their accent, their ethnic origin or their status as a foreign born individual.”

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King, Pingree Lead Push to Protect Federal Workforce at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 04:00:00 GMT

U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), and U.S Representative Chellie Pingree (D-ME-01), are urging the administration to withdraw a proposed rule that would weaken longstanding civil service protections for federal employees, including the nearly 8,000 civilian workers at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY). In a letter to Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Acting Director Charles Ezell and the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) Chairman Cathy Harris, the lawmakers warned that the proposal would make it more difficult to recruit and retain the skilled civilian workforce responsible for maintaining the Navy's submarine fleet, ultimately threatening national security.

"We write in strong opposition to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB)'s proposed rule 'Promoting Employee Accountability,’” the lawmakers began. “This proposed rule would weaken longstanding civil service protections that promote merit-based employment, due process and the recruitment and retention of skilled workers. Moreover, as Members of Congress who represent nearly eight thousand civilian workers at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, we are concerned about the proposed rule's impact on workers essential to our national security."

"By stripping away the procedures that keep discipline fair for civilian employees doing the work of naval readiness... the proposed rule introduces costly unpredictability in the workforce and needlessly undermines readiness. We are concerned this will increase attrition in the critical and experienced workforce that keeps our submarine fleet ready... We, therefore, ask you to withdraw OPM and MSPB's proposed rule," the lawmakers concluded.

Joining King and Pingree on the letter are U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH), and U.S. Representatives Maggie Goodlander (D-NH-02) and Chris Pappas (D-NH-01).

The full text of the letter can be found here and below.

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Director Kupor and Acting Chairman Kerner,

We write in strong opposition to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB)’s proposed rule “Promoting Employee Accountability,” Docket OPM-2025-0012 (RIN 3206-AO91). This proposed rule would weaken longstanding civil service protections that promote merit-based employment, due process and the recruitmentand retention of skilled workers. Moreover, as Members of Congress who represent nearly eight thousand civilian workers at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, we are concerned about the proposed rule’s impact on workers essential to our national security.

OPM and MSPB’s joint notice of proposed rulemaking issued on July 2, 2026, unnecessarily weakens civil service protections and undermines workers’ rights to challenge removal. Current law provides agencies with the authority to address misconduct and poor performance while ensuring personnel decisions are appropriate, fair and consistent. This rulewould impose a short 30-day limit for performance improvement periods and make termination the default penalty. Theshortened window, coupled with termination as the default, could result in the loss of skilled workers who could have improved their performance if given sufficient time. Furthermore, the proposed rule weakens workers’ ability to challenge disciplinary measures by barring the use of union time to represent workers in removal proceedings.

Since the MSPB’s decision in Douglas v. Veterans Administration in 1981, agencies must consider 12 factors when examining the reasonableness of an agency’s proposed penalty for adverse action taken under 5 U.S.C. 7513. These include considering mitigating circumstances, rehabilitation potential and length of service. For nearly 50 years across Republican and Democratic administrations, these consistent standards have provided fairness to federal workers facing accusations of misconduct and created a framework for determining approportionate responses. OPM’s and MSPB’s proposal would instead require agencies to rely on an arbitrary, case-by-case examination of whether disciplinary action is reasonable given the “totality of circumstances” and explicitly states that “noparticular factors must be considered in every case.” This could allow agencies to ignore important mitigating factors and more easily remove skilled workers with strong rehabilitation potential from critical industries.

As you are no doubt aware, the men and women who work at our public shipyards are critical members of our defenseindustrial base, without whom the ability to repair, retrofit and refuel our country’s submarines would be in jeopardy. In our states, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY) has nearly eight thousand civilian employees, creating more than $1.5 billion in annual economic impact in surrounding communities. As our military’s “pacing threat,” the People’s Republic of China, is rapidly expanding its nuclear weapons programs, the role that our own submarines play in the survivability of our nuclear triad cannot be overstated. In fact, PNSY currently needs to hire over 700 workers annually to meet the Navy’s demand – which is an increase from 550 over the past two years. Further, policies that reduce workplace protections risk making federal service less attractive to qualified candidates. Due to civilian hiring quotas imposed by the Office of Personnel Management, PNSY has struggled to onboard workers and cannot risk additional delays or departures. If the Administration intends to retain this political litmus test at our public shipyards, the costs of unnecessarily losing more skilled workers through this proposed rule far outweigh any potential benefit.

By stripping away the procedures that keep discipline fair for civilian employees doing the work of naval readiness and refusing toconsider important factors, the proposed rule introduces costly unpredictability in the workforce and needlessly undermines readiness. We are concerned this will increase attrition in the critical and experienced workforce that keeps our submarine fleet ready, ultimately harming the shipyard’s ability to meet the Navy’s needs and threatening our national security.

We, therefore, ask you to withdraw OPM and MSPB’s proposed rule, “Promoting Employee Accountability,” and consider alternatives that preserve federal workers’ longstanding civil service protections.

Sincerely,

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Reps. Pingree, Valadao and Sens. Ernst, Padilla Recognize American Producers During National Farmers Market Week

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 04:00:00 GMT

U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and David Valadao (R-Calif.), along with Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), reintroduced a bipartisan resolution designating August 2–8, 2026, as National Farmers Market Week. This resolution honors the critical role farmers markets play in bridging the gap between urban and rural communities, helping people better understand the realities of farming and ranching.

“Farmers markets have been a cherished tradition in communities across America for generations. A quarter of Maine farms sell directly to consumers, with more than 100 farmers markets currently operating in our state,” said Congresswoman Pingree, a longtime organic farmer and co-chair of both the Organic Caucus and the Food Recovery Caucus. “By connecting local growers with their communities, farmers markets not only help put healthy food on the table, but also strengthen local economies and help preserve Maine’s agricultural traditions for future generations. This bipartisan, bicameral resolution reminds us that, in red states and blue states alike, farmers markets can be a force for good—and an important part of building a stronger, more resilient food system for all Americans.”

“The Central Valley grows a quarter of our nation’s food on less than one percent of America’s farmland, yet too many people living in urban areas don’t realize what it takes to get food from field to table,” said Congressman Valadao. “Farmers markets provide a valuable opportunity to connect people with the hardworking producers who feed our nation, and they highlight the important role agriculture plays in our communities. I’m proud to join my colleagues in recognizing National Farmers Market Week and honoring the contributions of our CA-22 producers working to support food access, bolster local economies, promote healthy living, and foster sustainable farming.”

“California is home to more than 800 farmers markets that nourish our families, bolster the local economy, and cultivate thoughtful relationships between growers and consumers,” said Senator Padilla. “We cherish these shared spaces which are a vibrant, dependable source of nutrition for our state. I’m proud to lead this Senate resolution celebrating National Farmer’s Market Week to support our local farmers who feed our families and strengthen our communities.”

“Agriculture is the heart of Iowa, and farmers markets make it easier for Iowans to buy fresh, locally grown food in communities across our state,” said Senator Ernst. “I’m proud to lead a bipartisan resolution designating Aug. 2-8 as National Farmers Market Week to recognize the tireless work of our farmers, ranchers, and producers who put nutritious food on Americans’ tables every day.”

Read the resolution here.

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