Latest news with #Pingree
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Maine's members of Congress split on Trump deploying National Guard, Marines to protests
Demonstrators protest outside a downtown jail in Los Angeles following two days of clashes with police during a series of immigration raids on June 8, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by) Maine's congressional delegation have varying stances on President Donald Trump deploying the National Guard and Marines to quell protests over the administration's workplace immigration raids in Los Angeles. Democratic U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree called the move an abuse of power. Independent U.S. Sen. Angus King said it doesn't appear justified. Maine's other Democratic representative, Jared Golden, and Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins did not condemn the deployment of troops. Collins called it an appropriate use of the National Guard, but not the Marines or other active duty military personnel. 'The National Guard often responds to domestic emergencies and is well-trained to do so,' Collins said in a statement. 'The Marines should only be involved in domestic disturbances in the most extreme emergencies.' The legality of the deployment is currently being debated in court. This is the first time a president has activated a state's National Guard since 1965 without a request from a governor — something Gov. Janet Mills and other Democratic governors condemned in a joint statement. California Gov. Gavin Newsom sued Trump over the deployment, arguing it is a violation of state sovereignty. Meanwhile, Trump told reporters on the White House South Lawn that he endorsed the idea of White House border czar Tom Homan arresting Newsom. Trump later deployed Marines on Monday. The city's police chief has warned that without coordination the Marines' arrival could cause operational challenges and stated that local law enforcement remain confident in their ability to handle large-scale demonstrations. Pingree offered the most pointed critique, saying what's happening in California should alarm everyone. 'The President is manufacturing a crisis to deliberately inflame tensions in one of America's largest cities,' Pingree said in a statement to Maine Morning Star. 'It's a flagrant abuse of power, egregious federal overreach, and a chilling attempt to turn our military into a political weapon.' Pingree also put a price tag on the action, estimating that the mobilization has already cost taxpayers $134 million. Further, the representative condemned the sweeps being carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 'The people of Los Angeles are seeing their neighbors being swept up in unprecedented ICE raids, meant to fill quotas rather than make our communities safer,' Pingree said. 'These aren't violent criminals. They're workers waiting for jobs and families going home from church, who are suddenly being detained and deported without a shred of due process.' King stopped short of labeling the deployment as overreach but said that he does not believe the preconditions of the underlying statute Trump cited in justifying his federalization of the National Guard, 10 U.S.C. 12406, have been met. These include an invasion or threat of invasion, rebellion or danger of rebellion and that the president is unable to execute the law with regular forces. 'There has been no evidence of any invasion or rebellion,' King said. 'And while a protest could have some impermissible violent actions, it does not constitute a rebellion. Equally important, the history of the use of these provisions has been very rare, and almost always, at the request [of] the governor of the state. To send in the National Guard over the objection of the governor of the state is almost unheard of and certainly doesn't appear justified in this case.' King also made a point to state that he does not 'in any way condone violence or property damage by the people who are protesting,' but believes the response should be proportional and the use of military personnel should be a last resort. Collins and Golden focused on the protesters in comments about what's happening in Los Angeles. While Trump and his allies have called the protesters 'insurrectionists,' officials in California have called Trump's response an overreaction to mostly peaceful demonstrations. Spokesperson Mario Moretto pointed to Golden's comments on social media in response to a request about his stance, in which the representative wrote, 'I encourage demonstrators to exercise their rights peacefully and lawfully, and my expectation is that members of the armed services on the ground will support local law enforcement with the discipline and professionalism that is the bedrock of our military community.' While not stating whether he supports the deployment of the National Guard or Marines, Golden, who served in the Marine Corps, said he rejects Trump's strategy of 'they spit, we hit,' referring to the president's comment threatening protestors of physical harm if they spit on police or troops. Meanwhile Collins shared in a statement to Maine Morning Star, 'Violence, threats, and the destruction of property are not acceptable forms of protest.' Collins added that she believes it's important for federal, state, and local leaders to coordinate their response to the demonstrations. 'Our law enforcement personnel who are on the ground dealing with this dangerous situation need clear direction and support,' Collins said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hannah Pingree announces run for Maine governor
Jun. 10—Hannah Pingree is running for governor, adding her name to a list of well-known candidates battling it for the Democratic nomination in 2026. Pingree made her formal announcement Tuesday morning and is kicking off her campaign with a rally in Rockland and then hold additional events in Lewiston, Biddeford and Portland. "I am running for Governor to bring Maine people together to do the hard things that none of us can do by ourselves," Pingree said in the written announcement. "As a state, we face real challenges—but I also know we have real opportunities. I believe in Maine, and I believe in Mainers. I'm ready to travel the state to listen, to learn, and to talk about how we can build a strong future for Maine." Pingree said her campaign will focus on expanding access to affordable housing and health care, addressing the rising cost of living and building strong communities. She said she is "committed to growing the economy, creating good-paying jobs in every region and strengthening Maine's workforce for the future," as well as protecting working waterfronts, farms and forests from the impacts of climate change. Pingree, a former speaker of the Maine House, joins a slate of well-known Democrats looking to replace Gov. Janet Mills, who cannot seek reelection because of term limits. Other declared Democrats include former Senate President Troy Jackson, of Allagash, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, of Manchester, and renewable energy entrepreneur Angus King III. Pingree is the daughter of U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-1st District, and King is the son of U.S. Sen. Angus King an independent. Pingree formerly served as the director of the Governor's Office of Policy and Innovation, where she helped coordinate cross-agency initiatives for climate change, housing, children and aging. Pingree resigned last month, fueling speculation that she would seek the Democratic nomination for the 2026 governor's race. "Gov. Mills has given me a tremendous opportunity to work on issues that are important to Maine," Pingree said at the time. "Housing, climate, economic recovery. I am leaving the administration. I am exploring how to continue to focus on the future." Prior to joining the Mills administration, the 48-year-old North Haven resident served four terms in the Maine House of Representatives, including stints as the speaker and majority leader. She also helped run a family farm and inn. Republicans also will have a number of choices in their party's June 2026 gubernatorial primary. Bobby Charles, a Leeds resident and lawyer who served under President George W. Bush, announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination in April. State Sen. James Libby, R-Standish, declared last month. Other candidates who have filed campaign paperwork with the state are: Republicans David Jones, of Falmouth; Steven Shepherd, of Bangor; Robert Wessels, of South Paris; and Ken Capron, of Portland; Democrat Kenneth Pinette, of South Portland; and Alexander Murchison, an unenrolled candidate from Dover-Foxcroft. Democrats have held a trifecta since Mills took office in 2019, maintaining majorities in both the House and Senate. But the party is facing historic headwinds in 2026. Since the 1950s, Mainers have not elected a candidate from the same political party as a departing governor — a trend that began after Maine had five consecutive Republican governors from 1937 through 1955. Copy the Story Link
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hannah Pingree officially launches bid for governor
Hannah Pingree is running for governor in the 2026 Democratic primary. (Official headshot) Hannah Pingree officially launched her campaign for governor after months of speculation about the candidacy of the former Mills administration official and speaker of the Maine House of Representatives. Pingree, the daughter of U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, will join at least three other Democratic candidates facing off in the gubernatorial primary next June, including Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, former Senate President Troy Jackson and Angus King III, the son of independent U.S. Sen. Angus King. She kicked off the campaign with several planned stops around the state on Tuesday, starting with a rally in Rockland, scheduled meetings with local leaders in Lewiston and Biddeford before capping off the day with a celebration in Portland. Pingree left her role as head of Gov. Janet Mills' Office of Policy Innovation and the Future, also known as GOPIF, which she held since 2019. The office was created to recommend policy solutions for some of the state's biggest issues including climate change, housing, workforce development, the opioid crisis and more. Under Pingree's leadership, GOPIF helped advance legislation that created the Maine Climate Council to support the state in meeting its greenhouse gas emission reduction goals while investing in local infrastructure. Pingree served as co-chair of the council, which authored the state's climate action plan that outlines strategies for electrifying transportation and home heating, among other initiatives. When Pingree stepped down from that role, Mills said in a statement, 'She and her team … have exceeded my expectations at every step, and I look forward to watching her do great things for Maine in the years to come.' In her campaign announcement, Pingree said her vision for Maine's future was 'rooted in economic opportunity, climate resilience, affordable housing and health care, and strong, connected communities.' Before working in the Mills administration, Pingree served four terms in the Maine Legislature including two years as speaker of the state House of Representatives. In a poll released last week by Pan Atlantic Research, Pingree came in third among likely Democratic voters, with 20% percent of respondents saying they would likely support her, and another 39% saying they would consider supporting the congresswoman's daughter, though at the time she had not yet officially announced a run. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Rep. Pingree decries cuts to Planned Parenthood, Medicaid
May 28—Rep. Chellie Pingree on Wednesday slammed the House Republicans' budget bill for targeting Planned Parenthood's federal funding and for the bill's overall health cutbacks to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. "If this bill passes, you would be seeing a massive loss in access to health care," Pingree, D-1st District, said during a roundtable discussion she hosted at Planned Parenthood of Northern New England offices in Portland. Nicole Clegg, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Northern New England — which provides abortion care, reproductive health care and other primary care services — said the nonprofit would stand to lose about $5.2 million in federal funding if the current version of the bill is signed into law. That represents about half of the annual revenue for the nonprofit, which serves Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. "Everything is on the table," Clegg said when asked if clinics and service lines could shut down. "That is a tragedy." Planned Parenthood operates clinics in Portland, Biddeford, Topsham and Sanford. Clegg said the bill is "about targeting states where abortion is legal and making it impossible to access." Federal funding does not pay for abortions, but Planned Parenthood receives federal dollars for its other health care services, including through Medicaid. Maine Family Planning, the state's other abortion provider, is not specifically targeted in the bill the way Planned Parenthood is, but it would be affected by the health care cutbacks in the bill. Besides Planned Parenthood clinics across the country being under threat, the House bill would also result in about 14 million Americans becoming uninsured, including a projected 38,000 people in Maine. The increase in the uninsured rate and other cutbacks to to health care will result in rural hospitals closing, a sicker population and insurance rates increasing, Pingree said. Republicans who voted in favor of the bill argue that it's rooting out "waste, fraud and abuse" in Medicaid, and that government is bloated and needs to be cut. "We're not doing any cutting of anything meaningful," President Donald Trump told reporters after the bill passed the House. The bill has yet to be taken up in the Senate, where Republicans hold a four-seat majority. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, has said she's against Medicaid cutbacks, but has also said she would be willing to consider "reasonable" work requirements. The House bill would result in people losing Medicaid coverage if they fail to meet work requirements or incorrectly filling out paperwork. Pingree said the work requirement provisions are effectively cutting Medicaid because the bureaucracy surrounding filling out the forms and meeting the paperwork requirements will result in people losing coverage. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that 13.7 million Americans will lose their health insurance if the current version of the bill passes. According to KFF, a health policy think tank, about 75% of current Medicaid recipients work or are students, with most of the remaining 25% not working because they are disabled or retired. The bill would also cut health care by reducing Affordable Care Act subsidies that make ACA insurance premiums less costly. While Collins and a few other Republican moderates, such as Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, may be pushing scale back Medicaid cutbacks, some conservatives in the Senate are saying the bill doesn't go far enough and are pushing for larger cuts. Meredith Ruxton McIntosh, 55, of Hallowell, who was part of the roundtable discussion, said the cuts to Planned Parenthood need to be reversed. McIntosh, a U.S. Air Force veteran, said when she was young she got counseling, primary car and other help from Planned Parenthood, and she was able to lead a productive life because of the help she received. "Without the medical care and counseling that I was able to access through Planned Parenthood I would have likely dropped out of high school, never joined the military, never attended college or trade school and most certainly would have indulged in addictive substances to the detriment of my life," she said. Copy the Story Link
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Citing Maine Morning Star reporting, Pingree presses EPA on PFAS grant terminations
Rep. Chellie Pingree outside the U.S. Capitol. (Rep. Chellie Pingree via Facebook) Citing Maine Morning Star's reporting, Democratic U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine pressed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on conflicting statements about why it cut grants for forever chemical research in Maine. Earlier this month, the EPA terminated all of the grants it had awarded for research into reducing per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, otherwise known as PFAS, in the food supply, including to three Maine-based teams led by the Mi'kmaq Nation, Passamaquoddy Tribe and the University of Maine. The three grants for Maine projects amounted to almost $5 million. The termination notices read, 'The objectives of the award are no longer consistent with EPA funding priorities.' In a statement to Maine Morning Star, the EPA Press Office equated the grants to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion measures. However, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin publicly stated the grants were important and already congressionally appropriated when questioned by Pingree. Overall, the agency has highlighted combating PFAS contamination as a priority in recent weeks. Despite saying PFAS contamination is a priority, EPA cut millions in funding for research in Maine In a letter to Zeldin on Thursday, Pingree requested he address these inconsistencies and clarify EPA priorities by May 30. 'Do you and the EPA consider tribes – which are sovereign governments to which we have trust and treaty responsibilities – 'DEI?' If so, under what basis do you make that claim?' one of Pingree's questions to Zeldin in the letter reads. When asked why the grants no longer aligned with agency priorities, the EPA Press Office sent a statement on May 16 to Maine Morning Star, which read:, 'As with any change in administration, the EPA has been reviewing all of its grant programs and awarded grants to ensure each is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars and to understand how those programs align with administration priorities. Maybe the Biden-Harris administration shouldn't have forced their radical agenda of wasteful DEI programs and 'environmental justice' preferencing on the EPA's core mission of protecting human health and the environment treating tribes and Alaska Natives as such.' Pingree and several of the researchers pushed back on this response, pointing out that the research objectives do not involve DEI or environmental justice and are about protecting public health. PFAS have been linked to long term adverse health outcomes, such as cancers and weakened immune systems, and their pervasiveness in agriculture is not fully understood. The statement is also directly at odds with the response Zeldin gave to Pingree about the grant terminations during an Appropriations subcommittee hearing on May 15. After Zeldin told the subcommittee that addressing PFAS contamination is a priority for the agency and him personally, Pingree asked, 'Since these grants are consistent with the EPA priorities, do you know why they were terminated?' Zeldin responded, 'It's an important program. It's something that's congressionally appropriated. The agency's going through a reorg, so the way that the program and these grants are administered are going to be different going forward. But these are important grants. I look forward to working with you, and your team as we're able to continue that good work going forward.' In light of these conflicting responses, Pingree asked Zeldin in her letter to confirm that addressing PFAS is a priority for the agency. 'If PFAS is a priority, which I believe you have stated many times, please provide more information about why the above listed grants were terminated,' the letter reads. 'They are not 'DEI' grants and they meet a key priority of the Agency so I would like some clarity as to the exact reasoning for these grant terminations.' The grantees have 30 days from their termination notices to make the case that their work is in compliance with the EPA's priorities. The team headed by the Mi'kmaq Nation filed its appeal on Wednesday. If the agency determines the grants are in line with agency priorities, Pingree also requested information on how and when the awards will be reinstated. Referring to the agency's work as a whole, Pingree additionally pressed Zeldin about the agency's plans for PFAS research beyond these grants. 'Without grants that fund research and scientific advancement for PFAS remediation, how will the EPA make determinations about effective remediation for PFAS in agriculture, water systems, and contaminated lands?' she wrote in the letter. Read more about the grants here. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
