Chellie Pingree

Ms. PINGREE

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 1, I was unable to record my presence.

Ms. PINGREE

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, every day in kitchens across the country, someone pulls a can of soup right out of their cupboard or a box of pasta off the shelf. They look at the ``best by'' date on the package, and then they try to decide whether to throw it out or not. Is the food no good because it is past the date, or does it still have weeks or even years of shelf life left? Too often perfectly good food gets thrown out, contributing to the 40 percent of all food that is wasted every year in this country. Much of it ends up in a landfill, where it produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Currently, Mr. Speaker, there is no standard for date labeling, which is one reason I have introduced the Food Recovery Act this week. My bill has nearly two dozen proposals to reduce food waste, including a provision that would require manufacturers who do put a date on their food to include the words ``manufacturer's suggestion only.'' It doesn't mean that the food is bad just because the date has gone by. Mr. Speaker, if we cut food waste by just 15 percent and direct the food that would be wasted to those in need, we can reduce the number of Americans struggling with hunger by one-half. I urge my colleagues to join me to help reduce food waste in the United States.

Ms. PINGREE

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Master Sergeant Frank Norwood, an outstanding Maine veteran and patriot who has distinguished himself with his outstanding service to our country, state, and veterans. Master Sergeant Norwood is well known in my state for his role as the Maine Military Funeral Honors Coordinator, a post in which he has earned statewide respect from military, government, and civilian communities. Since 2005, his team has performed 12,000 military funerals and, over the last five years, has been at every single Maine veteran's funeral. This incredible feat--unmatched by any other state-- is a true show of respect to the veterans who have defended our country. In addition, Master Sergeant Norwood has led the Maine State Select Honor Guard to become the pride of the Maine Army National Guard. During his tenure there, he has coordinated over 700 events and personally participated in over 500 of them, ranging from gubernatorial inaugurations, posting colors at major sporting events, and performing military funerals for our fallen heroes. Additionally, he has instructed numerous veterans' organizations and community groups on ceremonial and flag etiquette, often volunteering his personal time. I would also like to recognize Master Sergeant Norwood's many years of distinguished service in the Army and the Maine Army National Guard. He served in Grenada, helped ready Maine's Guard members for an overseas deployment in the War on Terror, and earned numerous military honors and awards. Frank Norwood is a great leader and patriot. The people of Maine are honored by his dedication, and I thank him wholeheartedly for his service to our veterans and our nation.

Ms. PINGREE

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to vote during the first vote of the last vote series on September 30, 2015. Had I been present, I would have voted ``No'' on Roll Call Vote 527, which was the Adoption of H. Con. Res. 79, directing the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make corrections in the enrollment of the Senate amendment to H.R. 719.

Ms. PINGREE

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, October is National Farm to School Month, and I want to talk today about the recent gains our schools have made in connecting students with local food. Across the country, the Farm to School movement has inspired over 40,000 schools to spend more of their food dollars locally, to create healthier meal options, and to teach students about growing and preparing local food. These efforts have brought numerous benefits, like new markets for local agricultural producers, better nutrition for students, and less food being thrown away in the trash. I am proud that schools in my State of Maine have helped lead the way; but, like others, they encounter many challenges in replacing highly processed food with fresh ingredients. The USDA Farm to School grants have eased that transition for many schools by helping them make needed changes in procurement, facilities, and training. As we celebrate Farm to School efforts this month and look toward child nutrition reauthorization, I encourage my colleagues to support increased funding for this program so more communities can reap the benefits.

Ms. PINGREE

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I am here today to honor the memory of the crew of El Faro, lost in a hurricane in the Bahamas last week. Four people from my State, the State of Maine, were aboard the El Faro: Michael Holland, of North Wilton; Dylan Meklin, of Rockland; Danielle Randolph, of Rockland; and the captain, a man of great experience, Mike Davidson, of Windham. In Maine, we have a strong connection to those who make their living on the water, and we know the risks they take every time they go to sea, but in no way does that make a tragedy any less painful. It is difficult for me to know what the families of the crew are going through and have been going through, but they are in my thoughts and the thoughts of everyone in our State. I also want to thank the Coast Guard, the Navy, and the Air Force for their round-the-clock efforts during what were very dangerous conditions. And although I wish the results had been very, very different, we owe those men, as well, men and women, a debt of gratitude for risking their lives to try to find the crew of El Faro.

Ms. PINGREE

Ms. PINGREE. I thank my friend for yielding and for her excellent remarks on the floor this morning. Madam Speaker, defunding Planned Parenthood would have a real, profound, negative impact on the 10,000 people in Maine who get health care from Planned Parenthood every year, many of whom have no other access to care. Planned Parenthood provides basic health care like cancer screenings, vaccinations, wellness exams, and STD testing, basic care that will mean the difference between health and sickness, prosperity and poverty, or even life and death for women in my State. Let's be clear. Who is really behind the attempts to defund Planned Parenthood? Radical antiabortion groups who want to shut down Planned Parenthood and deny women access to safe and legal abortions. These are groups who want to deny women the right to make a private, personal medical decision. In the process, they want to take away the access to birth control, family planning services, and even basic health care. They have orchestrated a false, misleading smear campaign to try and accomplish their goal, a campaign we have heard a lot today about here on the floor of the House of Representatives. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' and stand up for women's rights to make their own decisions about health care and protect their access to basic medical services.

Ms. PINGREE

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, when my constituent Matthew Nehaus was 9, he suddenly lost weight, became too tired to participate in sports, and was frequently overcome by coughing bouts. Concerned, his parents took him to the doctor, who initially thought the cause was an infection or pneumonia. But an X-ray led to a much scarier diagnosis-- cardiomyopathy. Cardiomyopathy is a degenerative disease of the heart muscle that weakens its ability to efficiently and effectively pump blood around the body. Though more common for adults, it is a leading cause of sudden cardiac arrest and heart transplants in children. This September is the second annual Children's Cardiomyopathy Awareness Month, an opportunity to educate people about the condition, its signs and risk factors, as well as advocate for policies that help address it. One of those policies, which I'm proud to support, is H.R. 829, the SAFE PLAY Act. Introduced by Representatives Lois Capps and Bill Pascrell, the bill would take a number of needed steps to protect the safety of student athletes, including developing emergency response plans at schools, communicating the risks of overexertion in hot weather, and teaching students to conduct CPR and use defibrillators. Another important measure of this bill is identifying students with cardiomyopathy to help them get treatment and reduce their risks. Luckily, Matthew Nehaus and his family found out about his condition in time to stabilize his health and, after years on the donation list, he received a heart transplant. I'm so grateful that Matthew has the opportunity to pursue a bright future and dearly hope that other children facing cardiomyopathy get the same chance. Please join me in spreading awareness about this condition and supporting policies that can lead to early detection and better health outcomes for these kids.

Ms. PINGREE

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate and applaud an organization in my state on its 25th anniversary year of studying the effects of toxic chemicals on environmental and human health. The Marine & Environmental Research Institute (MERI)--based in Blue Hill, Maine--began in 1990 with a group of scientists concerned about the impact of pollutants on marine mammal populations that were experiencing massive die-offs and disease outbreaks. Led by Dr. Susan Shaw, the organization has done incredible work since then investigating the effects toxic exposure has on health outcomes in the marine environment. Moreover, the group has shown that toxic exposure has significant consequences for human health as well. I especially appreciate MERI's groundbreaking studies of the effects of chemical exposure on firefighters, a group that encounters high incidences of cancer. The organization has conducted the most extensive bio-monitoring assessment of firefighters to date and continues to gather information that can be used to protect the health of the first responders who keep our communities safe. As beings on this planet, we cannot separate ourselves from the environment. What we do to it, we do to ourselves. I truly appreciate MERI's work to remind us all that wildlife and humans alike benefit from protecting the environment and limiting the spread of dangerous chemicals. May it continue to do this important work for many years to come.

Ms. PINGREE

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to recognize one of the great companies in my district, Pratt & Whitney, who this week is celebrating their 90th anniversary. Pratt & Whitney has a plant in North Berwick, Maine, and nearly 1,000 of the most skilled and dedicated workers in the aerospace industry work there to build and develop high-quality jet engines. Pratt & Whitney has been a critical part in the history of aviation in this country, and even today, Pratt & Whitney is still at the forefront of shaping advances in aviation. Their continued work on new technologies, like the geared turbofan engine, is advancing commercial aviation by reducing noise, fuel burn, and emissions like never before. I am very proud of the great work that has been done by those at Pratt & Whitney in my district for so many years. Please join me in congratulating this great company and its employees for 90 years of impressive accomplishments and to thank them for their significant efforts and contributions.

Ms. PINGREE

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding and for her great work on this issue. I also want to thank Chairman Miller, Chairman Abraham, Ranking Member Brown, and my good friend, Ranking Member Titus, for all their work on this piece of bipartisan legislation. I think it is clear this committee is truly working for our Nation's veterans. Mr. Speaker, almost every day I hear from another veteran who is the survivor of sexual assault in the military, men and women of all ages and from every branch of the service. I have heard from survivors of sexual assault from World War II, the war in Afghanistan, and every conflict in every era in between. There are veterans who are suffering from PTSD because they were sexually assaulted, and they are not being treated fairly. With this bill, we are fighting to hold the VA accountable and making sure that they are following through on their promises. The VA has acknowledged that PTSD from combat is a real injury and needs to be treated that way, and it should be the same for those who suffer from PTSD from sexual assault. A Pentagon report showed 19,000 women and men were sexually assaulted in the military just last year, but only about a quarter of those assaults were reported and even fewer ended up with a prosecution. I am glad the Defense Department and the VA has increased training and prevention efforts around rape and harassment, but let me be clear. As you have already heard, the problem is not fixed. Survivors of sexual assault have been blamed and harassed, crimes have been covered up, and survivors themselves have been the subject of further harassment and recrimination. In the latest Pentagon report, 62 percent of the individuals who reported sexual assault have also reported retaliation. Mr. Speaker, I want to talk for a minute about a very brave woman, Ruth Moore, a veteran from Maine and the person who we named this bill for. Ruth fought for 23 years before she was finally given the benefits we owed her. When I met her in my office in Maine 4 years ago, she could barely tell her story. Bit by bit, she has rebuilt her trust of people in positions of responsibility to the point where she is able to tell her story publicly. There are thousands and thousands of Ruth Moores out there who have been fighting for their benefits for years or even decades. The Ruth Moore Act of 2015 is an important next step in ensuring that the VA treats these veterans fairly. To be clear, this bill does not create any new benefits for survivors of sexual assault or give special treatment to the survivors of sexual assault. This bill just tries to level the playing field, to hold the VA accountable, and ensure these veterans are treated fairly. We were able to pass this bill in the last Congress, and I urge my colleagues to do so again this time around. This issue is too important. It cannot be ignored.

Ms. PINGREE

Ms. PINGREE. Would the Chair please inform how much time I have remaining.

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer), a hard-working Congressman who cares deeply, as well, about agriculture issues and about the consumers in his State.

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone), the ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, who cares deeply about issues surrounding our environment and public health.

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Farr), my good friend and the ranking member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies.

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I appreciate the lively debate that has gone on today, and I want to speak in favor of this particular amendment. This is the Pingree-DeFazio-Polis amendment in the nature of a substitute, which strikes all of the anticonsumer and antifarmer provisions of the underlying bill. This comes down to a very simple proposition: Do consumers have a right to know what is in the food they buy and that they feed to their families? As we have heard many times today, 9 out of 10 consumers say, yes, they support GMO labeling. The public wants to know, as more and more people care about what is in their food and where it comes from. People want to know more, not less, about what they eat. We already know a lot about our food. We know how many calories are in it, thanks to the labels. We know how much vitamin C we get per serving. We know if a fish is farm raised or wild caught. We want to know those things. We actually know if our orange juice is made from concentrate or not. Maybe not everybody wants to know that, but it is right there on the label. Shouldn't we also be able to know if the food we are buying has GMO ingredients? I know some of the opponents of labeling have suggested that consumers might be frightened by GMO ingredients if they were to see them on the labels. Do we really think that consumers are not smart enough to handle this information? Do we really think that 90 percent of Americans are wrong to want GMO products labeled? Not only does this bill make it very unlikely that we would ever see the labeling of GMO products on a national basis, but it goes after the laws that have already been passed at the State level, just like in my State of Maine. Our law was passed by a Democratic legislature, was signed by a conservative Republican Governor, and it has a huge amount of public support. Now Congress wants to tell the consumers of my State and my State legislators that they cannot have this basic piece of information. I guarantee you, if Congress passes this law, my State legislature and my constituents will not be happy. They do not want to see their ability to make those decisions taken away. Not only does this bill go after State labeling laws, but it may also preempt laws and regulations at a local level that protect farmers from contamination by drift from GMO crops. In my State and in many others, local organic farms are contributing to the economy by growing high-value, high-demand crops. Some local and county governments have created buffer zones to protect those farms from contamination from GMO crops, and we have heard from experts who say this bill would preempt these laws. Why would we want to do that? Why would we want to undercut one of the fastest growing sectors in our farm economy that has been very beneficial to rural States like mine--that has revitalized many communities and that has provided economic opportunities for our farmers? What reason would we have to go in the opposite direction? I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. It would strike the dangerous parts of this bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. We have heard a lot of arguments about this bill today and the various components of it, why the bill is not a good idea, and why my amendment, which would strike most of the egregious parts of the bill, would be a beneficial way to change this. Just to go back to my favorite example about labeling, the next time you go into a grocery store, take a look at the carton of orange juice. Right there on the front of the label you will see the words ``from concentrate'' on most of the juice boxes. By law, those words have to appear right there on the front of the label in letters at least half as tall as the name of the brand. We are that specific. Now, the fact that we need to know the difference in that carton between fresh squeezed and made from concentrate or any other process that might have been used shows me that we have decided to have labels for almost everything you can think of except GMO ingredients. If it is so important for Americans to know whether or not their orange juice is made from a concentrate, don't you think it is reasonable to put a label somewhere on the back of a package of food telling consumers whether or not it contains GMO ingredients? This bill, if it is passed by the House, will effectively guarantee that consumers won't have access to that information when they go to the grocery store. This bill will take away the rights of States like mine in Maine to pass laws that protect our consumers. States like Maine and Vermont, who have already passed laws like this, will not have the right to proceed. The Pingree-DeFazio-Polis amendment will strike the worst parts of this bill. I urge all of my colleagues to support this amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. PINGREE

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate one of my constituents--94-year-old Samuel Alderete of Topsham, Maine--on receiving the prestigious French Legion of Honour and to applaud the courageous actions for which it is being awarded. As a young Army warrant officer in WWII, Mr. Alderete fought his way across France, Belgium, and Germany with the 980th Field Artillery Battalion. He fought in and survived the infamous Battle of the Bulge. The actions of Mr. Alderete and his brothers in arms, many of whom didn't make it home, directly contributed to the liberation of France. I sincerely thank the French Government for recognizing Mr. Alderete and other American veterans who fought to save the French people. I am deeply grateful for Mr. Alderete's brave service--both in WWII and his later combat experience in Korea--and also admire him for exhibiting the kind of humility that characterizes the Maine veterans I've had the pleasure of meeting. When asked for any heroic actions or battles he participated in, Mr. Alderete simply replies, ``Nothing heroic. Just soldiered in combat.'' Despite Mr. Alderete's assertion, Mr. Speaker, I find his actions to be quite heroic. He fought with courage and honor at great personal danger, in terrible conditions, far from home. The 70 years that have passed since then have done nothing to diminish his distinguished service. I wholeheartedly congratulate him on receiving this well- deserved honor from the French people.

Ms. PINGREE

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I just wanted to rise in support of the amendment offered by the gentleman from South Carolina. I was here last night and had a chance to speak against the Hudson amendment for the very reasons that he is articulating. Coming from Maine and being from a State where people take very seriously our waterfronts, our fisheries, our livelihood that we make on the water, there are deep concerns about the challenges that might come up with oil and gas leases. And I think everyone in many coastal States wants to just make sure we go through the most thorough process possible. So I heartily support the concerns that he is raising, and I support this amendment.

Ms. PINGREE. Will the gentleman yield?

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, the amendment offered by the gentleman from Wisconsin would prohibit funds for regulating the location of air monitors in counties. The Clean Air Act requires every State to establish a network of air monitoring stations for criteria pollutants, using criteria set by the EPA for their location and operation. EPA's ambient air monitoring network assessment guidance provides States and counties with information about the assessment of technical aspects of ambient air monitoring networks. The guidance is designed to be flexible and expandable. It does not dictate specific locations for placement for air monitors. The amendment would block EPA oversight of air quality monitoring, making possible a scenario in which counties could game the system by locating monitors in places that show the lowest amount of pollution rather than where they get the best representative data. Let us look no further than today's paper to understand why we need to ensure the proper collection of air quality data. A headline in the Wisconsin Ag Connection reads: Canadian Wildfires Prompt State to Issue Air Quality Notice. The article reports that the Department of Natural Resources has issued an air quality notice for all 72 Wisconsin counties this week. State air quality monitors are recording elevated concentrations of fine particles at several locations around the State, particularly across northern and western Wisconsin. And some sites are recording values in the ``unhealthy for sensitive'' category, which includes children, elderly people, individuals with respiratory and cardiac problems, and people engaged in strenuous activities for prolonged periods of time. This amendment would stop a transparent, science-based process to locate monitors where they will provide the most useful information about air quality. Mr. Chairman, I don't think it is appropriate to dictate a nationwide moratorium on air quality monitoring in response to what appears to be a local issue perhaps in the gentleman's State of Wisconsin. This amendment is harmful to local governments that depend on EPA's technical expertise when determining the best location for an air monitor placement. I urge my colleagues to oppose the amendment. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to this amendment.

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I will just reiterate the points I made before and urge a ``no'' vote. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. PINGREE

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize a dedicated public servant and committed firefighter. On August 6, 1955, Harold Drinkwater joined the Camden Fire Department, just after returning from the Korean War. His leadership and bravery served as inspirations to every member of the department, and he was soon promoted to Assistant Fire Chief. Nearly sixty years later, Harold continues to serve the Department. I know that the Fire Department is deeply grateful for Harold's heroism and commitment to his community. When the Department received its most recent engine, Camden's firefighters chose to honor Harold by placing his name on the truck. This summer, the Department plans to recognize him at their annual family picnic. I wish Harold the best as he continues to serve the Town of Camden, and I thank him wholeheartedly for his many years of service to his town and to our nation.