Chellie Pingree

Ms. PINGREE

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, to be clear, I fully support all oversight efforts and believe the mission of the inspectors general across government is vital, but I disagree with the offset and the treatment of the EPA in this bill generally. In the base bill, the EPA is cut by nearly 20 percent. Almost every single account is cut except for the Office of the Inspector General. Quite frankly, the Inspector General's Office does pretty well under this bill. Cutting every single program at the EPA and seeking to increase funding for only one office, which happens to be the oversight office, is a clear attempt by the majority to politicize the Inspector General. That is unacceptable. Mr. Chair, I oppose this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Ms. PINGREE

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a milestone for a treasured group in my state. August 6, 2024, marks the 250th anniversary of the establishment of the Shakers in the United States. Since 1774, the Shakers have been consistently dedicated to the pursuit of faith and community, enriching Maine and national culture in countless ways. The Shakers embody the essential American values of inclusivity and equal treatment and have remained committed advocates of pacifism and nonviolence. They have been steadfast champions of racial and gender equality since their early existence, as evidenced by their community's leadership structure and their welcoming of members and neighbors regardless of their race or national origin. Their message is one of universal humanity--a message that is more relevant and necessary than ever. Throughout their long history, the Shakers' ingenuity and craftsmanship have contributed immeasurably to the development of American arts, agriculture, and manufacturing. Collectively, we continue to benefit from Shaker inventions such as the circular saw blade, the flat broom, and the paper seed envelope. Their sustainable agricultural practices, incorporating water power and regenerative farming, put them on the forefront of environmental stewardship. And their renowned furniture, architecture, and crafts continue to inspire makers, scholars, and artists around the world. Today, Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village in New Gloucester, Maine, is the last remaining settlement in the world where Shakers continue to live, work, worship, and steward their legacy. They are an important community hub--hosting events and workshops, involving local young people, and preserving and sharing knowledge of rural Maine life. I'm honored to have experienced their warm hospitality and kindness, and I'm proud to represent them in Congress. I wholeheartedly congratulate them on 250 years of community, peace, and progress in America, and I know their message will continue to resonate for generations to come.

Ms. PINGREE

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 25th anniversary of a critical and innovative program in my state. For the past 25 years, the Island Institute Fellows Program has functioned to enrich the lives of both its participants, as well as the coastal and island communities of Maine by engaging volunteers, providing a hub of tools and resources, and fostering community leadership along the Maine coast. As a proud resident of North Haven, an island off the coast of Maine, I know firsthand that our coastal and island communities share a distinct and treasured way of life. I've also seen that way of life face unique challenges, from a rapidly changing climate and rising seas to shrinking populations and a shifting global economy. The Island Institute Fellows Program seeks to meet these challenges by pairing recent college graduates with local governments and nonprofits in coastal communities where the fellows live and work for two years to help address community-identified needs. This partnership brings together the energy, resources, talent, and capacity that the fellows can provide with the spirit, resiliency and creativity of Maine's coastal communities, strengthening and enriching the lives of everyone involved. To date, 148 Island Institute Fellows have brought new perspectives and ideas to support local needs such as broadband access, affordable housing, clean energy transitions, education initiatives, and community resiliency projects. When 75 percent of Maine's coastal communities have fewer than 3,500 residents, and 25 percent have fewer than 800 residents, the addition of one full-time fellow's work and dedication can make the difference in a community's ability to write a grant, facilitate community planning, preserve historical documents, launch a new initiative, or train volunteers and future leaders. Over their two-year placements, the fellows truly become a part of the community, helping to plan potlucks, coach sports teams, volunteer with the town's Emergency Medical Services, and more. This program provides these recent graduates firsthand experience in a range of projects, providing them unique professional development and valuable skills for their future careers. A true testament to the program, at the end of their fellowships, half of alumni stay in Maine long-term, continuing their commitment to the community long after their placement ends and contributing to our state with their knowledge, experience, and relationships. The Island Institute Fellows Program's 25 years of service, dedication, innovation, and community-building makes me very proud to represent the Institute, their fellows and alumni, and the state of Maine in Congress. I wish the program many more years of success and wholeheartedly thank them for their impactful work on behalf of Maine's coastal and island communities.

Ms. PINGREE

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. PINGREE

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a visionary leader who has dedicated his career to advocacy for the arts in Maine. Throughout his career, Jack Riddle has worked tirelessly to elevate opera in Maine, ensuring the artform is accessible and inclusive to all. He has made certain that Mainers, and visitors alike, have the opportunity to connect with this historic tradition of storytelling through music and song. In 1994, Jack co-founded Opera Maine, the state's only professional opera company, with a dream of providing high-quality opera productions to the people of Maine. Though our state did not yet have an established opera community at that time, Jack believed in his vision of establishing a local company that would showcase nationally recognized singers and composers. As the former president of the Portland Symphony Orchestra, Jack possessed a strong background in arts leadership and marketing in New England. His skills and experience were essential to Opera Maine's founding. As the company grew, Jack served as a trusted board member and the principal fundraiser, securing major gifts and guiding the board through a recession and a pandemic. Jack's unwavering passion and energy have been essential to the growth and success of the organization. And the calculated risks he has taken over the years for the advancement of the artform, remaining steadfast in his eternal optimism about the importance of opera, have been critical to growing the audiences. For more than 35 years, Jack has worked to expand the opera community in Maine, ensuring that it is affordable and accessible to all. From including contemporary works in English, to providing no- to low-cost tickets for all Opera Maine productions and programs for anyone under age 25, active-duty and retired military and first responders, and their families, the company has brought new audiences and appreciators to opera. Opera Maine has also led free in-school programming across the state, teaching thousands of students about the fundamentals of opera. Additionally, Jack has worked to strengthen Opera Maine's Studio Artist Program, which provides annual trainings and performance opportunities for emerging and professional artists seeking opera careers. Jack Riddle's enthusiasm, vision, and commitment to Maine's vibrant arts community make me very proud to represent him and the State of Maine in Congress. I wish him continued success, and I thank him for his many years of influential work.

Ms. PINGREE

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, nature is declining globally at rates unprecedented in human history, and more than 1 million species are currently threatened with extinction, many within decades. This amendment seeks to legislate species status, rather than providing species with a protection they are afforded under the Endangered Species Act, our principle conservation law, and would potentially increase litigation regarding the government's responsibility to implement the statutory requirements of the Endangered Species Act. Once again, my Republican colleagues are disregarding the law. The best available scientific and commercial information, not politics, should determine whether a species is listed as threatened or endangered. This amendment circumvents the rigorous process that is in place to make those determinations as well as the role of public input. The primary factor influencing the viability of the Texas kangaroo rat is habitat loss and conversion, largely related to historic land use changes. Human activities that threaten and diminish animal habitats, pollute nature, and accelerate global warming are driving species' extinction and creating unhealthy ecosystems. When we lose a species, impacts reverberate throughout ecosystems, and we all suffer because our economy, health, livelihoods, food security, and quality of life all depend on healthy ecosystems. Defunding the service's ability to list species would work against the clear intent of the Endangered Species Act and would further litigation by outside groups on both sides. It would also undercut the service's ability to work collaboratively with Tribes, other Federal agencies, States, local communities, and landowners to conserve the species. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to reject this amendment and protect the vulnerable species so future generations can benefit from a world with healthy ecosystems and robust biodiversity. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, this amendment seeks to reduce the Fish and Wildlife Service back to fiscal year 2021 levels. The House-based bill already reduces the Service's funding by $144 million, or 8 percent below the enacted level, which would make it impossible for that critically important agency to function. Mr. Chair, I oppose this amendment. I encourage my colleagues to oppose it as well, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chairman, I do appreciate the concerns that my colleague on the other side of the aisle expresses. Representing Maine, we are actually one of those States that receives the bad air of much of the Midwestern States. I am well aware of the concerns that the gentleman is expressing. It actually sounds like my colleague on the other side of the aisle is in favor of the Good Neighbor Authority, which the Supreme Court recently pushed back on, which would, in fact, do more to penalize the perpetrators. I agree with the gentleman. We should penalize polluters, but I will say that much of the agenda on the other side of the aisle has been to do the opposite. I hope we can continue fighting to make sure we are pointing fingers at exactly the sources of that pollution and not allowing random counties to be penalized or whole States like mine, who often experience bad air from other States. I urge opposition to this amendment. The fact is that these three counties are out of attainment. Those people who live in those counties need a remedy and need to have cleaner air. Mr. Chair, I urge opposition, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I oppose this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. PINGREE. Madam Chair, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. McCollum), the distinguished ranking member of the Subcommittee on Defense.

Ms. PINGREE. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Chair, first, I thank the chair of this committee. I appreciate the chance to work with him. We have a good working relationship, and I always enjoy the time that we spend together in the committee. I also thank Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro for her tireless efforts on this committee and the chair of the committee and the staff on both sides of the aisle for the work that they have put into this bill. As ranking member of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, I am deeply concerned that the majority has once again put forward an Interior appropriations bill that debilitates America's ability to address the climate crisis, and it hobbles the agencies within its jurisdiction. Climate change is a clear and present danger. Experts agree that we must take bold action to avoid a major, irreversible catastrophe. I am greatly disappointed and frustrated by the bill before us that completely disregards the reality of a warming planet and ignores the need for us to do more, not less. As the ``Fifth National Climate Assessment'' confirms, the effects of human-caused climate change are already far-reaching and worsening across every region of the United States. With that understanding, cutting funding for the Environmental Protection Agency by $1.8 billion, or 20 percent, is irresponsible and severely impacts needed investments in environmental justice, enforcement, and climate change. If we are going to preserve the health of our environment and our economic well-being, we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase our efforts to respond to and mitigate against harmful climate impacts. This bill also curtails the progress that has been made to ensure that all people are equally protected from environmental and health hazards. The bill abandons our most vulnerable groups that currently bear a disproportionate share of negative environmental impacts, which includes large swaths of rural communities that I and many of my colleagues across the aisle represent. The bill also slashes funding for land management agencies. The National Park Service alone is cut by $210 million. This cut will mean fewer park rangers to protect and preserve the parks' natural and cultural resources and will negatively impact on the visitor experience. Funding for cultural institutions, such as the Smithsonian and National Gallery of Art, is also significantly reduced, and the Smithsonian may be forced to consider reducing the number of hours or days each week that the museums are open to the public. When our constituents bring their families to see our Nation's Capital, I think all Members in this room expect that they should have access to these museums, but this bill could take that away. The arts have incredible value as a positive tool for economic development, education, and community building, and I will strenuously oppose these cuts in the final spending agreement. There are areas of bipartisanship, though, and I commend Chairman Simpson's work on wildland fire. The bill includes authorizing language and funding necessary for the administration to carry out its permanent pay reforms for Federal wildland firefighters. This is something we agree on, and I am pleased the bill addresses this important issue. I am also proud of our work to address treaty and trust obligations on a bipartisan basis. Unfortunately, though, once again, House Republicans have loaded up the bill with widely unpopular policy riders. This year, they have included a whopping 92 poison pill riders that cripple environmental protection, undermine climate change policies, and add to the national deficit. A majority of Americans support the United States taking steps to become carbon neutral by 2050, and they support taking responsibility for future generations. The austere and irresponsible cuts in this bill do not align with America's values. We need to rise to this challenge and not squander the opportunity to make the planet better for our children and grandchildren. Madam Chair, I oppose the bill. I urge my colleagues to oppose the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. PINGREE. Madam Chair, I yield 6 minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), the distinguished ranking member of the Appropriations Committee.

Ms. PINGREE. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I oppose this bill because it contains 92 poison pill riders that cripple environmental protection, undermine climate change policies, add to the national debt, and include discriminatory riders targeting millions of American citizens that have already proven so divisive in earlier markups. For this reason, at the appropriate time, I will offer a motion to recommit this bill back to committee. If the House rules permitted, I would have offered the motion with an important amendment to this bill. My amendment would strike these 92 poison pill riders. The riders in this bill give an open invitation to exploitative oil, gas, and mineral leasing and block rules that protect our public lands and resources for our children and grandchildren. It is our job as legislators to preserve pristine water and undisturbed arctic landscapes and save iconic species and apex predators, which maintain healthy ecosystems that benefit us all. I am strongly opposed to any effort to discriminate against the LGBTQ+ community or prevent flying a flag that is chosen to reflect the full history, culture, and people of this great country. This bill is the latest in a string of appropriations bills that create divisions in our society instead of fostering collaboration to address challenges, like climate change, that impact all of us. If my Republican colleagues hope to have a bill that is not dead on arrival in the Senate, they would strike these egregious riders. Madam Chair, I include in the Record the text of the amendment. Ms. Pingree moves to recommit the bill H.R. 8998 to the Committee on Appropriations with the following amendment: Strike sections 116, 117, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 144, 145, 146, 147, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 430, 431, 434, 435, 436, 440, 441, 443, 444, 445, 446, 447, 448, 449, 450, 451, 452, 453, 454, 458, 459, 460, 461, 462, 463, 464, 465, 466, 467, 468, 469, 470, 472, 473, 474, 475, 476, 477, 478, 479, 480, 481, 482, 483, 484, 485, 486, 487, 488, 490, 491, 492, 493, 494, 495, and 496.

Ms. PINGREE. Madam Chair, I hope my colleagues will join me in voting for the motion to recommit. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. PINGREE. Madam Chair, I support the en bloc amendment, I urge its adoption, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. PINGREE. Madam Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Titus).

Ms. PINGREE. Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. PINGREE. Madam Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Kennedy).