Chellie Pingree

Ms. PINGREE

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

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

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, we are here to protect the welfare of the American public, and we cannot close our eyes to the impacts of climate change, such as the drought, flooding, severe storm, and wildfire events we are experiencing. Climate change has reached a crisis point, and we must take bold action to avoid a major irreversible catastrophe. We must invest in renewable energy if we are to tackle this problem. This shortsighted amendment does not prepare this Nation to address climate change by prohibiting funds for updating a roadmap for solar energy development across the West that is designed to expand solar energy production and make renewable energy siting and permitting on America's public lands more efficient. I urge my colleagues to join me in opposing this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

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

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, this is my experience: Climate change deniers, the people who want to just support the fossil-fuel industry, continually use misinformation, disinformation, social media memes, all kinds of things to argue their point, but the ultimate challenge here is we have an overdependence on fossil fuels. The use of fossil fuels is contributing to too much CO2 in the atmosphere, which has created this extreme weather that we now have to live through and experience, whether it is the heat, flooding, extreme storms, whatever it is. If we care about the future of our planet, if we truly believe that it is our job as elected officials to protect the American public, we can't close our eyes to these impacts of climate change, so arguing about where things are manufactured or how they are disposed is a way of avoiding the fact that we have to move into renewable energy, and that is our challenge today. Of course, we don't want to use things that are strictly manufactured in China. That is why we passed the IRA, to put more domestic investment in things like solar panels and batteries and the things that we desperately need. As to this question about end-of-life solar panels, I wholeheartedly agree, we should recycle as much as we possibly can of everything that we are using in this country. Let me just read this little fact about that: ``Waste from end-of-life solar panels presents opportunities to recover valuable materials and create jobs through recycling. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, by 2030 the cumulative value of recoverable raw materials from end-of-life panels globally will be about $450 million, which is equivalent to the cost of raw materials currently needed to produce about 60 million new panels. Diverting solar panels from landfills to recycling saves space in landfills in addition to capturing the value of raw materials.'' I am all in favor of recycling them. That is absolutely something that we can accomplish, and those are the facts, not a social media misinformation/disinformation meme, whatever it is. Mr. Chair, I wholeheartedly urge my colleagues to join me in opposing this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, this amendment is one more controversial poison pill policy rider that sadly shows that extremist Republicans are not interested in bills that can gain bipartisan support and become law. In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, the BLM drafted the proposed draft resource management plan and environmental impact statement for Rock Springs and provided a 90-day comment period. This amendment prohibits the BLM from finalizing, implementing, administering, or enforcing an updated, comprehensive, and environmentally adequate framework for managing uses of public lands and resources. We are here to protect the welfare of the American public and preserve our public lands and resources for future generations. The land considered for protection has low prospects for oil and gas yields and includes natural treasures such as petroglyphs, North America's largest sand dunes, and migration corridors for bighorn sheep, mule deer, and elk. Once again, my Republican colleagues are disregarding the law and trying to circumvent the rigorous process that is in place to update resource management plans. This amendment also nullifies the public comments that have been collected by legislating the outcome. We cannot close our eyes to the impacts of climate change that we are experiencing as our economy, health, livelihoods, food security, and quality of life all depend on healthy ecosystems. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to reject this amendment and focus instead on addressing climate change and being good stewards of our public lands and resources for the benefit of future generations. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, 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, this amendment would block the EPA from operating its Office of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. The EPA established this office to be the primary liaison between rural and agricultural stakeholders and the agency. It works to find practical science-based solutions that protect the environment while ensuring a vibrant and productive agricultural system. Taking away this important resource would put our farmers at a disadvantage. We should be working to increase the coordination in the agriculture community, not stifling it. Mr. Chair, I oppose the amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I just want to wholeheartedly disagree with my colleague on the other side of the aisle and the premise of this amendment. I serve on the Agriculture Committee. I have been a farmer much of my life. I represent a tremendous number of farmers, and I come from an agricultural State. I don't see what benefit it would be to farmers to put them at this level of disadvantage to take away this office that was there to support communication between the EPA and farmers. I will admit it is not always an easy relationship between farmers and the EPA. Sometimes there are challenges that go on there, certainly with waters of the U.S., which we have debated at length in the Agriculture Committee. I know it is really important for farmers to be heard so that when regulations are made, they serve both our environment and the farmers. You can actually do both. When I hear people dismissing climate change or calling them ridiculous policies that are enacted by this administration, I think they don't really understand the challenges that farmers are facing today. Farmers are the first ones impacted by the adverse weather we have, whether it is extreme drought or extreme cold. In my State of Maine, we have had unusual temperatures, cold weather late into the spring that has frozen the blossoms on our fruit trees or drought in the middle of the summer when it wasn't expected, rainy summers where we can't manage all of the water or flooding that impacts our farmers. These things are happening all over our country. Climate change policies, those things that will mitigate climate change, where farmers can be our partners, which they often are in many of the policies that are implemented through this administration, things that help to sequester more carbon or help farmers to deal with many of the issues that they are challenged by, are critically important to them to make sure that we continue to have farmers during this difficult time. Also, there are some issues that farmers in my State are dealing with, particularly related to PFAS, this forever chemical that has turned up in the soils of many farms in our States. That is regulated by the EPA. Many of the decisions that have to be made about what is allowable in a vegetable or in our milk or how to remove it from the water or the soil, those are things that go on at the EPA. To not have this liaison with farmers, many of whom are losing their farms in States like mine and States all over the country because they are contaminated with PFAS from previous flood spreading, not having that liaison so farmers can engage on what the EPA is going to advise and how to work with it, is frankly just a ridiculous idea. This is a ridiculous amendment. It doesn't speak to the needs of farmers. It is a messaging amendment, once again, to be anti-climate change, antigovernment, and anti-EPA. My colleagues should oppose it. It has no business being before us here today. Mr. Chair, I recommend people oppose this, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. PINGREE. I claim time in opposition, Mr. Chairman.

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I oppose this amendment, 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, this amendment is one more controversial poison pill policy rider that sadly shows extremist Republicans are not interested in bills that can gain bipartisan support and become law. The U.S. Board on Geographic Names is a Federal body created in 1890 and established in its present form by Public Law in 1947 to maintain uniform geographic name usage throughout the Federal Government. The board is comprised of representatives of Federal agencies concerned with geographic information, population, ecology, and management of public lands. In this age of geographic information systems, the internet, and homeland defense, geographic names data are even more important. The board works in partnership with Federal, State, Tribal, and local agencies and more than 50 nations have some type of national names authority. My Republican colleagues should be more focused on creating bills that will garner bipartisan support and become law, not prohibiting funding for a board that helps surveyor, mapmakers, and scientists, and serves the Federal Government and the public as a central authority to which name problems, name inquiries, name changes, and new name proposals can be directed. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to reject this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chairman, this amendment would prevent the EPA from designating certain Michigan counties as being in nonattainment of the 2015 ozone standard. Under the Clean Air Act, the EPA is required to set National Ambient Air Quality Standards for contaminants, like ground-level ozone, that are adequate to protect public health, including the health of sensitive groups, such as children and the elderly. These health standards, or NAAQS, must reflect the recent scientific and medical data. Once EPA sets or revises a NAAQS, EPA uses air-monitoring data recommendations from States to determine which areas meet the standard and those that do not, known as being in nonattainment. States then go to work to develop plans using the most cost-effective strategies to bring nonattainment areas in compliance with the standard. Allowing a county that exceeds the standard to be considered in attainment doesn't do anything for the families and workers living in those counties who are breathing toxic air. It tells America that there is nothing to see here while they bear the brunt of the environmental hazards. Contrary to what polluters will have Members believe, being designated as nonattainment does not shut down economies. Businesses have and do continue to operate and expand in nonattainment areas. However, the designation ensures that States and businesses are taking measures to control air pollution and help communities to achieve cleaner, healthier air. This amendment is a sweetheart deal for just three counties in Michigan. It puts polluters over people, allowing industry to emit more toxic contaminants, and leaving Americans to pay with their own health. Breathing air containing ozone can reduce lung function and inflame airways, which can aggravate respiratory systems and trigger asthma attacks. Ozone exposure also increases the risk of premature death from heart or lung disease. More asthma attacks and more respiratory disease mean more medication, more doctors' visits, more trips to the ER, and more hospital admissions. It also means more absences from school and work. All of this is a drag on the economy. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment, which fails to recognize the serious threat of air pollution and leaves families and children unprotected. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. PINGREE

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize an unwavering leader in my state who is retiring after several decades of dedicated service to environmental stewardship, legislative leadership, and an inclusive democracy. For over thirty years, Beth Ahearn has worked tirelessly to protect Maine's environment, advance climate policies, expand voting rights, and secure elections. As the Director of Government Affairs for both Maine Conservation Alliance and Maine Conservation Voters, Beth's guidance was instrumental in shaping impactful policies for the betterment of Maine's natural resources and democratic processes. Prior to Beth's tenure with Maine Conservation Voters, her experience and breadth of knowledge were influential in various capacities. Beth's previous roles included lobbying on behalf of Moose Ridge Associates, representing children as guardian ad litem, as staff attorney for Maine Audubon, and as an Assistant District Attorney in Cumberland and Androscoggin Counties. Throughout her distinguished career, Beth oversaw several achievements that will protect Maine's environment for generations to come. In addition to crafting common sense legislation to make conservation, climate action, and voting rights political priorities, Beth guided the restoration of alewives on the St. Croix River, led the passage into law the Extended Producer Responsibility Program for Packaging and secured funding for the Land for Maine's Future Program. Beth Ahearn's commitment to the environment and strengthening our democracy makes me very proud to represent her and the State of Maine in Congress. I wish Beth the best in her retirement, and I wholeheartedly thank her for her many years of influential work.

Ms. PINGREE

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a dedicated advocate and leader in my state who is retiring after several decades working to improve the lives of her fellow citizens. For nearly fifty years, Christine (``Chris'') Hastedt has worked tirelessly to further equity, economic security, and access to higher education--among many other things--for all Mainers. At the start of her career, Chris worked as a paralegal at Pine Tree Legal Assistance, a nonprofit organization which provides free, civil legal assistance to low-income people in Maine. Through her dedication and ingenuity, Chris proved to be fearless and deeply effective at expanding access to legal representation for countless people. Chris' years with Pine Tree were only the first of her forty-eight celebrated years as a respected and well-known force in the Maine State House. During my years at the State House, I relied on Chris for accurate information, strategic thinking and passion for all of the right causes. Many of our successes during that era were due to her assistance and persistence. In 1996, Chris co-founded Maine Equal Justice, a nonprofit civil legal aid and economic justice organization. Under her guidance as Senior Policy Advisor, Maine Equal Justice has empowered people to better understand laws and independently navigate government systems to support their needs. By sharing her resources and policy knowledge, Chris has established coalitions among government agencies, policymakers, experts, academics, and national partners. Chris has consistently led with empathy and a distinct understanding of how to work with people across all backgrounds and life experiences. In addition, Chris has dedicated her time to making higher education and workforce training more accessible for Mainers with low incomes. By advocating for programs such as Parents as Scholars, the Competitive Skills Scholarship Program, and Higher Opportunity for Pathways to Employment, Chris has helped thousands of Maine people reach their goals by expanding access to postsecondary education. Chris Hastedts' nearly half-century as a uniquely dedicated advocate makes me very proud to represent her and the State of Maine in Congress. I wish Chris the best in her retirement, and I wholeheartedly thank her for her many years of influential work.

Ms. PINGREE

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize a visionary advocate and leader in my state who, for decades, has worked to improve the lives of her fellow citizens. Over her influential career, Mary Henderson has worked as an attorney and co-founded a legal aid and economic justice nonprofit--among many other roles--to consistently address root causes of poverty. Mary's advocacy for Maine people began at Pine Tree Legal Assistance, a nonprofit organization which provides free civil legal assistance. As a staff attorney, Mary tirelessly provided representation on a variety of cases. Under Mary's guidance, countless people were able to access government supports for which they were eligible but had previously been improperly denied. In 1996, Mary co-founded Maine Equal Justice, a nonprofit civil legal aid and economic justice organization. In her role as Executive Director, Mary assisted in the acquisition of a location and the securing of funds to create a sustainable and reliable resource for Maine's most vulnerable populations. Through her defense of government programs for public healthcare, education access, and housing and food security, Mary's work has improved the lives of thousands of Maine people. Since leaving Maine Equal Justice, Mary has brought her expertise and unwavering dedication to the Office of Substance Abuse, Maine Department of Labor, Office of Maine Care Services, National Academy for State Health Policy, Maine Children's Alliance, and Preble Street Resource Center. In each of her roles, Mary has intentionally centered the voices and experiences of the people of Maine who are served by these critical government and anti-poverty programs. I had the great pleasure of working with Mary during my years in the State House and was able to see firsthand how the State of Maine benefitted from her knowledge, skills, and advocacy. I am very proud to represent her and the State of Maine in Congress. I wish Mary continued success, and I wholeheartedly thank her for her many years of influential work.

Ms. PINGREE

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding the time. I, too, rise to support the fiscal year 2024 Consolidated Appropriations Act. I particularly thank Ranking Member DeLauro for her leadership and perseverance in working on this. I also thank my chair on the committee, Chairman Simpson, who is a pleasure to work with. I appreciate his collaboration and partnership throughout this process. I thank Chairwoman Granger for her work on this and to all the staff who have made all the difference in us being able to put this together. As my colleague, Chairman Simpson, said, this wasn't necessarily an easy bill. It is never easy to make cuts to programs that I consider vital and particularly important to what we do, but I am pleased that this bill continues our investments to care for our planet, fight the climate emergency, and meet our trust obligations to Tribal nations. This bill rejects the $13 billion in devastating cuts imposed in the House Republican bill originally and does not include more than 100 poison pill policy riders. The bill provides necessary resources to deal with the threat of wildfires in the West and additional funding to continue the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act's pay supplement for wildland firefighters. The bill also protects arts and humanities, maintaining the enacted funding level for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, supporting arts in communities across this country. Finally, this bill supports Native American families by investing in a strong and resilient Indian Country, including through education and healthcare programs. Mr. Speaker, these are important investments to all Americans, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.