Westbrook, MAINE - Today, Maine’s Democratic Congresswoman Chellie Pingree fought the Trump Administration’s dangerous proposal to open the coast of Maine to oil and gas exploration. Maine Democratic Party Chairman Phil Bartlett issued the following statement in response praising the congresswoman:
“Congresswoman Pingree has always fought to protect Maine’s natural resources and defend the interests of the thousands of Mainers who rely on them for their livelihoods -- and, as today shows, she always will. She understands that the risks of drilling are far too great and would jeopardize both our environment and our economy. Maine is fortunate to have Congresswoman Pingree working on a bipartisan basis to see that no harm is inflicted on Maine as a result of the Trump Administration’s reckless plan.”
Background from Congresswoman Pingree’s office: During Appropriations Committee markup of the Interior Appropriations Bill today, Congresswoman Pingree offered an amendment to prevent federal funds from being used to implement Trump’s offshore drilling plan.
As a member of the House Appropriations Interior Subcommittee on Interior and the Environment, Pingree has been a vocal opponent of the Administration’s proposal to open our coasts to offshore drilling.
She questioned Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke on the plan at a hearing in April after joining subcommittee colleagues on a letter to him that called the plan "one of the most outrageous and irresponsible proposals to come out of President Trump’s Administration."
Congresswoman Pingree’s fight comes after Republican Governor Paul LePage expressed support for the Administration’s proposal and after two of the Republicans hoping to succeed him -- Mary Mayhew and Garrett Mason -- said that it should be considered.
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