Chellie Pingree

Rochelle "Chellie" Pingree has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, representing the 1st district of the State of Maine, since 2009 (map).

Abortion
Chellie Pingree is a strong supporter of abortion rights. She believes that abortions should be legal including partial birth abortions and abortions in the case of rape or incest. She sponsored the contraception equity bill while in the Maine senate, as well as cosponsoring other sucessful legislation in support of abortion rights. She supported Family Planning

Spending
Pingree has indicated that she would greatly increase spending on education, the environment, medical research, and public health services, and only slightly increase spending on arts, FEMA, homeland security, national parks,scientific research, transportation, armed services training, troop and equipment readiness. and space exploration. She would maintain spending levels on the United Nations and intelligence spending. She would eliminate national missle defense.

Taxes
Pingree supports a repeal of the Bush tax cuts, lowering taxes on working families making less than $100,000 a year while increasing taxes on those making more than $350,000. She would also close tax loopholes for private equity and hedge firms.

Crime and Guns
Pingree would like to see the death penalty for federal crimes be eliminated, decreased sentences for non-violent crimes and inclusion of sexual orientation into federal hate crime legislation. She would also support programs that give job training and job placement assistance to those being released from prison, and drug and alcohol treatment for inmates. Pingree also supports increases in enforcements on already standing gun possession and purchase restrictions, as well as increasing restrictions.

Education, Employment and Health
Pingree supports universal federally funded pre-K programs, increases in Pell grant funding, a decrease on Stafford loan interest rates, as well as tax incentives to help families save for college.

On employment issues, Pingree encourages increases in job training, and federal minimum wage. She also would encourage employers to provide child care services, flex time and unpaid leave for family emergencies. She believes that sexual orientation and gender identity should be included in anti discrimination laws. Pingree also supports workers rights to unionize. Universal coverage for all regardless of income, importing prescriptions, expanding prescription drug coverage under Medicae, providing tax credits to individuals and small business to offset the costs of health care and expanding child health care programs are all issues that Pingree supports.

International Policy Issues
Pingree supports giving aid to nations that have disasters that threaten civilian lives as well as when aid is the security interests of the U.S. She supports the U.S's continued leadership in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as well as involvment in ending the crisis in Darfur and the Congo. Also, she would support increasing sanctions on North Korea if they do not abide by their agreement to decrease their nuclear program, aid and millitary support for Afghanistan, trading nuclear fuel to India for civilian purposes and ending the war in Iraq. She is undecided on whether to support Lebanon against insurgents, military support of Pakistan and creating an independent nation of Kosovo.

National Security
Chellie Pingree does not support military tribunals for suspected terrorists, increasing domestic  survelliance of communications, pre-emptive strikes against nations considered to be threats, a national identification card system, and missle defense programs. She does, however, support increasing homeland security funding for the states, and holding forgein nations accountable for their citizens operating as terrorists within the U.S.

Bio
Chellie Pingree was president and CEO of Common Cause from March 2003 to February 2007. Prior to leading Common Cause, Pingree served for eight years in the Maine Senate, with the last four years as majority leader. She was also a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in 2002.

In the Maine Legislature, Pingree was known for successful legislative battles regarding health care, economic development and the environment. She authored legislation that created a landmark program known as Maine Rx, which lowered the cost of prescription drug prices for seniors. She was the winner of several awards including Consumer Health Advocate of the Year by Families, USA.

In 1998, Pingree was an international election monitor for the White House in Bosnia, Serbia and Croatia.

Pingree hails from North Haven, Maine, an island of 350 where she ran a farm and wool knitting business that supplied knitting kits, pattern books and yarn to 1,200 stores nationwide. She was active in rural economic development issues, and helped to create an economic development corporation supporting small business creation and peer lending in Maine. She also served in local office, including the school board."

She is also a member of The Real News: International Founding Committee, the Director of the Center for Policy Alternatives, and the Director of Families USA Foundation.

2008 elections
Pingree was the Democratic nominee seeking to replace incumbent Rep. Tom Allen (D-Maine), who was running for Senate. She won primary elections which took place on June 10, 2008, and went on to defeat Charlie Summers, the Republican nominee, in the November 2008 general election.

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Campaign contributions
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Committees

 * House Committee on Armed Services

Contact
Chellie Pingree for Congress P.O. Box 17613 Portland, Maine 04112 (207) 773-0155

Email: [mailto:campaign@pingreeforcongress.com campaign@pingreeforcongress.com]

Related SourceWatch articles

 * 2008 U.S. congressional elections
 * 2008 U.S. congressional election dates
 * Portal:Maine and the U.S. Congress
 * Sally E. Pingree

External resources

 * 2008 Race Tracker page on Maine's 1st Congressional District
 * Official Chellie Pingree for Congress website

External articles

 * Jessica Benton Cooney, "Official Challenge to Maine Sen. Collins Sets Up Key 2008 Match," CQ Politics, May 8, 2007
 * Matt Bush, "Pingree Declares Candidacy For Public Office," WCSH6 NBC, April 7, 207.
 * “Election Results: Congressional Races/Referendum Question”,“WCSH6 Portland”, June 10, 2008