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.

Positions, record and controversies
During the 2008 campaign, Pingree took positions on the following issues:

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 and cosponsored other successful legislation in support of abortion rights.

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. She would eliminate spending on national missile 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 funds.

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

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 increasing the 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.

Pingree supports universal coverage for all regardless of income, the importation of prescription drugs, the expansion of prescription drug coverage under Medicare, tax credits for individuals and small businesses to offset the costs of health care and expanding child health care programs.

International Policy Issues
Pingree supports giving aid to nations facing disasters that threaten civilian lives as well as aid that is in the security interests of the U.S. She supports the U.S.'s continued leadership in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as well as involvement 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 military 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 for Pakistan, or the creation of an independent nation of Kosovo.

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

Bio
Chellie Pingree was first elected to the Maine State Senate in 1992. Previously she had served on the school board and been the local tax assessor for the town of North Haven, Maine, where she ran a small business. Pingree spent four terms in the Maine Senate, the last two as Senate Majority Leader, before leaving office because of term limits. While a State Senator, Pingree also participated in international delegations for the White House, traveling to Bosnia where she was an election monitor, as well as to Ireland where she worked with women political leaders.

Pingree ran for the U.S. Senate in 2002, losing to Sen. Susan Collins. During the campaign, she opposed the Iraq War. From 2003 to 2007, Pingree was president and CEO of Common Cause, a non-partisan non-profit group that focuses on government accountability at the state and national levels.

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

Money in Politics
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Committees in the 110th Congress (2007-2008)

 * House Committee on Armed Services

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