Chellie Pingree

Republicans seeing today’s inflation news and being forced to confront the consequences of their blind support for Trump’s policies https://t.co/kS6yDGitlJ

I've been fighting for a food system that puts people and farmers first long before the "MAHA" movement. But the moms and activists behind MAHA have helped bring these issues into the national spotlight, and that momentum is turning long-running fights into real bipartisan wins in Congress. A few weeks ago, I joined @RepThomasMassie at @realorganicproj to talk about some of those fights (and wins!) and where we go from here. We have to keep pushing, keep reaching across the aisle, and keep building on the issues that unite us.

Trump is using your tax dollars to run propaganda ads praising himself while his illegal war drives up the cost of gas and heating oil. Corruption. Warmongering. Self-enrichment. Republicans in Congress need to grow a spine, rein this president in, and do their jobs. Enough already.

"The greatest economy in the history of our country by far," he said literally 2 days ago. https://t.co/s9mbWzxHpM

Thank you to @SteveCollinsSJ for this thoughtful (and very generous) column. The stakes of this moment are much bigger than any one elected official. What matters is that we keep paying attention, speaking plainly, and turning justified frustration into action. I’m grateful to the Mainers doing exactly that every day. I’ll keep doing my part, too. https://t.co/PWwhYCLSeL

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, is pressing Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin to stop delaying meaningful federal action on per-and polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in sewage sludge. In a letter to Zeldin, Pingree warns that EPA’s latest draft guidance fails to provide a clear path toward enforceable protections for farmers, rural communities, and the nation’s food supply. The guidance was issued instead of finalizing EPA’s January 2025 draft risk assessment—which would have been an important step toward restricting the application of PFAS-contaminated sewage sludge, also known as biosolids, on farmland. “As you and I have discussed at length, PFAS chemicals have been linked to serious health effects, including cancer, reproductive and developmental harms, and weakened immune systems. Maine farmers have had their livelihoods disrupted due to PFAS contamination, which originated in sewage sludge that was spread as fertilizer by farmers who were told by the government that it was safe to use,”Pingree wrote. “Unfortunately, this sewage sludge contained PFAS, leading to contamination of agricultural land, products, and water.” Maine has been at the forefront of testing, cleanup, and research into PFAS contamination of farmland. An extensive state investigation found contamination on more than 50 farms linked to sewage sludge application. Farmers have lost income, faced threats to their livelihoods, and experienced health problems after unknowingly spreading contaminated sludge that government authorities had said was safe. Yet instead of completing its risk assessment and tightening protections for farmers and rural communities, Trump’s EPA released draft guidance this summer that leaves its regulatory plans unresolved. “[...] Rather than finalizing this risk assessment, the Agency’s release of Draft Guidance for Reducing Risk from PFOA and PFOS in Biosolids leaves regulatory next steps unclear and farmers in limbo,” Pingree said. With the public comment period on the guidance scheduled to close October 5, Pingree is calling on Zeldin to explain: Whether EPA intends to finalize its draft sewage sludge risk assessment for PFOA and PFOS; What scientific review supports a decision not to finalize it; How EPA will prevent further contamination and protect farmers from the unique exposure risks created by land application of sewage sludge; When EPA will propose enforceable limits on land application; Whether EPA will address PFAS chemicals beyond PFOA and PFOS; and How EPA is working with the Department of Agriculture to help farmers, ranchers, and rural communities manage PFAS contamination. “Without additional action by EPA, farmers across the country will continue to be at heightened risk from PFAS exposure from land application of biosolids,” Pingree wrote. “It is critical that EPA takes additional steps to protect our rural communities and food supply.” The full letter is available here and is copied below. +++ Dear Administrator Zeldin, I write to you regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) efforts to reduce risk from per-and polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in sewage sludge, also known as biosolids. As you and I have discussed at length, PFAS chemicals have been linked to serious health effects, including cancer, reproductive and developmental harms, and weakened immune systems. Maine farmers have had their livelihoods disrupted due to PFAS contamination, which originated in sewage sludge that was spread as fertilizer by farmers who were told by the government that it was safe to use. Unfortunately, this sewage sludge contained PFAS, leading to contamination of agricultural land, products, and water. Maine is far from the only state in this situation, but we have been on the front lines on testing, cleanup, and research. An extensive state investigation found contamination found on over 50 farms because of sewage sludge. These farmers have had their livelihoods lost or threatened and experienced health problems. This is an issue across the country whether states are taking action or not, and it is imperative the federal government, and EPA specifically, continues to advance research and remediation efforts to protect our food supply and rural economies, including by actively preventing additional contamination. EPA’s Draft Sewage Sludge Risk Assessment for Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctane Sulfonic Acid (PFOS), released in January 2025, was an important step towards eventual restrictions on applying contaminated sludge to farmland, but rather than finalizing this risk assessment, the Agency’s release of Draft Guidance for Reducing Risk from PFOA and PFOS in Biosolids leaves regulatory next steps unclear and farmers in limbo. Please respond to these questions by November 16, 2026: Does EPA intend to finalize the Draft Sewage Sludge Risk Assessment for Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctane Sulfonic Acid (PFOS)? If not, how is that decision documented, and what scientific review supported that conclusion? If not, how does EPA intend to prevent additional land contamination and protect farmers specifically from the additional, unique exposure pathways they face from land application of sewage sludge? What are EPA’s next steps to propose enforceable regulatory limits on land application of sewage sludge? Does EPA plan to expand its focus beyond PFOA and PFOS to other types of PFAS contamination? How is EPA working with USDA to help farmers, ranchers, and rural communities manage PFAS impacts in agricultural settings? Without additional action by EPA, farmers across the country will continue to be at heightened risk from PFAS exposure from land application of biosolids. It is critical that EPA takes additional steps to protect our rural communities and food supply. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely,

Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas), and and Greg Casar (D-Texas), today sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director David J. Venturella calling for answers and accountability following three Immigration and Customs Enforcement shootings in their congressional districts where agents failed to wear body cameras. The full letter is available here. The Members point to the shootings of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston, Texas; Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in Biddeford, Maine; and Wilber Rafael Garces Perez in Austin, Texas. In the latest case, Garces Perez was shot in the back by an ICE agent in Austin on September 20. The agent had been issued a body camera but was not wearing it. A second agent was wearing a camera, but it did not capture the shooting. The repeated failures come despite significant funding from Congress. Earlier this year, Congress appropriated $20 million specifically for procuring, deploying, and operating body-worn cameras for federal immigration enforcement officers. That is on top of an unprecedented increase in funding for ICE. Congress provided ICE roughly $75 billion in supplemental funding in 2025, followed by another $38.5 billion in 2026 through the Secure America Act. “Over and over again, we’ve seen DHS agents resort to deadly violence when conducting enforcement operations in our districts. And when we demand to see the body cam footage, they give us the same tired excuses. No more,” said Congresswoman Pingree. “The fact that DHS has failed to outfit its officers with body cameras—despite having hundreds of billions of dollars at its disposal and more than a year to procure and deploy this equipment—is totally unacceptable. There is simply no reason that a federal agency with more money than most countries’ entire GDPs is not held to the same standards as local law enforcement. We deserve the truth about why cameras weren’t deployed during these most recent shootings, including the one that took the life of my constituent, Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, in Biddeford, Maine on July 13. Our demands are simple: Every immigration enforcement officer must have a working body camera, must be properly trained on how to use it, and be held accountable when that camera isn’t used.” “ICE is not short on money. Congress has provided billions of dollars to this agency, and after Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was killed in my district, we were told body cameras were coming. The money is there. The deadlines have passed. So why does this keep happening?” said Congresswoman Garcia. “This is completely unacceptable. When federal agents use deadly force, the public should not be left in the dark. There must be transparency, accountability, and answers for the families who are left behind. Lorenzo’s family deserves answers. They deserve justice. DHS and ICE need to explain why their body camera system keeps failing when it matters most.” "Wilber Garces Perez was shot in the back in Austin by an ICE agent who wasn't wearing a body camera, weeks after DHS promised every officer in the field would have one," said Congressman Casar. "Secretary Mullin keeps making promises while his agents keep shooting people. Secretary Mullin must release every second of footage from that scene, so we can know the truth.” The letter also points to commitments DHS made following the July 7 killing of Salgado Araujo in Houston. During a July 15 phone call with Congresswoman Garcia, Secretary Mullin said all federal immigration officers would have body-worn cameras within 45 to 60 days. That deadline passed in September. Salgado Araujo, a Houston construction worker and father of three, was killed without available body camera footage capturing the shooting. Days later, ICE fatally shot 25-year-old Colombian national Johan Sebastian Durán Guerrero. Agents involved in Guerrero’s shooting were also not wearing body cameras. Then, on September 20, Garces Perez was shot in Austin by an officer who had been issued a camera but was not wearing it. Members are demanding DHS and ICE explain whether all federal immigration officers have been issued working body cameras and properly trained to use them. They also ask why the officer who shot Garces Perez was not wearing his issued camera, why the second officer’s camera failed to capture the shooting, whether other footage exists, and whether officers who fail to follow body camera rules will face disciplinary action. The Members requested written answers from DHS and ICE by October 14, 2026. ###

Over and over again, we’ve seen @DHSgov agents resort to deadly violence when conducting enforcement operations in our districts. And when we demand to see the body cam footage, they give us the same tired excuses. NO MORE. The fact that DHS has failed to outfit its officers with body cameras—despite having hundreds of billions of dollars at its disposal and more than a year to procure and deploy this equipment—is totally unacceptable. There is simply NO reason that a federal agency with more money than most countries’ entire GDPs is not held to the same standards as local law enforcement. We deserve the truth about why cameras weren’t deployed during these most recent shootings, including the one that took the life of my constituent, Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, in Biddeford, Maine on July 13. @RepSylviaGarcia, @RepCasar, and my demands are simple: Every immigration enforcement officer must have a working body camera, must be properly trained on how to use it, and be held accountable when that camera isn’t used.

Maine Congresswoman Chellie Pingree and Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, Ranking Members of the House and Senate Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittees, today unveiled legislation to protect presidential monuments like the Kennedy Center from demolition. The bicameral, bipartisan Protecting Presidential Memorials Act would prohibit any Congressionally designated memorial honoring a U.S. President—including the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Memorial, and Jefferson Memorial—from being demolished unless authorized by an act of Congress. “The Kennedy Center is our nation’s living memorial to President John F. Kennedy—someone who truly cherished the arts. For Donald Trump to attempt to usurp this great memorial by putting his own name above JFK’s—and then threaten to demolish the building if he doesn’t get his way—is beyond the pale,” said Pingree. “When Congress designates a place to memorialize a president, no administration should be able to tear it down on a whim. This bill establishes a simple safeguard: if Congress created the designation, only an act of Congress can authorize its demolition.” “Trump’s threats to tear down the Kennedy Center—all because the law says he can’t put his name on the building—are straight out of the authoritarian playbook and should infuriate every American who values our history and the rule of law,” said Merkley. “The Kennedy Center is one of our nation’s great contributions to the human spirit, honoring our slain president who championed the arts. This one-page bill is a straightforward solution to protect this treasure and other presidential memorials.” On Monday night, Merkley attempted to pass the Protecting Presidential Memorials Act—which he co-led with Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska—by unanimous consent in the Senate, but that effort was blocked by Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah). The National Cultural Center was established by Congress in 1958, renamed in honor of John F. Kennedy shortly after his death, and opened to the public in 1971. For more than 50 years, it has celebrated artistic excellence, fostered creativity and reflected Kennedy’s steadfast belief that equitable access to the arts is essential to democracy. Pingree, who co-chairs the bipartisan Congressional Arts Caucus, has been a leading voice in Congress to protect the Kennedy Center since Trump installed himself as board chair in 2025. As Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, Pingree successfully stripped language from the 2026 Appropriations bill that would have renamed the Kennedy Center Opera House after Melania Trump. ###

NEW: @SenJeffMerkley + I are leading an effort in both the House and the Senate to prevent ANY president from demolishing a presidential memorial like the Kennedy Center. Our bipartisan Protecting Presidential Memorials Act establishes a simple safeguard: if Congress created the designation, only an act of Congress can authorize its demolition. These monuments don’t belong to whoever’s sitting in the Oval Office. They belong to the American people.

Let’s be clear: It is ILLEGAL to pay for campaign ads with taxpayer money. Period. There's a whole bunch of federal laws specifically designed to prevent the executive branch from using the machinery of government for partisan campaigning. The seething, sinister vibes are just as alarming. He really does see himself as above silly things like “the law” and “campaign ethics.” He’s also just flat-out desperate. He knows the American people are pissed, that his approval rating is lower than it’s ever been, and that Republicans are about to “find out” just how unpopular their reckless and destructive policies really are. Add this to the long list of flagrantly illegal activity Democrats will be investigating.

Trump says he wants to help American farmers but then plans to flood the American market with foreign beef. There is nothing “America First” about his dumbass plan. https://t.co/4TwQgBFjBG

Amazing how quickly Republicans’ tune changes when they actually have to answer to their angry constituents. Trump’s war in Iran? Too costly. Sweeping immigration crackdown? Gone too far. Naming memorials after himself? Not right. @SpeakerJohnson, enough hiding from the voters. Bring the House back to Washington. If Republicans really mean what they’re saying back home, give them the chance to prove it with their votes.

So, JD Vance is a national security threat. Got it.

I *should* be in Washington this week but, per usual, Republicans sent everyone home early. They’ve canceled 63 DAYS OF SESSION this Congress. Why? Could it be… The Epstein files discharge petition 2.0? The articles of impeachment @RepThomasMassie introduced against Hegseth? Or that they know they can’t get anything of significance done to help working Americans and lower costs? 🎯 🎯 🎯

I thought he couldn’t get lower than trying to rename the Kennedy Center. Now, Trump has his sights set on Ford’s Theatre? What is this obsession with trying to overshadow assassinated presidents? It’s absurd—and would defile a historic site. Is the supposed “Party of Lincoln” going to stand for this?

U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and Robin Kelly (D-Ill.) are leading a group of their Democratic colleagues in demanding that Prime Healthcare end alleged intimidation and retaliation against nurses engaged in federally protected union activity at its hospitals in Maine, Illinois, and Nevada. In a letter to Prime Healthcare Chairman and CEO Dr. Prem Reddy, the lawmakers cite reports of dozens of nurses being suspended or fired, police being called on nurses and organizers lawfully distributing information outside a hospital, and hospital-branded materials urging employees to vote against union representation. The letter comes as nurses at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, Maine; Olympia Fields Hospital in Olympia Fields, Illinois; and Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston, Illinois, seek representation through the National Nurses Organizing Committee. At Central Maine Medical Center alone, Prime Healthcare has suspended or fired at least 20 nurses during the organizing campaign—actions the nurses and the union allege are retaliation for advocating for safer staffing, adequate resources, and improved patient care. Olympia Fields Hospital has also reportedly suspended six nurses. “Registered nurses at these Prime facilities are fighting to ensure they can provide the very best care to the communities they serve, including concerns about cuts to vital services that patients rely on. As you are aware, just last year, Senators Duckworth and Durbin contacted you about reversing Prime’s decision to reduce services in several newly acquired hospitals across Illinois,” the lawmakers wrote. “We remain deeply concerned about warnings from these workers that recent changes to services and designations will impact standards and delivery of care in our communities.” The lawmakers also highlight alleged retaliation at other Prime Healthcare facilities, including the firing of six nurses at Saint Mary of Nazareth Hospital in Chicago ahead of a June union election and two nurses at Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Reno, Nevada. They are urging Prime Healthcare to comply fully with the National Labor Relations Act, allow employees to decide freely whether to unionize, and negotiate in good faith with workers who choose union representation.[CI3] “All workers should have the free choice to join a union, should they choose to form one, without interference or intimidation,” they said. “[...] We will continue to monitor Prime Healthcare’s actions closely and, should nurses at those facilities form a union, expect you to negotiate a fair contract in good faith with workers in accordance with the law.” The letter is available here and is copied below. Joining Pingree and Kelly on the letter are: Reps. Gilbert Cisneros (D-Calif.), Jesús "Chuy" García (D-Ill.), Jared Golden (D-Maine), Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Mike Quigley (D-Ill.), Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.), and Maxine Waters (D-Calif.). [CI1]They technically aren’t in the union yet, do we need to clarify something like their proposed union or something like that. - Kevin [CI2]Can we link to the letter? Just easier for News to find the right one. - Kevin

This is the President of the United States casually threatening to "annihilate" another country in front of the entire UN General Assembly. What he’s saying would constitute war crimes. And this man has the nuclear codes. It’s astounding how hellbent he is on violating domestic and international law practically every time he opens his mouth. American foreign policy cannot revolve around destabilizing global peace and stability, the world economy, and our role as the leader of the free world. Horrifying.

ICE shot Alex Pretti in the back. A few days ago, they shot Wilber Rafael Garces Perez in the back. Wilber remains in custody with the bullet still lodged near his spine. DHS is still trying to deport him. ALL of these shootings demand full, independent investigations. Justice for Johan. Alex. Renée. Ruben. Lorenzo. Wilber. And the countless others whose lives have been destroyed by ICE—while their families were left to pick up the pieces.

When an ICE agent kills someone, they’re not just taking one life. They’re destroying a family and community. Attorney Sean Murphy, who represents the family of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, delivered incredibly powerful testimony today during @OversightDems hearing on ICE killings. Please watch this and listen to every word.

Today, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) joined U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Ranking Member of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, and U.S. Representative Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a bicameral public forum of fatal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) shootings across the country. Members heard emotional testimony on the killings of Ruben Ray Martinez and Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Texas, Renée Nicole Macklin Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota, and Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in Maine. Watch Pingree’s portion of questioning here; the full hearing is available to watch here. Click here for photos from the hearing. “Listening to these families today was heartbreaking and infuriating,” said Pingree. “Ruben Ray Martinez was killed by an ICE agent, and DHS refused to even admit it happened for nearly a year, until a public records request forced the truth out. Alex Pretti was shot in the back, and it took a bystander's video to prove the government's own account of his death was a lie. Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero's family still has no confirmation that any federal agency is investigating his death, months later. How can the government take someone’s life and leave their family without a clear account of what happened or why? These families deserve answers. Congress has a duty to demand a full accounting and hold federal officials accountable for the abuses committed using taxpayer dollars. Republicans should be demanding those answers alongside us, but they have been derelict in their duties—refusing to hold hearings like this one. Democrats and I will keep fighting for the truth and for justice.” Other Members participating in the hearing included Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Reps. Emily Randall (D-Wash.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), Wesley Bell (D-Mo.), Don Beyer (D-Va.), Suhas Subramanyam (D-Va.), and Lateefah Simon (D-Calif.). The following witnesses offered testimony about the fatal shootings of five people by federal immigration agents during the Trump Administration: Rachel Reyes: Rachel Reyes’ son, Ruben Ray Martinez, was shot and killed by an ICE agent in March 2025 in South Padre Island, Texas. For nearly a year afterwards, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) refused to publicly acknowledge its involvement in Mr. Martinez’s death, which only came to light through a public records request. Donna and Brent Ganger: Donna Ganger’s daughter and Brent Ganger’s sister, Renée Nicole Macklin Good, was shot and killed by an ICE agent in January 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Stella Carlson: Stella Carlson recorded the killing of Alex Pretti in January 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Ms. Carlson, known as the “woman in the pink coat,” was on her way to work when she witnessed and filmed an immigration agent shooting Mr. Pretti in the back. Her video confirmed that DHS’s account of the fatal shooting was false. Ronaldo and Lorenzo Salgado: Ronaldo and Lorenzo Salgado’s father, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, was shot and killed in Houston, Texas in July 2026. Mr. Araujo was driving to work when he was confronted by ICE agents who fired into the vehicle, killing him. Sean P. Murphy: Sean P. Murphy represents the family of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero who was shot and killed by an ICE agent shortly after leaving for work early in the morning hours of July 13, 2026. He was not the target of any ICE removal operation and had no criminal history. Johan Sebastián did have a social security number and valid work authorization issued by the current administration. To date, no federal agency has confirmed that they are investigating. "The loss of Johan Sebastián is a tragedy. In the past two months, Ben [Gideon] and I have been fighting for him. We will continue to fight for him. We will continue to fight for justice and accountability And while I desperately want to keep this focused on the tragedy of losing even one life to the world, I would be remiss if I did not address the political elephant in the room, that on the other side of Johan’s life lost is the nefarious decision by this administration to steal and take that life,” Murphy said in his testimony. “[…] The only justification given for Johan’s death was that it was in the interest of public safety. You know what actually keeps the public safe? Not shooting innocent and law-abiding fathers whose only dream is to build a better life for his family.” Watch Murphy’s full testimony here. In August, Pingree, Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), and Rep. Troy Carter (D-La.), a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, hosted a Democratic shadow hearingexamining ICE’s use of force and abuse of power following the tragic killing of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in Biddeford. ###

Are Republicans really going to continue to sit back and allow this egomaniac to try and buy and bully his way to fabricated glory? Where is the outrage? Congress has the power to stop this madness; they won’t do it. SHAME. #kennedycenter https://t.co/jpdeQXxl8s

Today, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), founder and chair of the Slow Fashion Caucus, introduced the Textile Waste Reduction Act (TWRA), a first-of-its-kind bill to address the harmful impacts of fast fashion-driven waste. Based on recommendations made in the first-ever Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on fast fashion pollution—originally requested by Pingree and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) in 2023—this landmark legislation establishes the first coordinated federal framework to reduce textile waste, improve data collection, and develop a national strategy to advance circularity in the textile industry. “The GAO report confirmed what we’ve known for years: that textile waste is one of the fastest-growing waste streams in the U.S.; that it’s being driven largely by fast fashion; and that federal action is necessary to confront this crisis in a real, impactful way,” said Congresswoman Pingree. “This bill would help lay the foundation for that effort by creating a coordinated federal strategy to reduce textile waste and build a more circular textile economy. Our country has the resources and know-how to lead this effort on a global scale. It’s well past time we turn that potential into action—and help transform this wasteful industry into one that’s more efficient, more sustainable, and better for people and the planet.” Specifically, the TWRA: Directs the EPA Administrator to take coordinated federal action to advance textile circularity Requires EPA to develop a comprehensive National Textile Circularity Strategy and conduct a needs assessment identifying the actions, investments, and policy priorities necessary to implement the strategy Creates an Interagency Working Group on Textile Circularity to coordinate federal activities Establishes an Advisory Board to provide recommendations to the Interagency Working Group Requires EPA to identify and publish federal funding opportunities available to states, Tribal governments, local governments, and nongovernmental organizations that support textile circularity Requires EPA to annually publish updated data on textile waste generation and management Background: Textile waste is now one of the fastest-growing waste streams in the United States, with millions of tons of textiles discarded each year and the vast majority ending up in landfills. These discarded materials may leach contaminants including PFAS and microplastics into water and soil and increase costs on communities grappling with capacity shortages at landfills. Despite the harmful impacts of this fast fashion-driven increase in textile waste, there has been no coordinated effort at the federal level to tackle this problem and support a more circular textiles economy. In addition, over the past several decades, hundreds of thousands of fiber and textile jobs that once sustained communities across America have shifted overseas, harming American farmers and communities in the process. Pingree founded and launched the Congressional Slow Fashion Caucus in June 2024 to create climate-smart policies to reduce, repair, rewear, and recycle textiles. The caucus has garnered widespread support, including from American Circular Textiles, the Garment Worker Center, Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project, Patagonia, ThredUp, fashion designer and slow fashion influencer Kelly Dempsey, and more. The full text of the bill can be found here. Pingree is Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, which oversees the EPA. # # #

Despite being one of the fastest-growing waste streams in the US, there is NO coordinated effort at the federal level to combat fast fashion-driven waste. That's why I'm introducing the Textile Waste Reduction Act (TWRA), a first-of-its-kind bill that would create a concrete and coherent federal strategy to reduce textile waste and build a more circular textile economy. We have the resources and know-how to lead this effort on a global scale. It’s well past time we turn that potential into action—and help transform this wasteful industry into one that’s more efficient, more sustainable, and better for people and the planet. Read more in @TeenVogue 👇

SOON: I’ll be joining @andersoncooper on @CNN to talk about Trump’s Kennedy Center takeover and his threats to demolish the living memorial to JFK. Tune in! https://t.co/BW402hLUQa