Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) at a Meetig on Maine Vet Homelessness at USM, Portland, Earlier This Year.

For more than 15 hours on the House floor several weeks ago, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D) fought back against 83 extreme Republican amendments to a Fiscal year 2024 appropriations bill.  The funding bill written and passed by House Republicans includes a crippling 39% cut to the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) and policy provisions that will endanger public heath, strain the economy and increase costs.

The House Republicans 2024 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies funding bill includes $25.4 billion, which is $13.4 billion below the 2023 level, a cut of 35%.  With just a few days remaining until the US government faces a shut down, the partisan funding package is dead-on-arrival at the Democratic controlled Senate.