U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) wants the world to know about her decision to vote against the bill allowing the government to reopen after being shutdown for a record-long period of time.
The First District Democrat was the only member of Maine’s Congressional delegation not to support the deal to end the forty-plus day shutdown.
After overcoming its most significant hurdle in the Senate, the plan was approved by the House Wednesday signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) later that same day.
[RELATED: As the Federal Government Finally Reopens After 40+ Days, Some Maine Politicians Respond]
Many Democrats had been pushing to keep the government shut down until they came to an agreement with their Republican counterparts on the potential extension of expanded health insurance tax credits, leading to a stalemate in the Senate where any plan needed at least 60 votes to advance.
First created in 2021 as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), these credits give many Americans access to free or discounted monthly premiums health insurance premiums through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace.
Without intervention from Congress, this tax credit is set to expire at the end of this year. Should this happen, only the more limited version of the tax credit originally included in the ACA will remain in effect going forward.
These difficulties were overcome this week, however, as a deal was reached to reopen the government despite the ongoing nature of the debate, with a handful of Democrats joining their Republican colleagues in support of reopening the government.
[RELATED: Maine’s Congressional Delegation Offers Mixed Reactions to Ending the Historic Government Shutdown]
Pingree heavily criticizes this deal in her statement, arguing that despite the importance of reopening the government “this was not the way to do it.”
“From the beginning, the vast majority of House Democrats have been united in opposing any funding bill that doesn’t address the escalating health care crisis,” Pingree wrote.
“Without immediate action, millions of Americans are going to be priced out of their health insurance in January,” she said. “President Trump and Republican leadership have proven that they’re willing to take drastic measures—including a historically long government shutdown and the first-ever illegal attempt to deny SNAP benefits to food insecure Americans—to avoid addressing this crisis.”
“This ‘deal’ is going to be financially ruinous for thousands of Mainers—despite somehow managing to include provisions that will allow millions of dollars in cash payouts to Republican Senators,” Pingree argued, echoing her earlier comments on the proposal. “While it’s critical to end the shutdown and fund the government, this was not the way to do it. I am an emphatic no on this terrible bill.”
“It became increasingly clear this week that Speaker Johnson will not put a clean ACA bill on the floor, regardless of the Senate’s handshake deal,” Pingree continued. “But this fight is far from over.”
“House Democrats have already filed a discharge petition to extend the ACA tax credits for a full three years,” said Pingree. “It is my sincere hope that, just as we are doing with the petition to release the Epstein files, we can get enough Republicans on board to pass these extensions—and bring much-needed relief to millions of Americans.”
Click Here to Read Rep. Pingree’s Full Statement
The other three members of Maine’s Congressional delegation all voted in support of the deal, all citing a belief that reopening the government was of great importance.
“Tonight, we finally put an end to the longest government shutdown in our nation’s history, which has caused completely unnecessary harm to so many families in Maine and across the country, as well as to our national and economic security,” said Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), who helped broker the compromise.
“It became clear that we simply weren’t going to get the tax credit fix as long as the shutdown went on,” Senator Angus King wrote (I-ME) in a Portland Press Herald op-ed, “and keeping the pain of the shutdown going in the service of an unattainable goal just didn’t make sense.”
Pingree’s Democrat counterpart in the House also disagrees with her.
“Congress still has a window to pass bipartisan legislation to extend the ACA premium tax credits,” said Rep. Golden. “In September, I joined a bipartisan coalition in the House to put forth legislation to extend the credits for one year and now, with the shutdown now over, I urge members of both parties who care about affordable health care to come back to the table so we can get the job done.”
Gov. Janet Mills’ (D) statement on the end of the shutdown, however, more closely resembled Pingree’s remarks with respect to the tax credits while also appearing to place blame on Republicans and the Trump Administration for the lengthy nature of the shutdown.
