Congresswoman Chellie Pingree says a proposed agriculture funding bill will hurt farmers, families, and rural communities.
During a hearing of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee, Pingree spoke out against a Republican funding bill for agriculture and rural development for 2027.
She says the proposal would cut nutrition assistance, farmer support, conservation programs, and local food initiatives.
Pingree adds many families are already struggling to afford healthy food while farmers face rising costs.
She also says Maine families rely on programs like WIC, which the bill would cut by about 10 percent.
Pingree said, “In Maine, about 15,000 people participate in WIC. In a state of only 1.3 million people, that matters. And the fruit and vegetable benefit is one of the most used and most redeemed parts of the program. One WIC participant in Maine said that, because of the current benefit, she was able to buy a bag of cherries for her child for the first time.”
Pingree argues the more than six billion dollars in proposed cuts go against the administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” messaging.