Update from Washington

These are challenging times, but I hope you are doing well and looking forward to Spring as I am.  The first few months of 2011 have been quite busy in Maine and in Washington and I wanted to take a moment to fill you in on some of the things that I've been working on.

I am so proud of the innovative work happening in Maine farming and food, and now, as a member of the Agriculture Committee, it's a real pleasure for me to work to strengthen this part of Maine.  Making good, local food more accessible to more people - whether it's kids in school cafeterias or communities in need of a farmers' market — is an important goal for me.

I've been pleased with some of our early committee meetings, and look forward to working with Russell Libby of MOFGA and many other friends on some of the most crucial issues facing our food issues.

I also continue to serve on the House Armed Services Committee, where General David Petraeus recently testified.  As I said to him at that hearing, every day more and more Americans are looking for an end to the war in Afghanistan, but it seems as though there isn’t one in sight.  You can see our exchange here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOCUQkWL3rg

Some tragic stories of sexual assault in our military have been in the news a lot recently and this is one of many Military Personnel issues I am interested in.  After meeting with five brave and patriotic women who had been sexually assaulted while serving in the military, I decided to introduce legislation that would make it easier for these victims to get the coverage and benefits they deserve.  I recently talked about this bill on MSNBC, which you can see here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZCGS7vD-Hs

The Service Women's Action Network (SWAN) have done good work on this difficult issue.  You can be in touch with SWAN for additional information about issues around military sexual trauma or if you know someone in need of assistance.  

A very different issue that spurred a lot of letters to me has to do with the House cafeteria.  As you know, Republicans have taken over leadership in the House, which includes many of the detailed ways in which the campus is administered.  I was disappointed that one of the first things that they did was get rid of the biodegradable cups, plates and utensils used in the House cafeteria and replaced them with Styrofoam.  I’ve heard from many of you on this and both the Biddeford Journal Tribune and the Times Record have editorialized on this ridiculous decision.

This is a busy time of year for Mainers visiting Washington and it's been great to see so many familiar faces in my office.  Just recently, we met with the Professional Firefighters of Maine, the Maine Municipal Association, the local AMVETS Chapter, MaineHealth, and many more. I always appreciate these meetings and I am proud that so many Mainers take such an active part in government.

Some of the most important work of my office is the work we get to do in Maine, especially helping the many people who call for help with the Veteran's Administration, Social Security, passports or to cut through government bureaucracy.  And of course I am always pleased to get out and talk to people face to face — whether it’s the First Friday Art Walk or Flower Show in Portland or a visit to a small business in York County or the Midcoast.

Thank you for all that you have done to help me continue in this work – please stay in touch!