Chellie Pingree
Pingree voted against every Israel aid bill and for the 2026 amendment to cut aid to Israel, saying in April 2024: "we cannot continue to send unchecked offensive capabilities to Netanyahu’s government", calling for a permanent ceasefire. In 2025 she was among Democrats urging U.S. recognition of a Palestinian state.
Pingree represents Maine’s 1st District and is the sitting member.
Her recorded votes on the tracked bills appear as badges on this card and point one way on the restraint side: against every aid bill and for the 2026 Massie amendment. Splitting from her Maine colleague on the April 2024 votes, she said: "we cannot continue to send unchecked offensive capabilities to Netanyahu’s government", calling for a "permanent ceasefire now, and immediate steps towar[d]...", quoted to the verified span.
Her paper trail is deep: the March 2024 letter urging enforcement of Section 620I over humanitarian-aid restrictions, the April 2024 withhold-transfers letter after the World Central Kitchen strike, co-sponsorship of the Ceasefire Compliance Act conditioning U.S. arms use in Gaza and the West Bank, and, in August 2025, joining House Democrats urging the United States to recognize a Palestinian state. Her office maintains a standing issues page, "Working Towards Peace in Israel and Palestine", opening: "Both the Israeli people and the Palestinian people deserve to live in peace."
Her October 2023 aid-responsibility statement is on the research page; her 2015 Netanyahu-address boycott is prior band.
Tracked votes: opposed sending U.S. weapons or funding to the government of Israel in 5 of 6 recorded votes.
Research
U.S. military aid and weapons to Israel
- Her recorded votes appear as badges on this card, all restraint-side; her April 2024 statement is the verified explanation.
- [Position, 2024-04-20] The Bangor Daily News split coverage, verified: the unchecked-offensive-capabilities quote and the ceasefire call.
- [Position, 2024-03-25] The 620I-enforcement letter with senior Democrats; [Position, 2024-04-08] the post-WCK withhold letter: both per the research record, consistent with her verified statements; carried with those bases.
- [Position, 2025] Co-sponsorship of the Ceasefire Compliance Act, verified: the wire piece lists her among co-sponsors of the bill to condition U.S. arms use.
U.S. aid to Palestinians
- [Position, 2025-08-06] Urging U.S. recognition of a Palestinian state, verified by headline naming her.
- [Position, standing page] Her issues page lists a 2025 resolution on resuming aid delivery into Gaza among her actions; live page, recorded on the date we read it.
Characterization of the conflict
- The issues page’s opening line, quoted in the deep dive; her statements characterize the war through civilian impact.
- [Reaction window, 2023-10-11] Her aid-responsibility-with-civilian-evaluation statement. Off the card.
Related rhetoric and lobbying
- [Prior, 2015-03] Among lawmakers who boycotted Prime Minister Netanyahu’s address; prior band.
- No tracked funding badge appears because no committee support is recorded for her. Her account’s posts (a destruction-of-Gaza item; a synagogue-attack item) have unopenable addresses; nothing claimed.
Safety and antisemitism (context)
- Local coverage of vigils and of rising antisemitism in Portland names district context; dates checked.
Race and status context
- Sitting member, nominated. Her Republican challenger’s card carries its own record.
Also in this race: Ron Russell (Republican) · All Maine candidates.
See the full record →But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. Every claim on this page goes through at least two verification steps. Open the interactive card for votes, funding and contact details.