1. United States
2. Maine
3. Letter

Dear Representative Pingree, Congratulations on your re-election. As a constituent, I'm writing about one of your first votes in the new Congress: Speaker of the House. I respectfully ask you to support a progressive candidate rather than Hakeem Jeffries. Democrats won this majority because voters wanted a real check on the Trump administration and relief from rising costs. I worry that Leader Jeffries's instinct is accommodation over confrontation. His reported late-August meeting with Jared Kushner to discuss "common ground" sent the wrong signal about how he would use the gavel. The Speaker controls the agenda, the floor, and how hard the House fights on oversight, health care, and programs like Medicaid. You have spent your career fighting for working families, farmers, fishermen, health care, and climate action. I ask that you use your vote to secure a Speaker who will make those priorities central. Specifically, I urge you to: • Vote for a progressive candidate on opening day. • Press for floor votes on lower drug costs, health care expansion, and climate legislation. • State your position publicly so Mainers know where you stand. I would welcome a reply explaining how you intend to vote. Thank you for your service.