Congresswoman Chellie Pingree held a telephone town hall today to talk to Maine people about their concerns and ideas and over 20,000 people joined the call to listen or ask questions.
 
“I love being able to talk to people face-to-face when I’m home in Maine, but holding a telephone town hall allows me to talk to thousands of people about the issues that concern them.”
 
Cynthia from Wells is a retiring veteran and she asked Pingree about the what Congress can do to make it easier for people like her ending their military service
 
“We need to make sure that all veterans get a complete briefing on the benefits available to them,” Pingree told Cynthia.  “That’s why I wrote a bill that requires anyone who retires from the National Guard get just such a briefing.”

Pingree also urged any veteran who has trouble accessing services or benefits to contact her office for help.
 
Bob from South Portland asked Pingree about recent legislation she introduced that would require FEMA to re-examine the way they create flood maps for working waterfronts and coastal areas like Maine. Other callers wanted to talk about the deficit, the cost of student loans and health care.
 
A number of callers wanted to talk to Pingree about the Memorial Bridge between Kittery and Portsmouth, NH.
 
“I know how important that bridge is,” Pingree told a caller from Wells.  “I held a meeting about it in Kittery a little while ago and heard again the vital role it plays in those communities.  I’m doing everything I can to help get federal funding to help pay for a new bridge.”
 
Constituents throughout Pingree’s district got a call this evening inviting them to join the call to ask a question or listen. In addition, a toll-free number was publicized through the media and on Pingree’s website to allow anyone who wanted to join the call.
 
“It’s always been important to be as open and accessible as possible,” Pingree said.  “This telephone town hall is an important tool in helping me do that.”