Dear John,

 

Last Friday, President Biden visited Maine to talk about his economic vision for the country at Auburn Manufacturing Inc. The President’s economic policies, collectively dubbed “Bidenomics,” are rebuilding our economy from the bottom up and middle out through smart public investments, not waiting for wealth to “trickle down” from tax cuts for the rich and large corporations. Here’s how Bidenomics is delivering for Maine.

In addition to an audience filled with Union members and leaders, the President was joined by a bipartisan group of Maine officials. In his remarks, President Biden touted the 28,700 jobs created in Maine under his administration, the record-low unemployment rate (2.4% in Maine), and various public and private investments in Maine industry and infrastructure.

The event concluded with President Biden signing an executive order directing federal agencies engaged in research and development to “Invent it Here, and Make it Here.” The order will ensure that US manufacturers are prioritized to produce any American invention developed through federal funding. He gifted the pen used to sign the order to Governor Janet Mills.

You can watch President Biden’s full remarks here, or read them here.

 

 

Party Announcements 📣

2023 Muskie Lobster Bake 🦞

Don’t forget to grab your ticket for this year's Muskie Lobster Bake. The festivities will take place at Wolfe's Neck Farm in Freeport on Saturday, August 19th from 1-4pm! This annual summer fest is a classic Maine political event. Come hear from Governor Janet Mills, Senate President Troy Jackson, Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross, and more featured guests, and help the MDP work to elect Democrats up and down the ballot in November. Get your ticket now!

 

 

Upcoming Events 🗓️

Check out more upcoming events on the Maine Dems Statewide Calendar!

August 22 at 6:30pm - Run Local Training 🏃🏼‍♂️

In this free, live, online training, we’ll cover how to run a winning campaign. Whether you’re a candidate, helping out on a campaign, or thinking about running in the future, this training is for you. We’ll cover important campaign topics, including direct voter contact, signs, mail, and letters-to-the-editor. Register here!

 

Talking Points 🗒️

Want to shape how your community thinks about a policy issue? Letters to the Editor (LTE) are a terrific way to do that! They make your voice heard, educate your neighbors, and can drive real change in your town, Augusta, and D.C. Check out our Letter to the Editor Toolkit here.

 

The Big Picture

• We Must All Speak Out Against Hate: The Portland Press Herald recently published an investigative journalism piece detailing the increase in public incidents of hatred and racism in Maine. Those who seek to intimidate and divide our communities are a vocal minority, but to sit back and do nothing would allow these hateful and anti-democratic views to spread. We must recognize these groups for the sources of hatred and violence they are, confront the dangers they present to our communities and way of life, and push back against their presence here in Maine. It is up to all of us to stand together and speak out with one voice in support of Maine’s marginalized communities, and against hatred and bigotry. We encourage you to join us in speaking out by writing a letter to the editor and asking your local leaders to condemn these groups and their actions. Read our full statement here.

 

The State House Scoop

• Dems Deliver Progress on Housing Crisis: The budget passed by Democratic legislators and Governor Mills is directly addressing Maine’s housing and homelessness crisis. The budget includes funding for both short-term and long-term housing solutions including:

1. Establishing a new Housing First program to assist homeless Mainers.
2. Building new rural affordable rental housing.

3. Housing tax credits & home energy assistance for low-income Mainers.

4. The Emergency Housing Relief Fund.

These programs will work to help both urban and rural communities and reduce the strain caused by the current lack of affordable housing in Maine.

 

What’s Happening in Washington D.C.

• House Hardliners Put Budget Deal at Risk: Speaker Kevin McCarthy is backing away from the budget deal he made with President Biden as he continues to struggle to hold together his caucus filled with MAGA extremists. The appropriations bills coming out of the Republican-controlled House of Representatives would make deep cuts across the board and could put at risk $600M in federal funding for Maine. That money is directed toward 231 projects across the state to improve Maine’s transportation, housing, sewer infrastructure, public safety, and fire stations. They are also working to cut critical assistance programs for Maine’s low-income families such as WIC, which helps women, infants, and children to afford fruits and vegetables. Almost 17,000 Mainers currently participate in WIC.

 

Social Media Corner 📍

And as always, please feel free to use the below graphics on your social media or share any way you see fit! To download this graphic, click on the graphic & drag it onto your desktop. From there, you can upload to Facebook, Instagram, or the social media of your choice.

 

In solidarity,

Annina

--

Annina Breen (she/her)

Communications Director

Maine Democratic Party

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