“Collins may have a hard time convincing voters that, as appropriations chair and a senior Republican senator with power and influence in the chamber, she did not play a pivotal role in shaping the bill”

Augusta, Maine – In case you missed it, new reporting from the Portland Press Herald is highlighting how “Collins may not be able to avoid the blame for any negative consequences” that come from the Republicans’ dangerous budget bill, despite her apparently “orchestrated” vote.

This comes after Mainers have been calling out Collins for her “key” “pivotal vote” to advance the bill, which gave Trump and Republicans the green light for its passage.

As analysts underline, “Collins may have a hard time convincing voters that, as appropriations chair and a senior Republican senator with power and influence in the chamber, she did not play a pivotal role in shaping the bill,” and she “is part of a team that pushed forward a measure that will be very unpopular.”

Read more:

Portland Press Herald: Donald Trump gave Susan Collins a pass, for now. Will Maine voters?
By Randy Billings
July 6, 2025

  • As the top Senate appropriator, Sen. Susan Collins was expected to be a key player in negotiations this summer over the sweeping tax and spending bill proposed by President Donald Trump.

  • But as the final vote drew near on Tuesday, Collins was not the one being pressured by Senate leadership to support Trump’s “Big Beautiful Budget.”

  • Critics say that it was all part of the plan, speculating that Senate Majority Leader John Thune – and so far, Trump – gave Collins a free pass, allowing her to vote against a bill that polling suggests is deeply unpopular ahead of the 2026 midterms, when she will face voters.

  • Collins is the only congressional Republican from New England and the only Republican senator up for reelection in a state won by Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.

  • Critics say that leadership knew they had the votes to pass the bill without Collins. Had they needed her, Collins would have been the only member of Maine’s delegation to support the bill…

  • Collins held her cards close to her chest before the vote, refusing to say publicly which way she might vote…

  • Political observers say Collins may not be able to avoid the blame for any negative consequences…

  • “The problem is, she is part of a team that pushed forward a measure that will be very unpopular,” said Dan Shea, political science professor at at Colby College in Waterville.

  • A recent poll conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center found that 58% of respondents in Maine didn’t want the bill to pass, including 94% of Democrats and 72% of independents. Less than a third wanted it to pass, which was similar with most other national polls. The online survey of 846 people was conducted from June 19-23 and has a margin of error of 3.4 percentage points.

  • “She’s independent, but she’s also in lockstep with her Republican colleagues in a lot of moves, including leadership,” Shea said. “Her first vote if she’s reelected will be for a Republican majority leader, probably John Thune. This is the same leadership that pushed through this measure.”

  • Collins wasn’t a vociferous outspoken critic of the bill, as was independent Sen. Angus King […] She declined repeated interviews with the Press Herald leading up the bill’s passage, saying she wanted to see the final text first, which was not available until the last minute.

  • But Mark Brewer, chair of political science at the University of Maine in Orono, said Collins may have a hard time convincing voters that, as appropriations chair and a senior Republican senator with power and influence in the chamber, she did not play a pivotal role in shaping the bill.

  • “You would think as head of the Senate Appropriations Committee – and also a key swing vote – she would have been in a powerful position to shape this kind of legislation,” Brewer said.

  • She has also provided support at key moments, casting the deciding vote in Trump’s first term to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court, which later overturned nationwide abortion protections under Roe v. Wade. And she has supported some of his more controversial cabinet appointments in his second term, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Tulsi Gabbard and Russell Vought.

  • Opponents are […] highlighting her procedural vote last weekend to advance the bill for a final debate and vote.

  • “As always, Susan Collins counted votes and decided she could vote no and the bill would still pass, thus saving her golden seat in the Senate,” author Stephen King said in a social media post. “She and Murkowski seem to have a pact — whose turn is it to vote no this time?”

  • As of late last week, Trump had not posted anything about Collins.

  • That could be a reflection of Trump listening to his advisers and considering the midterms. Generally, the party that controls the White House loses seats in Congress during a midterm election, and that could be especially true with Trump, whose supporters generally turn out for him but not others.

See more: ICYMI: “Collins Bears Blame for Big Beautiful Bill” [LTE in Bangor Daily News]; ICYMI: Despite Collins' Final Vote on Reconciliation, "Republicans Pass it Anyway,” After She Made “Key,” “Pivotal Vote” to Advance Bill in First Place; STATEMENT: COLLINS WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR ENABLING BILL THAT WILL GUT MAINECARE AND CRITICAL LIFE-SAVING SERVICES MAINERS RELY ON; Portland Press Herald: Budget megabill looks particularly bad for Maine; Mainers Call Out Collins for DOGE, Medicaid Cuts; ICYMI: Mainers Call Out Collins for Failing to Use Her Seniority to Protect Maine; NEW: Collins “Must be Judged by the Standard She Set” [Bangor Daily News Op-Ed]; ICYMI: Susan Collins-Backed Medicaid Cuts Would Hurt Maine’s Fishermen

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