Augusta, MAINE – In response to Senator Collins breaking her repeated promise to pass her so-called healthcare fixes before the end of the year, Maine Democratic Party Chairman Phil Bartlett released the following statement: 

“For a month now, Senator Collins has been telling the people of Maine to relax – that her ‘ironclad’ agreements with Mitch McConnell to, arguably, protect them from higher health care costs would pass before the end of the year. We doubted her then – and, today, she proved exactly why those doubts were completely founded. 

“Senator Collins can spin this massive mistake however she wants, but the simple truth is this: she broke her promise to the people of Maine and now they are once again left holding the bag. She should have heeded the call of the Maine Democratic Party to pass these bills before she helped push her terrible tax bill across the finish line. 

“Finally, Senator Collins should be embarrassed by her implication that Democrats are to blame for this. President Trump ended CSR payments despite opposition from Democrats, and Senator Collins voted to gut the ACA by repealing the individual mandate despite calls by Democrats. She held the power to prevent all of these problems – instead, she and her fellow Republicans have created them. What do Mainers have to show for it now? Higher taxes, higher health care costs, and a massive deficit.” 

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