Yesterday afternoon, Senate Republicans rolled out their new proposal for coronavirus relief, and it contains no additional funding for state and local governments contending with budget crises amid the pandemic.
It’s been clear for months that towns in Maine would need more federal support to continue covering essential services through the coronavirus crisis, but with more than three months to get results, Collins has failed to include even a single dollar of aid for struggling states and municipalities in the Republican proposal. Without more federal support, towns in Maine could be forced to cut funding for schools, public safety, and critical health care programs in the middle of a public health and economic crisis when communities are depending on these services more than ever before.
In the last two rounds of federal coronavirus aid, Collins fought to pass inadequate legislation that did not include support for state and local governments. And now, even after her own party leadership has suggested that local governments go into bankruptcy, Collins has failed to secure any federal support for towns in Maine and across the country.
“The fact that Susan Collins was unable or unwilling to secure support for struggling state and local governments in her own party’s proposal is all the evidence Mainers need to see that she’s no longer working for us,” said Maine Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Marra. “Here in Maine, our local governments are on the front lines of this crisis working every day to keep people safe and healthy. They deserve a Senator they can count on to get them the support they need to keep doing that vital work.”
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