As Washington Republicans push ahead with their plan to overturn the Affordable Care Act, Senator Susan Collins is attempting to publicly distance herself from their lawsuit.
The problem? Collins voted to make this lawsuit possible in the first place. Her vote for the 2017 GOP tax bill eliminated the ACA’s individual mandate and “sparked” the ongoing Republican legal effort to eliminate the law. If this lawsuit is successful, Maine could be hit harder than almost any other state, with a potentially disastrous 164% increase in the number of uninsured Mainers.
Despite Senator Collins’ hollow posturing, it’s clear that her Republican allies have no intention of slowing down as they plow forward with their plan to eliminate the ACA. Trump has not minced words on the subject, reiterating that his goal is to “terminate” the health care law, even in the middle of an unprecedented public health crisis.
“As our communities contend with the spread of COVID-19, it’s more clear than ever that we must ensure every Mainer has access to the health care they need, especially our neighbors with preexisting conditions” said Maine Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Marra. “Senator Collins voted to put our care at risk, and now she’s dodging responsibility for the consequences. We need a Senator who fights to protect every Mainer, not one who enables the Trump administration in their crusade to eliminate our health care.”
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