Congresswoman Pingree: “I spent a little time watching the president at his rallies. He is very fond of saying ‘promises made, promises kept.’ I don’t think we’ve ever had a president who’s kept fewer promises.”
Today, ahead of Donald Trump Jr.’s visit to Maine, the Maine Democratic Party hosted a virtual roundtable with Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, State Representative Genevieve McDonald, Maine Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Marra, and Mainers whose lives have been impacted by Trump’s presidency.
You can watch a recording of the full event here or read excerpts from participants below:
“I spent a little time watching the president at his rallies. He is very fond of saying ‘promises made, promises kept.’ I don’t think we’ve ever had a president who’s kept fewer promises. He promised that there would be a beautiful health care plan--that he would switch us over to this wonderful health care plan,” said Congresswoman Chellie Pingree. “Well I’ve been in Congress every year and they’ve never put anything in front of us, and when they do, it’s just a big stack of empty paper. But he is going to the U.S. Supreme Court right after this election to try and take our health care away. If they’re successful, that will take health care away from 105,000 Mainers.”
“Donald Trump is a President who takes meaningless actions with little to no understanding of their impacts,” said State Representative Genevieve McDonald. “As a Maine lobsterman, I am absolutely tired of being used as a political pawn in Donald Trump’s lies. And that is why we are going to vote him out.”
“I’m not the only one in my situation. I’m not the only one who has to redo the budget two, three, four times a month. I’m not the only one who consults a dozen doctors before actually scheduling a visit just to make sure I’m going for the cheapest one. I’m not the only person who won’t go to the ER unless I’m bleeding profusely or I think it’s my heart,” said Victoria Spencer-Keene, a resident of Piscataquis County. “Medical care is more expensive in America than just about anywhere else in the world, and the ACA not only bridges gaps in coverage, but it also helps to regulate some of the prices that people pay out of pocket. Without it, more people are going to be where I am.”
“We have a family member who was 59 and had a pre-existing condition who got sick probably in late February or early March. If she had known what the president and the vice president knew back in January, she would have taken precautionary measures,” said Valerie Tate, a resident of Waldo County. “Unfortunately she didn’t know, and continued about her very public job and she got sick [...] and then she passed away. She was a real person, who had family, friends, people who loved her, adored her, and now she’s gone.”
“Over the last four years, we’ve learned a lot about Donald Trump,” said Maine Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Marra. “But of all the things we’ve learned, there is one that looms above all others––he doesn’t care about Maine people. As our country has faced crisis after crisis, Trump has not just ignored the problems Americans are facing and abdicated his responsibility to lead, but his decisions or lack of action have made the crises worse.”
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