Augusta, MAINE — Senator Susan Collins announced today that she will vote in favor of the GOP tax bill. Maine Democratic Party Chair Phil Bartlett released the following statement:
"By supporting this proposal, Senator Collins has betrayed working Maine families and she did so based on false Republican talking points, debunked economic arguments, and plain old flimsy logic. Her vote will result in higher taxes for middle-class Maine families in the long run, higher health care costs, and a higher deficit that our children will have to confront years from now. To say that we are disappointed would be an understatement of the highest magnitude.
“To make it worse, Senator Collins appears poised to give away her vote long before her supposed health care ‘fixes’ are even passed — which she pledged not to do.
“The Maine Democratic Party calls on her not to vote on tax reform until the stabilization and reinsurance bills are passed. It would be at best foolish and at worst outright deceptive to vote on the tax bill without the GOP delivering on these reforms first.
“The bottom-line is this: Senator Collins is leaving hardworking Maine families holding the bag by pledging support for this deficit-exploding, corporation-enriching bill. She shouldn’t do it twice. If she doesn’t withhold her vote until the reforms are passed, then she is risking the future health and prosperity of too many Mainers. She may trust Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan, but there are a lot of people in Maine who don’t.”
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