Yesterday, Senator Susan Collins reaffirmed her support for Trump’s tax policies in an interview on Fox News Radio--pointing to the 2017 GOP tax bill as a key example of her policy overlap with the president. But what Collins didn’t mention was that the tax plan she supported gave billions of dollars in tax breaks to her corporate donors and the ultra wealthy--while increasing the burden on Maine families.
Dozens of corporations with a history of donating to Senator Collins made out like bandits thanks to the tax bill she supported. Exxon received a $6 billion tax break and four of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the country received a combined $7 billion in savings. FedEx, which happens to be one of Senator Collins’ top contributors, managed to pay $0 in federal taxes in 2018 with the help of the GOP tax bill and another Collins donor, Charter Communications, received a whopping $9.3 billion tax break--nine times more than the estimated savings for the entire state of Maine.
Meanwhile in Maine, tens of thousands of households have seen their taxes go up. The GOP tax bill created a marriage penalty for Maine families, sparked the Republican lawsuit that threatens to strike down the Affordable Care Act, and even raised taxes on Gold Star families. And even with many Mainers paying more, the tax bill has caused the national debt to increase by nearly $2 trillion--putting Social Security and Medicare at risk.
“It’s telling that Senator Collins finds common ground with Donald Trump when it comes to putting corporate special interests first,” said Maine Democratic Party Executive Director Lisa Roberts. “Ordinary Mainers need a champion who’s fighting to put more money in our pockets, but Collins and Trump are still focused on how they can hand more advantages to corporations and the wealthy.”
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