One month ago today, Senator Susan Collins declared that if her party couldn’t come to an agreement on a coronavirus relief package in the middle of a pandemic “then we have failed the American people.”
Not only did Collins and her fellow Republicans fail to negotiate a deal, they’ve spent the majority of the last month on vacation--and have made no progress on securing funding to ensure that struggling municipalities in Maine and across the country can continue to provide essential services through the ongoing public health and economic crises.
Here in Maine, while Collins has enjoyed her vacation, communities and state agencies have been cutting budgets and furloughing workers to prepare for steep revenue declines as the state faces a $1.4 billion budget shortfall. According to a report from the Governor’s Economic Recovery Committee, Maine’s stability is “dependent on further federal action,” but Senator Collins has failed to secure the federal relief that would prevent further economic fallout.
“Local officials in Maine have been asking for more federal relief for months, but Senator Collins has failed to secure the funding that they need to continue providing essential services,” said Maine Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Marra. “She and her party bosses have made it clear that supporting struggling communities through this crisis is not a priority--it’s time for us to replace her with someone who will work for us.”
###