Augusta, Maine – Maine Democratic Party Executive Director Devon Murphy-Anderson released the following statement on Susan Collins’ vote on ACA tax credit extension:

“Make no mistake, Susan Collins’ vote today is a political ploy to avoid responsibility for Mainers’ skyrocketing insurance rates, after she has spent months blocking ACA tax credit extensions. The truth is Collins voted against ACA tax credit extension at every turn, called the tax credits ‘poison pills,’ and refused to include extension in the deal to reopen the government she claimed credit for. This attempt to save face will fall flat with Mainers who remember that Collins made this mess in the first place.” 

Collins’ long history of blocking ACA tax credit extension: 

• Collins and Republicans refused to include an extension for ACA tax credits in the One Big Ugly Bill that Collins voted to advance.
• Collins forced a government shutdown to avoid extending ACA tax credits.
• Collins repeatedly voted against extending ACA tax credits.
• Collins refused to include an extension of ACA tax credits in the deal to reopen the government that she claimed credit for negotiating. 
• Collins called ACA tax credits “poison pills.” 
• Collins claimed extending the enhanced premium ACA tax credits “does not have a Sept. 30 deadline,” despite Maine insurance rates already going up and Maine state officials warning action must be taken before September 30th. 
• Then, Collins made a new excuse for not extending ACA tax credits saying “the insurance rates have already been issued for the year and the marketplace is already open, so it makes it very difficult” to make changes and negotiate a deal to extend ACA tax credits.

Because Collins’ refused to extend ACA tax credits, more than 50,000 Mainers are seeing their insurance premiums “double, triple or even quadruple” and “2,000 people who buy marketplace health insurance have already canceled their 2026 coverage.”