As a Mainer, I want to thank Sen. Susan Collins for doing the right thing and looking out for her constituents. Collins voted against the so-called “skinny” repeal bill because she knows that health care is also a pocket book issue for so many Mainers. This bill would have cost us more money for health insurance and would have blocked access to affordable, preventive health care at Planned Parenthood health centers. In fact, it would have raised premiums by 20 percent — and thousands of people here in Maine would have lost access to a trusted provider for birth control, annual exams, and cancer screenings.

Congress should not be in the business of telling women where they can go for basic, preventive women’s health care, and they should not be in business of denying people affordable coverage, or raising premiums. That’s why I support Collin’s vote against this disastrous bill. I applaud Collins for standing up for Maine over the D.C. politicians who have no idea what’s important for our state. She’s an absolute hero and a true politician.

Maxx Byron

Vassalboro