Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski have long portrayed themselves as reasonable, moderate women of conscience who would do what they saw as the right thing regardless of partisanship. This has been belied by the passage of President Trump’s “big, ugly bill.”

Collins allowed the bill to advance to a vote when she had the ability to stop it in its tracks. Her eventual vote against final passage became irrelevant. Murkowski voted to pass the bill despite naming it as a bad bill, hoping there were representatives of good conscience in the House who would correct the Senate’s misdeeds. Obviously no such representatives exist, and great harm will be done to millions of citizens in need, i.e., those requiring assistance for health care and food, hospitals in rural areas, etc.

Collins’ amendment to increase aid to rural hospitals, paid for by increasing taxes on multimillionaires, didn’t pass, though the final version helped the hospitals without the offsetting tax, meaning it just adds to the obscene increase to our debt and deficit, which we will all pay for. And, during this process she continued her long-time refusal to hold town meetings to hear from constituents, continued her long-time failure to answer constituents’ questions on phone calls and letters, and now declines the Press Herald’s several requests for interviews.

So just who does Collins consider herself answerable to? Sixteen more months to Election Day.

Ann Morrill
South Portland