U.S. Rep. Jared Golden stood alone, which he likes doing.

Golden was the only Democrat on Capitol Hill to vote in favor of a resolution last week that would have provided funding to keep the federal government open until almost Thanksgiving.

The rest of his party refused to go along with the GOP’s temporary funding measure unless Republicans included a provision to renew expiring health care subsidies and reverse health care cuts.

As they so often are, Maine’s lawmakers are split evenly on what to do. Both Golden and U.S. Sen. Susan Collins favored a resolution that would prevent the closure of much of the federal government on Oct. 1. 

U.S. Sen. Angus King and U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree opposed it.

This time around, Golden and Collins are right.

As Collins put it, approving funding through Nov. 21 with nothing else dangling from the measure is a straightforward way to keep things moving along to give Congress “the time that we need to continue our work on the annual appropriations bills.”

“There’s a lot of important work to be done in Congress, none of which will be any easier if Mainers are suffering the harms of a government shutdown,” Golden said.

With a trifecta of Republican control in the House, Senate and White House, Golden said there is “no path forward on health care without GOP support” so the best course is to “keep the lights on and give us more time to set policies and funding levels for the future.”

It’s true; an extra seven weeks is a drop in the bucket. Although I’m skeptical that the Republicans, who have shown precious little ability to govern sensibly, can pass much of anything in that time, they say they can.

As it is, the Republicans have set things up to blame the shutdown on the Democrats. They won’t have the same excuse in November; it’s the date they picked to have this resolved.

Pingree wasn’t wrong when she pointed to the GOP and said, “If there’s a shutdown, it’s on them.”

The issue isn’t who’s responsible. It’s who gets the blame.

Democrats have no reason to force a shutdown now. They can make a big show out of handing the Republicans the time they ask for. They can tell Americans that come Nov. 21, they expect appropriations bills to be finished and approved. All of them.

“It should be that simple,” Collins told doubting colleagues. “Work with us to complete the annual funding bills” and pass the resolution “so that we can prevent disruptions to vital programs on which the American people rely.”

Collins is the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. And if she says the work can be done seven weeks from now, the proper response is to give her the chance.

In short: Prove it, senator.

Golden said restoring the health care cuts ought to be part of the funding put in place. He warned that “spiking premiums” will otherwise clobber tens of thousands of Mainers who may see premiums rise by $180 a month or more, with “rural Mainers aged 60 to 64 facing the sharpest  increase.”

That just can’t be allowed to happen without a fight. But that showdown doesn’t need to take place now — or, maybe, ever.

While I don’t have much faith in Capitol Hill Republicans, who seem beholden to President Trump and often hapless in uniting their own party, I say we allow them the seven weeks they seek.

If Collins wants to survive next year’s tough reelection campaign, then here’s her opportunity to show Mainers that she can use the long-promised clout that comes with leadership of appropriations to get the job done — and stave off disaster for so many of her constituents.