In your May 22 article on the Republican budget bill, which passed the House by one vote, you state that Sen. Susan Collins and other Senate Republicans “have expressed concern about the health care cuts” in the bill. Collins has, for 28 years, been “concerned” about everything. Enough already.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, fully 10.3 million Americans would lose their Medicaid coverage under the Republican bill. There are more than 360,000 Mainers on Medicaid. That’s one-fourth of the population. That’s more than 360,000 of our friends, relatives, neighbors, co-workers and fellow parishioners who would lose their health care, all to give yet more tax cuts to billionaires, who, according to a White House study, pay only 3.4% in income tax.

And the loss of such Medicaid funding could kill yet more rural hospitals in Maine. Lack of health insurance invariably results in more emergency room visits, which are much more expensive that preventive care — and taxpayers bear much of that expense.

It’s time for Susan Collins to do more than express concern. It’s time for Collins to stand up for the people of Maine and reject this callous, heartless and financially reckless budget bill.

Lawrence Reichard
Belfast