Maine Gov. Paul LePage, testifies during a House Natural Resources subcommittee oversight hearing on the Antiquities Act on Capitol Hill in Washington on Tuesday, May 2, 2017.

Gov. Paul LePage shot back at former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell on Friday for Mitchell’s defense of recent votes on the Affordable Care Act by U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King.

In a written statement, LePage accused all three of being “sadly out of touch” and “three peas in a pod, preaching to struggling Maine citizens from the polished corridors of Washington, D.C., while they enjoy luxurious health care benefits lavished on them as members of the world’s most exclusive club.”

LePage’s comments come a day after Mitchell came to the senators’ defense — and a day after the Bangor Daily News asked LePage’s office for reaction, which his staff failed to provide. At issue is King’s and Collins’ votes last month against moving a Senate Republican health care bill forward and then against a “skinny repeal” of the Affordable Care Act.

Friday’s statement from the governor continued what has been a week of near-constant criticism by LePage. He accused Mitchell of supporting an expansion of the state’s Medicaid program, though Mitchell made no mention of Medicaid on Thursday.

The Affordable Care Act allows states to expand their Medicaid programs with partial federal subsidies but LePage and legislative Republicans have blocked expansion attempts six times during LePage’s tenure on the grounds that it would be financially ruinous to the state’s budget over the long term.

As he has in the past, LePage claimed that the senators receive “luxurious health care benefits,” though members of Congress and their staffs purchase their employer-based health care policies from the Affordable Care Act exchanges and pay 28 percent of their premiums out-of-pocket.

Spokespeople for King and Collins did not respond Thursday or Friday to questions from the Bangor Daily News about whether the senators buy insurance from the ACA or whether they contacted LePage directly about his claims.

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