It’s disappointing that Paul Liebow spread such demonstrable falsehoods in his recent letter to the editor (July 21) distorting Sen. Susan Collins’ record.

In reality, Sen. Collins has been a steadfast champion of defending individuals with pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, cystic fibrosis, asthma, cancer, arthritis and heart disease. In 2017, she was one of three Republicans to vote against repealing the ACA due to the lack of a viable replacement that would preserve those vital consumer protections. In 2018, she was the only Republican who voted to overturn an administration rule that expands the duration of short-term health insurance plans, which could deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions.

Additionally, last year, Sen. Collins wrote to then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions, urging him to reverse course and defend protections for people with pre-existing conditions that are relied upon by millions of Americans. And she recently led a bipartisan letter to Attorney General William Barr, enumerating her objections to the Department of Justice’s stance.

Just last month, Sen. Collins introduced a bipartisan bill that experts predict would lower Americans’ average health insurance premiums in the individual market by up to 30%. Under her bill, more than a million more individuals would have health insurance they now lack.

No one should play politics with other people’s health care. Sen. Collins is leading efforts to defend the 133 million Americans and 590,000 Mainers who are living with pre-existing conditions, and she will continue to spearhead efforts to lower the cost of and increase access to insurance.

Christopher Knight, press secretary for U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, Washington, D.C.

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