In his Senate vote, Sen. Mitt Romney showed us that political and moral courage are possible, even if rarely seen. Whatever people may think of his position and career, his was perhaps the only Senate vote made entirely based on conscience.
Unfortunately, Maine’s Sen. Susan Collins is no profile in courage. By trying to have it all ways, she pleases no one except, perhaps, the president. To paraphrase her own words, the president will no doubt learn from her behavior.
The impeachment vote will not directly affect Mainers, but impending votes on restructuring Medicare and Medicaid will. The administration will be proposing cuts for both Medicare and Medicaid and it is in court to get rid of Obamacare once and for all. That would, among other things, remove mandated coverage for pre-existing conditions.
According to a story in Boston Health News, July 19, 2018, some 30% of Mainers under 65 have pre-existing conditions. Removal of the mandate will hurt.
Will Sen. Collins have the spine to defend Mainers or will she fold, as she has in the past? The past is likely to predict the future.
Steve Bien, Jay
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.