Tag Archives: Senator Susan Collins

The Risk Of Ignoring The Voters

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The mid-term elections are rapidly approaching. The Democrat party is moving left; the Republican party isn’t currently moving anything. I understand that lobbyists and corporations have a lot of money to throw into campaign coffers, but they don’t necessarily match the power or the will of the voters.

President Trump was elected by a significant margin because of his agenda. Even if you dislike the person he seems to be, you can’t argue that he loves America and wants America to prosper. You also have to admit that as a businessman—not a politician—he is not part of the Washington elite. That is one of many reasons the Washington elite sees him as a threat and does not want him to succeed.

The voters who elected President Trump want his policies passed by Congress. About 80 percent of Americans support the SAVE Act. Why can’t the supposed Republican majority in the Senate get it passed?

The Republicans hold a 53 to 45-seat majority in the Senate. If they can’t pass something that 80 percent of Americans approve of, what good are they? Why should I vote for a Republican if they don’t act like Republicans once they get into office?

According to Google, the majority of voters in Maine support the SAVE Act. Representative Susan Collins has voted against it. She may win her election because the Democrat party in Maine seems to have a problem finding a reasonable candidate to oppose her, but who is she representing?

Money from big donors may fill campaign coffers, but if the voters do their own research on the candidates and then get out and vote, they can overcome that money and elect Congressmen who actually represent them. Voters need to turn out for the primary elections that determine who the candidates will be.

Two of the reasons for voter apathy are that voters don’t believe that their votes matter (their representatives don’t listen to them), and that voters don’t believe our elections are secure. The SAVE Act addresses the concern of election integrity. The SAVE Act will make our elections more secure. By not voting for it, Congressmen are saying that they want the ability to cheat.

The Fight For Fiscal Sanity

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On Tuesday, The New York Post reported the following:

Vice President JD Vance cast two tie-breaking votes in the Senate Tuesday to move forward a $9.4 billion rescissions package — which would rip federal funding from PBS and NPR — in the upper chamber. 

The Senate deadlocked, 50-50, on two procedural votes to start debate on the multibillion-dollar spending clawback package before Vance’s votes advanced the measure requested by the White House. 

Three Republicans — Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) — joined all Democrats in opposition to the bill. 

The article includes this statement:

Collins defended her “no” vote by arguing that OMB didn’t provide senators with details about what programs would be scrapped as a result of the clawback.

How many times has Collins voted on a bill without knowing exactly what is in it?

The article notes:

The Maine Republican also described the cuts to public broadcasters as “excessive” and expressed concern that PBS viewers would lose access to “popular programs like ‘Antiques Road Show’ and ‘Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.’”

“I share the frustration with the biased reporting by NPR, and I would support defunding it,” Collins continued. “Nevertheless, local TV and radio stations continue to provide important coverage.”

She noted that CPB funding in Maine supports the state’s emergency alert network and allows high school basketball games to air on television.

PBS should be required to stand on its own just as other broadcasters are. They have no official commercials, but they fund raise and name sponsors. Frankly, if they had had any copyright lawyers worth their salt in the early days of Sesame Street, they would have been set for life on Tickle-Me Elmo.

The article concludes:

The Senate now has at least 10 hours to debate the measure before amendments are voted on and a final vote takes place.

The House, which passed the measure 214-212 in June, would then need to consider the changes the Senate makes to the bill.

Hopefully There Are Some People In Congress With Common Sense

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Just the News is reporting that West Virginia Democratic Senator Joe Manchin and Republican Senator Susan Collins have both stated that they will vote against the confirmation of President Biden’s pick to lead the Office of Management and Budget – Neera Tanden. I need to say here that generally I believe an elected President is entitled to his picks for his cabinet, but some of President Biden’s picks are well outside the political mainstream.

The article reports:

Tanden is president of the liberal public policy research and advocacy group Center for American Progress, founded by former President Clinton chief of staff John Podesta.

Her statement also echoed Manchin’s concerns: “Neera Tanden has neither the experience nor the temperament to lead this critical agency. Her past actions have demonstrated exactly the kind of animosity that President Biden has pledged to transcend.”

Collins also pointed out that Taden’ decision to delete more than a thousand tweets in the days before her nomination was announced “raises concerns about her commitment to transparency.”

Said Manchin: “I believe her overtly partisan statements will have a toxic and detrimental impact on the important working relationship between members of Congress and the next director of the Office of Management and Budget. For this reason, I cannot support her nomination.”

Manchin’s “no” vote means Senate Democrats need at least one Republican to vote in favor of Tanden to get her nomination through the chamber.

Unfortunately there may actually be a least one squishy Republican who will vote for her confirmation.