Latest news with #Mainers
a day ago
- Business
Which Republican senators voted against Trump's agenda bill and why
President Donald Trump's tax cut and spending bill came down to the wire as Senate Republican leaders scrambled to get all GOP members on board before the final vote Tuesday. In the end, three long-serving GOP members, Susan Collins of Maine, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Thom Tillis of North Carolina voted against, forcing Vice President JD Vance to break a 50-50 tie. Each of the three has explained their reasons for bucking the president. Susan Collins One of the mostly closely watched as the vote neared was Collins, who had been on the fence due to the bill's proposed Medicaid cuts. "Approximately 400,000 Mainers – nearly a third of the state's population – depend on this program," she said in a statement after voting no. "A dramatic reduction in future Medicaid funding, an estimated $5.9 billion in Maine over the next 10 years, could threaten not only Mainers' access to health care, but also the very existence of several of our state's rural hospitals." Collins added that the bill had "additional problems." "The tax credits that energy entrepreneurs have relied on should have been gradually phased out so as not to waste the work that has already been put into these innovative new projects and prevent them from being completed," she said. Thom Tillis Tillis has been extremely vocal in his opposition sine the weekend, drawing attention for a passionate floor speech citing Medicaid provisions he claimed would hurt his North Carolina constituents. During a closed-door GOP conference meeting two weeks ago, Tillis is reported to have made the point that Medicaid coverage for more than 600,000 North Carolinians would be at risk under the Senate's proposal and asked his colleagues to consider how the policy would affect their own states -- even providing state-specific data on a handout. "I just encouraged other members to go to their states and just measure how ... take a look at the proposed cuts and tell me whether or not you can absorb it in the normal course of business, and in many cases, you're gonna find that you can't," Tillis told reporters at the Capitol last week. Trump lashed out against Tillis on his social media platform and to the press and threatened to field primary challengers. Tillis announced on Saturday that he would not seek reelection. Rand Paul Paul, a staunch advocate for keeping spending and the debt ceiling in check, posted on X that he wanted the bill to include a 90% reduction in the ceiling. "No earmarks. No handouts. Just real fiscal reform. I wasn't looking for favors. I wasn't horse-trading. I was fighting for the American people and against our out-of-control debt," he said. "Bottom line: I offered my vote for fiscal sanity. Congress chose to sell out taxpayers instead. Only once the bill is released, we will know what the true price was," Paul added.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Susan Collins votes 'no' as Senate approves Trump budget bill
Jul. 1—Sen. Susan Collins on Tuesday voted against President Donald Trump's marquis budget bill that would cut $1 trillion in health care and food assistance while strengthening border security and extending tax cuts that disproportionately benefit wealthy Americans. Collins was one of three Republicans to vote against the bill, which included a $5 trillion increase to the debt limit. But her opposition was not enough to stop the bill. It led to a 50-50 tie, which was broken by Vice President JD Vance. Collins' support for the bill was in doubt Tuesday morning after the Senate voted against her amendment to increase taxes on the ultra-wealthy and build up an emergency fund for rural hospitals expected to lose billions of dollars in Medicaid funding. Prior to the final vote, Collins told reporters in Washington, D.C. that she continues to have "serious reservations" about the bill. They include proposed cuts to Medicaid, which provides insurance for about 400,000 Maine residents, or one out of over four Mainers. "I truly don't know what's going to happen," Collins said Tuesday. "I have some serious reservations about the bill. I'm going to wait until we're done (to) know what direct direction we're going in before announcing my decision." Collins, who is the only New England Republican in Congress, is up for reelection next year. And Democrats have already pounced on her decision to vote in support of advancing the bill over the weekend, despite concerns that it could force rural hospitals to reduce services or close altogether. Trump's so-called "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" seeks to extend his 2017 tax cuts, which predominantly benefited the wealthy and are set to expire at the end of the year, while increasing spending on national and border security and slashing safety net programs. The bill would cut about $1 trillion from Medicaid and food assistance and is expected to add more than $3 trillion to the national debt. Collins voted over the weekend to advance the bill, helping it clear the a key procedural hurdle by a 51-49 vote, but she has not committed to supporting it. Her vote is among those being closely watched in the Senate. Republicans hold 53 seats and can only afford to lose one more vote and still send the bill back to the House for additional consideration. Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Thom Tillis of North Carolina have already come out against the bill. Tillis announced he would not seek reelection. Collins made her case on the Senate floor late Monday during a so-called vote-a-rama, where Democrats forced votes on a series of amendments, including several efforts to eliminate cuts to Medicaid, which is estimated to cause 11.8 million to lose their health insurance, including 60,000 Mainers. Collins said her amendment would have doubled the $25 billion included in the bill to help rural hospitals cope with the cut in Medicaid and expand the list of eligible providers to include community health centers, nursing homes, ambulance services, skilled nursing facilities and others. The increase would have been funded by allowing Trump's tax cuts to expire on the wealthiest Americans — families earning more than $50 million and individuals earning more than $25 million. "Rural providers — especially rural hospitals and nursing homes — are under great financial strain right now, with many having recently closed and others at risk of closing," Collins said. "When these facilities shut their doors, the people they serve are often left without access to health care. This amendment would help keep them open and caring for those who live in these rural communities." The Senate rejected the amendment by a 78-22 vote shortly after midnight. It was supported by 18 Republicans, including Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. U.S. Sen. Angus King, a Maine independent who caucuses with the Democrats, also supported the amendment. Murkowski is also being closely watched and is under intense pressure from Senate leadership, who have tried to sweeten the deal by providing additional concessions for her home state, including exempting Alaska from having to pay a greater share of benefits provided under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Collins and Murkowski were the only Republicans to support an amendment from Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington that sought to eliminate a provision that would prohibit Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid funding for health care services provided to low-income women. The amendment failed, 51-49. King, meanwhile, has firmly opposed the bill, saying during a press conference last week that it was "the worst, most regressive and most harmful piece of legislation I have ever seen," and that he had "no choice whatsoever but to vote 'no' on this bill." He reiterated his opposition in a floor speech over the weekend. He called on the Senate to kill the bill and draft a new one that maintains tax breaks for working families, while allowing those breaks to expire for people earning more than $400,000, which would eliminate the need for cuts to the safety net, including food assistance. King said the bill could lead to the closures of up to five hospitals in Maine. "All this damage to give a tax break to guys making a million bucks," King said. "It is a shame. And it's embarrassing to even be debating this bill." Republicans are hoping to meet a self-imposed deadline of sending the bill to Trump's desk by Friday. If approved, the budget would have to go back to the House, which passed its own version of the bill on June 22, with both Rep. Jared Golden, D-2nd District, and Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-1st District, opposed. This story will be updated. Copy the Story Link
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Will Jared Golden or Paul LePage win Maine congressional race? New poll gives early look
An early look at the race for Maine's Second Congressional District found that current Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine and Republican former Maine Gov. Paul LePage are statistically tied, but that LePage is more popular. Both LePage and Golden announced their intention to run for the seat in May. The election will be in the fall of 2026. If Golden wins again, it will be the fifth time that the Democrat has won the same district that voted for President Donald Trump the past three presidential elections. However, a poll from the University of New Hampshire Survey Center released June 26 found that 50% of Maine Second District residents said they would vote for LePage if the election was held today and 47% said they would vote Golden. LePage is also more popular, with 43% saying they have a favorable view of him compared with 21% for Golden. This is largely driven by Golden's lack of popularity with Democrats, of whom only 31% say they have a favorable opinion, 40% are neutral, and 20% have an unfavorable opinion. In comparison, 81% of Republicans say they have a favorable opinion of LePage. This may have to do with Golden's status as a 'blue dog Democrat:' he has historically been a strong supporter of gun rights and often distances himself from the national party. In 2024, he angered Democrats for refusing to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for president and saying he would be 'OK' with Trump winning. The election is expected to be very close, as many of Golden's past elections have been in the Second District. The poll was based on the results of 846 online surveys completed between June 19 and 23. It has a margin of error of +/-3.4%. Per the poll, 55% of Maine residents approve of Democratic Maine Gov. Janet Mills' handling of her job, a sharp uptick from February, when less Mainers approved of Mills (48%) than disapproved (49%). Mills gained national attention for pushing back on Trump's executive order banning transgender athletes from school sports teams, and that action is reflected in the poll. Of those who approve of her handling of her job, 50% say it is because of her opposition to Trump. Of those who disapprove, 37% cite her handling of LGBTQ+ issues and 35% say her handling of the budget or finances. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, has said she is planning to run for a sixth term in 2026. However, she is unpopular in the state, with 57% of Mainers saying they have an unfavorable opinion of her, including 79% of Democrats, 60% of Independents and 29% of Republicans. Just 29% of Republicans find her favorable, and just 14% do overall. Mills has not said whether she is planning to run for Senate, but some have floated her name as a challenger to Collins. The poll found she is more popular, with 51% finding her favorable and 41% unfavorable. But the party divide is deep: 90% of Democrat said they have a favorable opinion of her while 91% of Republicans say they have an unfavorable opinion. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: New poll: Early look at race for Congress in Maine's Trump-leaning district
Newsweek
5 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Susan Collins' Chances of Winning Re-election in Maine, According to Polls
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Republican Senator Susan Collins is facing an uphill battle as she prepares to seek a sixth term in 2026, with new polling suggesting she remains deeply unpopular among Maine voters. The poll, conducted by the University of New Hampshire between June 19-23 among 846 voters, also shows that Democratic Governor Janet Mills is considerably more popular than Collins, with speculation mounting that she may challenge Collins in 2026. Newsweek reached out to Collins for comment. Why It Matters While Mills has not announced any plans to run for Senate, speculation about a possible challenge is growing, particularly as Collins' approval continues to lag. If the governor were to enter the race, she could present one of the strongest threats yet to Collins' decades-long hold on her Senate seat. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, leaves the Senate Republicans' lunch in the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, June 24, 2025. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, leaves the Senate Republicans' lunch in the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, June 24, 2025. Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call/AP What To Know Despite her long tenure and national profile, only 14 percent of Mainers have a favorable opinion of Collins, compared to 57 percent who view her unfavorably, according to the poll. Another 26 percent are neutral, while 2 percent say they don't know enough about her to say. That gives her a net favorability rating of –42, which is virtually unchanged from June 2022, when her rating stood at –40. Notably, Collins' support appears weak even within her own party. Just 29 percent of Republicans have a favorable opinion of her, along with only 8 percent of independents and a mere 3 percent of Democrats. In contrast, Democratic Governor Janet Mills remains significantly more popular and is increasingly seen as a potential challenger in 2026. Mills holds a net favorability rating of +10, with 51 percent of Mainers viewing her favorably and 41 percent unfavorably. Seven percent are neutral on Mills, and 1 percent say they don't know enough about her. Mills' support is strongest among Democrats, 90 percent of whom view her favorably. However, her popularity is sharply divided along party lines: 91 percent of Republicans and 48 percent of Independents have an unfavorable opinion of her. The poll had a margin of error of +/-3.4 percent. Historically, the party in the White House loses seats in the midterms. Collins is viewed as one of the Democrats' top targets, as former Vice President Kamala Harris carried the state by about seven points last November. Collins has been one of Donald Trump's most frequent critics in the Republican Party. She opposed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's nomination, writing that he does not have the "experience and perspective necessary to succeed in the job." In April, Collins joined a resolution to repeal Trump's tariffs on Canadian goods, arguing that the levies would hit Maine families and industries with higher costs for food, gasoline, and heating oil. More recently, during a June 25 Senate Appropriations hearing, Collins pushed back against Trump's plan to rescind $9.4 billion in foreign aid and public broadcasting funds, arguing that the cuts would harm emergency communication and local media. She also raised concerns about the administration's "Big Beautiful Bill" to overhaul healthcare and taxes. Collins said she objects to deep Medicaid cuts and advocated for protections for rural hospitals and more modest tax increases on the ultra-wealthy. Collins has not said if she will vote for the bill. However, Governor Mills urged Maine's congressional delegation to reject the budget reconciliation bill, citing "profoundly harmful consequences" for Mainers. "States like Maine do not have the financial resources to absorb cuts of this magnitude," Mills wrote to Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King, and Reps. Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden. "Slashing essential services in this manner will only do the opposite of lowering taxes and fostering economic growth." The New Hampshire poll shows that "Big Beautiful Bill" is unpopular among Mainers, only 30 percent of whom support its passage. Fifty-eight percent, on the other hand, say they do not want to see it become law. Trump is also increasingly unpopular in the Pine Tree State, according to the poll. Sixty percent of respondents disapproved of him, while 40 percent approved of his job performance. In April, he was viewed positively by 42 percent of Mainers, according to UNH. What Happens Next Collins had not made a formal announcement about her reelection but told CNN in May it is her "inclination to run" and that she is "preparing to do so." On the Democratic side, two candidates have declared their intent to run. David Costello, who ran in 2024 and held several different positions in Maryland, including acting secretary of the state's Department of the Environment, is running again. Jordan Wood, who served as chief of staff to former Representative Katie Porter, a California Democrat, is also running. Governor Janet Mills has also not ruled out running, and some Democrats view her as a stronger candidate than those already in the race with deep ties to the state and having already won statewide.
Newsweek
6 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Susan Collins Gets Warning from Maine Voters—Poll
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Republican Senator Susan Collins received a warning about the popularity of President Donald Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" in Maine as she considers whether to support the legislation—and as she gears up for a potential reelection race in the Democratic-leaning state. Newsweek reached out to Collins' office for comment via email. Why It Matters Collins' seat has proven elusive for Democrats in recent elections. Although Maine consistently leans Democratic on the presidential level, Collins, with a more moderate voting record than other Republicans, has managed to win over independents and moderate Democrats in recent elections. But Democrats are hoping to flip the seat next year, particularly if the national environment favors the party. Historically, the party in the White House loses seats in the midterms. Collins is viewed as one of the Democrats' top targets, as former Vice President Kamala Harris carried the state by about seven points last November. What to Know A University of New Hampshire (UNH) poll found that Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" is unpopular among Mainers, only 30 percent of whom support its passage. Fifty-eight percent, on the other hand, say they do not want to see it become law. The bill includes several provisions that would allow Trump and Republicans to significantly overhaul tax and social policies. Among Maine independents—a crucial voting bloc for Collins—72 percent do not want to see it become law, while 21 percent support the bill. Trump is also increasingly unpopular in the Pine Tree State, according to the poll. Sixty percent of respondents disapproved of him, while 40 percent approved of his job performance. In April, he was viewed positively by 42 percent of Mainers, according to UNH. Senator Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, speaks during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on June 11, 2025 in Washington, D.C. Senator Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, speaks during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on June 11, 2025 in Washington, poll surveyed 846 Maine residents from June 19 to June 23, 2025, and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points. The bill puts Collins in a "difficult political position," Ronald Schmidt, professor of political science at the University of Southern Maine, told Newsweek. "She has built a base of voters that includes many Independents and some conservative Democrats in the basis of an image of policy independence insofar as the practical needs of Mainers go, and lockstep voting with the president, especially as it regards the needs of seniors, could undermine that image," he said. On the other hand, there are some conservatives—particularly in the more right-leaning Second Congressional district—who could "hold a grudge" against Collins if she bucked Trump on the bill, he said. They aren't likely to vote for a Democrat in the midterms, but could stay home. Collins is a "formidable politician" who has "weathered many storms," Maine Democratic strategist and Bernstein Shur Group managing director David Farmer told Newsweek. However, she has to "walk a fine line between not alienating Republicans and attracting enough support from non-affiliated voters," he said. "My suspicion is that leadership will free her to vote 'no' unless they absolutely need her vote," Farmer said. "That's something we've seen several times before. While some Republicans have been willing to criticize Sen. Collins' votes and positions, they have always come home to her on Election Day. Independents are the much bigger concern for her re-election prospects." Collins thus far has not confirmed how she'll vote on the bill, but has raised concerns about parts of it, particularly about whether it would cut Medicaid. She said in remarks reported by Portland-based news station WMTW in May that she was "still looking at it because it kept changing up until literally the very minute it passed." "I am looking very carefully at the Medicaid provision, and in particular, I've been very concerned about the impact on children, on people with disabilities, on seniors who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid, and for low-income families. The House bill tries to thread the needle. I'm not certain that they succeeded, but I'm still looking at the specifics," she said. Congressional Republicans have set a July 4 deadline for the bill's passage, but it has faced roadblocks as lawmakers disagree on key provisions. What People Are Saying Farmer told Newsweek: "The race is a national target, and there will be a tremendous amount of money spent in the state by both sides. Sen. Collins is one of the toughest politicians in the country and will be difficult to beat. But the anti-Trump climate in Maine is strong, and she will have to fight against that headwind. The race is competitive and will get more so as voters are exposed to the chaos of the Trump administration, the policy impacts on Maine and the unwillingness of Congressional Republicans to address his abuses." Collins told reporters in May: "We don't have to pass the same bill that the House passed, and I don't think we should." What Happens Next Collins had not made a formal announcement about her reelection but told CNN in May it is her "inclination to run" and that she is "preparing to do so." On the Democratic side, two candidates have declared their intent to run. David Costello, who ran in 2024 and held several different positions in Maryland, including acting secretary of the state's Department of the Environment, is running again. Jordan Wood, who served as chief of staff to former Representative Katie Porter, a California Democrat, is also running. Governor Janet Mills has also not ruled out running, and some Democrats view her as a stronger candidate than those already in the race with deep ties to the state and having already won statewide.
