Copyright Bangor Daily News
Letters submitted by BDN readers are verified by BDN Opinion Page staff. Send your letters to letters@bangordailynews.com As a lifelong Mainer, I want to thank Sen. Susan Collins for her steady leadership and common-sense approach to keeping our federal government open. When Washington grinds to a halt, it is not politicians who suffer. It is hardworking families here at home. It is the Coast Guard members who protect our shores, the TSA workers who keep our airports safe, and the small businesses that rely on federal contracts and programs to stay afloat. I believe Collins has never forgotten that. As chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, she has worked across the aisle to pass responsible funding bills and push for real solutions. Her six-point plan is a great example. It would reopen the federal government, ensure federal workers are paid, protect vital tax credits for families, maintain funding for veterans’ care, safeguard small business programs, and make sure essential services for rural states like Maine continue. What I appreciate most is that she does this work quietly and with purpose, not for headlines but because she knows how much it matters to Mainers. She understands that people depend on stable government and that communities across our state cannot afford political games in Washington. I think Collins continues to put people over politics, and that is the kind of leadership we need more of.
