Following House passage of the Republican reconciliation bill, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) released the following statement this mornng:

“With the narrow passage of this reckless bill, Republicans have brazenly chosen to sacrifice the health and economic security of working Americans to give massive handouts to billionairres and corporate interests.  This legislation represents the ultimate betrayal of hardworking families across our nation.

This week a nonpartisan analysis from the Congressional Budget Office cofirmed what we’ve known all along:  this GOP tax scam robs from those with the least to line the pockets of the wealthy.  Billionaires and corporations reap substantial tax breaks, while everyday Amercan foot the bill.  The richest 10% will see their wealth grow, while the poorest 10% will see their budgets shrink even further.  If it’s signed into law, it will represent the single largest transfer of wealth in US history.

In Maine alone, around 400,000 people ———- including seniors in nursing homes, children and working families without job-based health coverage—– depend on Medicaid.  This bill cruelly strips coverage from an estimated 50,000 Mainers, threatens the survival of healthcare providers like hospitals and nursing homes and transfers enormous financial burdens onto our already strained state budget.  Additionally, SNAP benefits — which provide a modest $2. per-meal lifeline to our veterans, seniors and children ——— will be drastically gutted.

Republicans love to talk about reducing the deficit, yet this bill recklessly adds nearly $4 trillion to our national debt, jeopardizing bond markets, destablizing our economy and potentially triggering billions in cut to Medicare.

My Democratic colleagues and I fought tirelessly to expose and oppose this bill at every turn, demanding transparency and accountability.  The American people deserve to understand exactly what happened today.  House Repupblicans deliberately chose their ultra-rich donors over the well-being and financial security of everyday Americans.”

“Why do you suppose that the ‘Collins Press Herald’ is not reporting this development?  Perhaps it’s because this mouth piece for the Trump party supports this donation to its clients,” suggests this blogger.  “After all, whenever Senator Collins (R) blinks or sneezes,  that’s a major news story for that daily.”