On Feb. 12, Sen. Susan Collins voted against “An act to temporarily extend the public debt limit,” and apparently in favor of having the United States default on its debt.

Perhaps Sen. Collins actually believes that federal government spending should be substantially cut now, which was the stated reason all the Senate Republicans voted against the debt ceiling increase, but if so:

Sen. Collins is just plain wrong about the alleged need to substantially cut federal government spending now when our economy is still trying to climb out of a long recession and millions of Americans remain unemployed. A spending cut now will only deepen and prolong the recession.

Even if Sen. Collins wants to cut government spending now, threatening or causing a United States debt default is a destructive and irresponsible way to try to achieve that end. This is not what Mainers sent Sen. Collins to Washington to do.

Meanwhile, Sen. Angus King responsibly voted in favor of the debt ceiling increase.

Lawrence Winger

Falmouth

 


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