Public angst and anger are rising over the divisive actions of the new administration in Washington. Maine residents are reaching out to our legitimately elected congressional leaders, hoping they can check presidential overreach. Many eyes are on Sen. Susan Collins.

Sen. Collins is widely respected for being a voice of moderation and reason. She exemplified this good judgment in outlining why Donald Trump was “unworthy of being our president,” citing deep concern over his “barrage of ill-informed comments” and tendency to “lash out when challenged.”

Nothing the country has seen since Jan. 20 would assuage those concerns.

Sen. Collins deserves credit for openly opposing one Cabinet appointee to date: education secretary nominee Betsy DeVos. However, many Mainers were taken aback at the senator’s endorsement of attorney general nominee Jeff Sessions, a man who considers the Voting Rights Act “a piece of intrusive legislation.”

Mainers have decried the prospect of the Environmental Protection Agency being directed – or, more likely, disassembled – by the president’s nominee, Scott Pruitt. Sen. Angus King has signaled clearly his ethical objection, but Sen. Collins has remained silent.

As a moderate Republican, Sen. Collins is on the dark periphery of a whirlpool of partisan extremism. Her party’s leaders no longer seem to value a reasoned quest for middle ground.

To stand by, and for, her values in this political climate, Sen. Collins may need to take a step far bolder than declaring Trump unfit for the presidency – by declaring herself an independent. Cutting party ties would allow Sen. Collins to speak and vote based on reason and conscience.

The people of Maine need members of Congress who can serve as moral beacons, honoring the legacy of Sens. Margaret Chase Smith, Edmund Muskie and George Mitchell. Constituents are looking to Sen. Collins, hoping she’ll be that light in a dark time.

Marina Schauffler

Camden

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