Sen. Susan Collins betrayed Maine and the American people when she supported the Republican tax plan last December. She claimed to have voted as she did in order to save medical insurance options for those who need government-supported health insurance. She told us at the time that she had “ironclad” assurances from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that her legislation to strengthen the Affordable Care Act would be voted upon. It didn’t happen.

More recently, as the $1.3 trillion spending bill was being constructed in darkness to fund the government through September, Sen. Collins said she had the support of President Trump to include her plan to shore up health care program. That didn’t happen, either.

Sen. Collins could have resisted both the tax plan and the spending plan, but she didn’t. She claimed she’d been assured that she could make the health insurance system stronger. To the surprise of nobody, she was misled by Trump and McConnell. Having been snookered, she could have registered her dismay at being publicly humiliated by voting against the spending legislation. But she didn’t.

Why did she vote for the spending plan? She said that the Democrats made her do it because they would not compromise. Does she expect us to believe that? What will it take before Sen. Collins sees that she is being played for a patsy? And at our expense.

Now the Affordable Care Act has begun its death spiral. Social Security and Medicare are in danger because of the huge deficits enabled by her votes on tax relief for the wealthy and on spending beyond our means.

Len Freeman

Portland