Collins ad ignores vote that cleared path for Medicaid cuts

A new ad claims Maine Sen. Susan Collins opposed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB), even though she helped shepherd it into law.

The ad specifically cites the law’s $1 trillion cut to Medicaid, which will force about 12 million Americans to lose their health insurance over the next ten years. “When Medicaid was on the line,” the ad says, “Susan Collins stood up for Maine.”

While it’s true that Collins was one of only three Senate Republicans to vote against OBBB, she did cast a procedural vote to begin debating the bill, practically guaranteeing its final passage.

The vote to debate passed 51-49, with Vice President J.D. Vance standing by to cast a potential tie-breaking vote. In other words, had Collins and one other Republican defected, the entire bill could have been stopped.

North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven, a fellow Republican, said Collins’ vote proved she was a “team player,” adding that she “helped us get on the bill at a time when we needed that help.”

OBBB is expected to have a devastating impact on health care in Maine. A KFF analysis says the state will lose up to $3 billion in federal Medicaid spending, resulting in about 33,000 Mainers losing their health insurance.

The law will also imperil Maine hospitals that depend on Medicaid reimbursements for revenue. This is particularly true of rural hospitals in remote areas, which are often the only emergency medical providers for hundreds of miles.

The ad was paid for by Collins’ reelection campaign. She is seeking a sixth term this year and has been endorsed by Vance and Senate Majority Leader John Thune.

Collins’ Democratic challenger will be chosen at a July 25 nominating convention.