Several protesters, upset with Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and her vote to pass a GOP tax bill late Friday night, are holding a peaceful sit-in at her Bangor office.
Erin Oberson, a nurse, says she and three other people have asked for a meeting with Collins. Reached by telephone, Oberson says they want to convince Collins to change her mind and are refusing to leave on their own until she does.
“We don’t think that Maine citizens are being heard. And we’ve been refused, so we’re waiting in her office,” she says. “We’ve asked nicely. The people of Maine have asked nicely. We’re still asking nicely and respectfully. But, we need her attention to be brought in a different way, I think.”
As a nurse, Oberson says she’s most concerned about the effects of any tax plan that raises health insurance premiums or makes it more difficult for patients to access health services. Other protesters are worried about cuts to Medicare and Social Security.
In a written statement, Collins said she always welcomes the views of her constituents.
“This is an opportunity for me to let them know,” Collins wrote, “that a single mom with one child earning $35,000 would receive $1,100 back from the government, rather than owing income tax. In addition, under the Senate bill, a family with an income of $24,000 would no longer pay income tax.”
