Shenna Bellows Has Released a New Web Video Highlighting Susan Collins' Multiple Votes in Favor of the 16-Day 2013 Government Shutdown

Press Release

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Shenna Bellows has released a new web video highlighting Susan Collins' multiple votes in favor of the 16-day 2013 government shutdown. A recent Collins ad on the shutdown omits her vote record, ignores the shutdown's impact on Maine's economy and glosses over her role in creating the problem she claims to have helped solve.

You can watch the full video at http://bit.ly/1v8OS2I.

Collins voted on Sept. 30, 2013, and again Oct. 1, 2013, in favor of a House Republican demand to defund the Affordable Care Act as the price of continuing government operations. The Democratic Senate majority refused to give in, and the House majority decided not to pass a full government funding resolution in response. Collins voted with the rest of the Republican caucus and against Sen. Angus King both times.

Portland Press Herald columnist Bill Nemitz noted at the time, "Along with every other Republican senator, Collins voted against stripping the Obamacare provisions out of the bill. Later Monday evening, with the government shutdown only hours away, the House sent the resolution back with a new set of Obamacare conditions attached. Same result: Collins, who was already on record calling it flawed strategy that endangered the entire U.S. economy, fell in line and once again voted to keep those conditions intact."

As CNN wrote at the time, according to a contemporary poll, "68% of Americans think shutting down the government for even a few days is a bad idea, while 27% think it's a good idea. And it appears most Americans would blame congressional Republicans for a shutdown: Sixty-nine percent said they agreed with the statement that the party's elected officials were acting like 'spoiled children.'"

None of this legislative or political history is included in Collins' ad, following her campaign's pattern of selectively representing her record. Collins, who recently aired a veterans-themed ad, still has yet to explain why she voted in February to block veteran pay and benefits package supported by more than two dozen veterans groups. The American Legion called that vote "inexcusable."

The script of Bellows' new video is available below.

"Susan Collins has a new ad about her role in last year's government shutdown. What Collins isn't telling you is that she voted to shut down the government in the first place. Why isn't Collins taking credit for that? The government shutdown cost Maine millions: lost tourism, fewer services, big setbacks for small businesses and major problems for our schools. Now, instead of leveling with voters, Collins is trying to claim credit for solving a problem she helped create. But like the shutdown's impacts on Maine, her record doesn't just disappear when she wants it to. So, to recap. . . Susan Collins voted to shut down the federal government. Twice. Susan Collins hopes you'll forget her votes, because she can't defend them."

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