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That specifically includes the $350 billion Paycheck Protection Program that provides loans to small businesses, that she and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida wrote and got into the CARES Act. That’s the program that has been so plagued with confusion and mismanagement from the Trump administration. McConnell wants to add another $250 billion—has been pushing it for over a week now, despite the fact that the original funds haven’t been entirely paid out. Democrats are resisting, rightly demanding that there are needs in hospitals and in state and local governments that are just as pressing for right now. “All these programs are important,” she said, “but if you look at where the urgency is, it seems to me it’s in replenishing,” her pet project. The one she can take credit for in running for reelection.
However, she’s back on the fence in saying that the Democrats should be accommodated in making sure some of the additional loan money is carved out specifically for underbanked employers and for a disaster loan fund. She also doesn’t very much like that McConnell keeps insisting that it’s his way or nothing by forcing Democrats to object on the floor to moving the bill forward. Decisive as ever, she says of that tactic “I’m not sure that that advances the ball.” But she’s still with Mitch, because he must have some secret compromising going on. “I suspect,” she says, “that there are more talks going on than may be evident.”
Now that the filing deadline for the Maine primaries is over, expect to see a lot more of this “moderating” from Collins as she tries to both-sides her way back into Maine voters’ good graces. She’s got less than seven months to do that in, and considering she’s as far underwater as Trump with them, well, good luck with that.
