Susan Collins' Obama-Era Vote Against Pandemic Funding Comes Back to Haunt Her

[Catch2.2]

For Maine Sen. Susan Collins, a lifelong Republican who believes in limited government, funding for pandemic flu preparations didn’t belong in the Obama administration’s economic stimulus plan. She lobbied hard to kill the money, and as one of only three Senate Republicans supporting the package, she had a lot of leverage with an administration desperate to show bipartisan support in a global economic crisis.

President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 in February of that year. Two months later, in April, as a new influenza outbreak, H1N1, known as swine flu, got underway, Democrat David Obey, who chaired the House Appropriations committee at the time, took Collins to task:

“Whether or not this influenza strain turns out to have pandemic potential, sooner or later some strain will. We are not prepared today. Let’s hope we don’t need to be.” ...

https://www.yahoo.com/news/susan-collins-obama-era-vote-090344380.html

[still_one]

1. That is one seat we should get

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

2. Good

[Stuart G]

3. K and R all need to read this.

[czarjak]

4. Thank you for your service to republican conservatism...

Hard to imagine where we'd be without your efforts.