I was overjoyed, on Jan. 25, to hear that Donald Trump surrendered his coercive position, holding federal employees hostage against his meaningless campaign promise of building his wall.

Sen. Susan Collins will be able to take some credit for this successful legislation that will end the federal shutdown. She also voted for the Democratic version of the two failed attempts to end the shutdown, which contained no funds for Trump’s wall.

However, it is crystal clear to me that Sen. Collins cast a vote in support of coercion as a legitimate political tactic, when she voted in favor of the Republican version of the legislation.

Sen. Collins knew that the Republican bill would fail, and that there was little risk in her voting for it. She took the easy way out and caved to the Republican leadership.

She should have considered her vote more carefully, in light of what it says about her concern for our political system and democratic principals. Her vote validated coercion as a legitimate tool in our political process.

I’m a progressive voter who has supported Sen. Collins in the past because of her reasonable, bipartisan approach to legislation.

No more – she’s lost my support, because of her imprudent vote on this bill.

Bob McKillop

Portland