Susan Collins

Democratic Platform

Democrats support progressive taxation, with higher rates on top earners and corporations to fund public investment. The party favors raising the minimum wage, strengthening unions, and expanding worker protections. Democrats generally support government investment in infrastructure, education, and social programs as drivers of broad economic growth.

Susan Collins

Senator Collins supported the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (2021), which she helped negotiate, directing federal investment to roads, bridges, broadband, and water systems. She generally favors market-oriented economic policy and has opposed some of the larger tax and spending packages passed on party-line votes.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans favor lower taxes across income levels, with particular emphasis on cutting corporate and capital gains taxes to stimulate investment and job creation. The party supports deregulation, reduced government spending, and free market solutions over federal programs as the primary engine of prosperity.

Democratic Platform

Democrats support expanding access to affordable healthcare, including protecting the Affordable Care Act and moving toward a public option or expanded Medicare coverage. The party broadly favors government negotiation of prescription drug prices and opposes removing protections for pre-existing conditions.

Susan Collins

Senator Collins has broken with her party to vote against ACA repeal legislation, citing concerns about coverage losses for constituents. She supports preserving protections for pre-existing conditions and has worked on bipartisan measures to stabilize insurance markets. She has also supported legislation to lower prescription drug costs.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans have generally sought to repeal or significantly reform the Affordable Care Act, favoring market-based solutions. The party supports expanding health savings accounts, increasing competition among insurers across state lines, and reducing federal mandates on coverage requirements.

Democratic Platform

Democrats generally support pathways to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, including DACA recipients, and favor comprehensive immigration reform. The party supports increased resources for legal immigration processing and a humanitarian approach to asylum seekers at the border.

Susan Collins

Senator Collins has participated in bipartisan immigration negotiations and supports a combination of border security improvements and legal pathways for long-term undocumented residents. She has backed targeted protections for DACA recipients and opposes policies she views as excessively harsh toward asylum seekers.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans prioritize border security and strict enforcement of existing immigration law. The party broadly supports completing physical border barriers, ending policies they view as incentivizing illegal entry, and reforming legal immigration to favor applicants with marketable skills.

Democratic Platform

Democrats favor robust federal investment in public K-12 education and higher education, along with policies to reduce or eliminate student loan debt. The party generally opposes using public funds for private school vouchers and supports universal pre-K and affordable childcare.

Susan Collins

Senator Collins supports federal investment in K-12 education and has been a consistent advocate for special education funding under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. She has also backed workforce training programs and community college investment as pathways to economic opportunity.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans support school choice, including voucher programs for private and religious schools, and local control over curriculum decisions. The party generally opposes federal education mandates and broadly supports parental rights in schooling. Many Republicans oppose student loan forgiveness as unfair to borrowers who repaid their loans.

Democratic Platform

Democrats broadly support stricter gun safety measures, including universal background checks, red flag laws, and restrictions on assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines. The party frames these regulations as consistent with the Second Amendment and necessary to reduce mass shootings.

Susan Collins

Senator Collins voted for the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (2022), which enhanced background checks for younger buyers, funded state red flag and crisis intervention programs, and tightened federal firearms dealer licensing. She has consistently supported background check legislation while also defending the Second Amendment rights of Maine hunters and sportspeople.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans strongly defend Second Amendment rights and generally oppose new gun control legislation, arguing that existing laws should be enforced more effectively. The party emphasizes mental health intervention, the right to self-defense, and opposes what they view as infringement on law-abiding gun owners.

Democratic Platform

Democrats view climate change as an urgent crisis requiring immediate government action. The party supports transitioning to clean energy through federal investment and regulation, reducing carbon emissions across the economy, and meeting international climate commitments. Democrats generally oppose expanding fossil fuel development on public lands.

Susan Collins

Senator Collins acknowledges the scientific consensus on human-caused climate change and has supported some federal investments in clean energy and climate resilience. She opposed the Inflation Reduction Act but has backed targeted clean energy provisions in other legislation, and supports an approach that addresses climate without sharply raising energy costs.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans emphasize American energy independence through domestic production of oil, gas, and coal alongside renewable development. Many in the party are skeptical of aggressive climate regulations they argue harm economic growth and jobs. Republicans generally prefer market-based energy solutions over government mandates and oppose restrictions that raise energy costs for families.

Democratic Platform

Democrats generally support a multilateral approach to foreign policy, emphasizing alliances, international institutions, and diplomacy as the first line of engagement. The party broadly supports maintaining NATO commitments, providing aid to democratic allies, and engaging international bodies to address shared challenges.

Susan Collins

Senator Collins has been a consistent supporter of NATO commitments, U.S. aid to Ukraine, and strong alliances with democratic partners. She supported military assistance packages for Ukraine and has been vocal about the importance of standing with allies against Russian aggression.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans emphasize American sovereignty, a strong military as a deterrent, and bilateral relationships over multilateral institutions. The party broadly supports robust defense spending and is skeptical of international agreements they view as constraining American action or requiring open-ended foreign commitments.

Democratic Platform

Democrats oppose cuts to Social Security or Medicare benefits and support expanding both programs. The party generally favors raising the Social Security payroll tax cap on high earners to ensure long-term solvency and opposes any form of privatization.

Susan Collins

Senator Collins opposes cuts to Social Security and Medicare benefits and has resisted proposals that would reduce payments to current or near-term retirees. She supports examining long-term structural fixes that do not shift costs onto beneficiaries who have planned their retirements around existing program parameters.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans support reforming Social Security and Medicare to ensure long-term fiscal solvency, which some in the party argue requires adjusting benefits or eligibility ages. The party opposes tax increases to fund the programs and some members have supported personal investment account options.

Democratic Platform

Democrats broadly support criminal justice reform, including reducing mandatory minimum sentences, addressing racial disparities in policing and incarceration, and investing in community-based alternatives. The party generally supports police accountability measures and evidence-based approaches to reducing recidivism.

Susan Collins

Senator Collins supported the First Step Act (2018), a bipartisan law that reduced mandatory minimum sentences for certain nonviolent offenses and expanded reentry programming in federal prisons. She supports law enforcement funding alongside targeted sentencing reforms aimed at reducing recidivism.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans emphasize law and order, strong support for law enforcement, and tough penalties for crime. The party generally opposes reducing mandatory minimum sentences for violent offenses and supports prosecutors pursuing strong sentences. Republicans broadly oppose policies they view as undermining police authority or creating leniency for criminals.