PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - Maine’s Republican senator says the federal government shutdown is threatening to leave hundreds of workers furloughed and prevent low-income families from accessing health care programs.
Sen. Susan Collins says she favored a short-term bill that would’ve averted the shutdown. She says estimates from Portsmouth Naval Shipyard show about half of the shipyard’s civilian workforce will be furloughed. Work on three submarines will also be delayed, she says.
Collins says more than 500 Maine National Guard dual-status technicians will also be furloughed on Monday. She’s also concerned that failure to pass a funding bill “jeopardizes health care” for children who receive care through the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
The state’s other U.S. senator, independent Angus King, says he is open to a short-term resolution to help get the government working again.
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