Jackson Addresses Rising Costs Facing Mainers As Collins Refuses To Stand Up To Trump’s Iran War

PORTLAND, ME — Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate Troy Jackson joined MS NOW’s Lawrence O’Donnell last night to highlight the impact of Susan Collins’ refusal to stand up to Donald Trump on the Iran war, leaving working-class Mainers with rising home heating bills that they can’t afford. As someone who grew up in the northern woods of Maine, Troy understands the anxiety facing everyday families as temperatures drop and families worry about keeping their homes warm.

Watch the full clip here, or see highlights below:

On understanding the struggle facing Mainers:

This has been something I've known my whole life. And I was young, I remember pouring five gallon pails into the tank outside. You know, I was able to bleed a furnace when I was probably 12 years old because we were running out all the time.
This is like something we've never seen before. I mean, 80% higher than it was just last year. We haven't even gotten to the cold weather months yet whenever prices really do soar and people aren't going to make it. I mean, that's just the reality of it. People that are only getting 12, $1,300 a month on social security can't afford $1,700, $1,800 a month for heating oil. And they're getting crushed.

On rising costs affecting Maine’s industries:

In Maine we have farming, fishing, forestry. People are paying $6.50 a gallon for diesel. That won't continue either. I mean, people will start losing their businesses. They'll start losing their homes because their businesses are tied into that.
And that's all because Donald Trump wanted to go to war with Iran, had no idea what the hell he was doing.

On Collins’ vote to confirm Kavanaugh, which she doesn’t regret:

A whole bunch of women here in Maine went to D.C. and begged Senator Collins not to put Brett Kavanaugh on. They knew that he was going to overturn [Roe v. Wade], and she went ahead and did it anyways. And I mean, this whole thing that she doesn't regret it now [...].
I think she did that knowing damn well what was going to happen, and now we're living with it. And in Maine, she said that she doesn't regret it because nothing happened in Maine. Nothing happened in Maine because I and other legislators made sure we had some of the most progressive laws in the country. [We] made sure that low-income women had access to care through MaineCare.

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