Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor,

A United States Senator is elected for 6 years. That is an extremely long time in politics. 

In the first four years Steve Daines hasn’t done much for Montanans in the Senate, He doesn’t listen or meet with Montanans, and seems more focused on scoring cheap political points than delivering for Montanans.

I will deliver for Montanans on lowering healthcare costs and protecting pre-existing condition coverage. I will fight to address climate change. We must believe in science. I will fight for public schools and teachers and I will bring civility and dignity back to Washington D.C.

Steve Daines needs to apologize to Montanans for his undignified and divisive comments last week, but Montanans are more concerned with the fact that Steve Daines voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act that would have left thousands of Montanans without healthcare or pre-existing condition coverage protection. This is not acceptable. It is not acceptable that Senator Daines is a member of the executive branch rather than being a check and balance in the Senate.

Out of state donations to Senator Daines were 85% of his donations last quarter. Is he even listening to Montanans or trying to connect with them? Instead he’s listening to the Koch Brothers.

That’s the thing the billionaires like the Koch Brothers don’t realize, they have the money, but we’ve got the people and I’ll always fight for the people as Montana’s next senator. We are building a movement to bring sanity back to America, but it is going to take hard work and courage from all of us.

On our campaign to take back our Montana Senate seat we are listening to Montanans and believe in Montanans. I have dedicated my life to service to Montana and America and that’s why I served my country for 20+ years in the National Guard, Army Reserves and Navy reserves, I am committed to public service and representing all Montanans of all stripes.

Montanans demand to see and speak with their representatives. Has anyone seen Senator Daines in Montana for years? As someone who relies on meeting my constituents face to face to adequately represent them, I simply cannot understand how Senator Daines can represent his constituency without meeting or listening to them. 

Montanans expect you to fight for firefighters and first responders, but Steve Daines can’t even get Mitch McConnell to hold a vote on 9/11 first responders healthcare funding.

Montanans expect you to fight for their healthcare and voting to repeal the ACA doesn’t help Montanans who would lose pre-existing condition coverage, it doesn’t help the nearly 100,000 Montanans who depend on Medicaid expansion. 

Voting to repeal the ACA destroys critical access hospitals in rural Montana and the economies in these small Montana towns rely on these hospitals to survive and thrive.

Montana expects better, Senator Daines, the clock has been running for over four years with very little to show for it and Montanans want an apology for choosing divisive politics over the character and values of our great state of Montana. 

Sincerely,

Wilmot Collins

Candidate for U.S. Senate