The Senate Majority PAC, a Democratic super PAC, launched a $2 million advertisement campaign on Monday, September 28, 2026, targeting Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME). The advertisements link the closure of about a dozen birthing centers in Maine to Medicaid funding reductions included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. While Collins voted to advance the bill in a procedural step last year, she ultimately voted against the final legislation, citing concerns over its impact on Medicaid.
The campaign features Dr. Peter Millard, a physician from Belfast, Maine, who states in the advertisement that Medicaid cuts are forcing the closure of labor and delivery units, requiring mothers to travel long distances for emergency care. The Senate Majority PAC argues that Collins provided the deciding vote to advance the cuts to provide tax breaks for billionaires. The $2 million campaign is scheduled to air across Maine.
In response to the advertisements, Sen. Collins and her supporters stated that she did not vote to cut Medicaid and specifically opposed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act because of its healthcare provisions. Her office noted that if she had voted against the procedural motion, Vice President J.D. Vance would have provided a tie-breaking vote to advance the bill anyway. Additionally, Collins's staff noted that the Medicaid cuts in the legislation have not yet taken effect and that hospital officials attribute the closure of birthing centers to low birth volumes and staffing difficulties rather than recent federal legislation.
Separate reports indicate that on June 27, 2025, private equity executive Steve Schwarzman donated $2 million to Pine Tree Results PAC, a super PAC supporting Collins. On the following day, June 28, 2025, Collins cast a vote to advance the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in a 51-49 decision. Collins’s press secretary, Blake Kernen, stated the senator was unaware of the contribution at the time of the vote and that the procedural motion would have passed regardless of her participation. The fact-checking group PolitiFact previously labeled claims that Collins "sided with Trump to cut Medicaid" as false.
The conflict over these funds sets a precedent for how federal tax and healthcare policy is debated in upcoming elections. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act included permanent tax deductions for pass-through businesses—benefiting households earning over $410,000—and tax write-offs for private jet use. While the Medicaid cuts have not yet been implemented, the political disagreement highlights the competing priorities of corporate tax structures and public health funding.
What happens next depends on the implementation of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and the upcoming midterm elections. While the bill has passed the Senate, the specific effective dates for the Medicaid reductions were not reported. The $2 million advertisement campaign will continue to air across Maine as the 2026 election cycle progresses. Future reporting from the Federal Election Commission (FEC) will provide updated details on the financial support received by various super PACs involved in the contest.