According to a review by American Ledger, despite publicly heralding her support of a recent bill to strengthen U.S. elections against the threat of a foreign power, Sen. Susan Collins opposed that exact same bill — the FIRE Act — just last month.

In June 2019, Collins disavowed Sen. Mark Warner’s legislation, the FIRE Act — which required offers of campaign assistance from foreign countries be reported to the FBI — stating the legislation was “overly broad” and that Canada should not be held to the same standard as Russia.

Then, in typical fashion, as furor grew over Mitch McConnell’s recent blockage of bipartisan election security bills, Collins decided to flip the switch.

Collins now emphatically supports the FIRE Act.

“Russia’s efforts to interfere in our elections remain relentless,” Collins said in a tweet on Tuesday. “I’m proud to join Sen. @MarkWarner in cosponsoring the FIRE Act.”

Collins’ flip-flop on the FIRE Act also raises a longer pattern of waffling on election security measures throughout her tenure in the Senate.

In 2017, Collins cosponsored the Securing America’s Voting Equipment Act, but in 2018, Collins turned around and voted against appropriating $250 million in grants to secure U.S. elections.


Contact Cole Driver at cdriver@american-ledger.org