If Congress worked like it was supposed to, we would have passed bills to provide additional COVID-19 relief and fund the government months ago, through a transparent process that could earn the trust of the American people. 1/

But Washington is broken, so Congress waited until the last minute to provide COVID-19 relief AND fund the government. Congressional leaders worked behind closed doors to combine the two into one super-bill and gave members of Congress just hours before we had to vote on it. 2/

Most members of Congress made clear that our communities needed additional COVID relief. Party leaders took advantage, using this emergency to line the bill with their own priorities. We’re still finding new examples as we comb through the 5,000+ page bill. 3/

Some of the provisions they snuck into this package can only be described as giveaways for the wealthy and powerful, like a tax deduction for 100% of the cost of corporate lunches. Others are hard to justify for a nation in an economic crisis, like $40m for the Kennedy Center. 4/

With tens of thousands of Mainers who needed the relief contained in this legislation, I believe this bill had to pass and I don’t regret my vote for it. But Congress simply cannot continue to work like this. 5/

We need to move power away from party leaders, allow congressional committees to hold public hearings on major legislation, and give members time to not only read but also offer changes to bills before voting on them. 6/

The way Congress works won’t change until we have new leaders and new members of Congress that demand fresh ideas and a different approach. 7/