The U.S. Senate recently voted 49-44 in support of a resolution to halt President Biden’s overreaching and unconstitutional COVID-19 vaccine mandate for health care workers.

I applaud Sen. Susan Collins for standing up for freedom by voting in support of the resolution, and I express my disappointment that Sen. Angus King voted in opposition.

In addition to running counter to the foundational principles of personal and medical freedom, vaccine mandates exacerbated an already overwhelming strain on our healthcare industry, leaving hospitals and medical offices understaffed and causing nursing homes across rural Maine to shutter. The mandates set a dangerous precedent and have threatened public health, both in Maine and across the country, which is why this failed policy must be lifted.

I am a firm believer that where there is personal risk, there must be choice. I urge Congressman Jared Golden and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree to follow Sen. Collins’ lead in supporting this resolution in the House.

Sen. Lisa Keim, Dixfield