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Susan Collins: "I'm troubled by the uncertainty that has been created by the administration"

Susan Collins spoke on Meet The Press Sunday morning. She answered questions about her stance on the ACA as well as her recent "hot mic" controversy. 

Susan Collins on Meet The Press. 

BANGOR, Maine (NEWS CENTER) - Republican Senator Susan Collins spoke with host Chuck Todd on NBC's Meet The Press Sunday morning to address the ongoing Affordable Care Act discussions in Washington.

Collins's key "no" vote helped defeat President Trump's healthcare bill in front of the Senate on Thursday. On Sunday, she confirmed her stance against the complete removal of the Affordable Care Act, more commonly referred to as Obamacare, but is focused on considering all stakeholders when deciding what to do.

"I believe we would produce far better legislation if we went through the normal process of having committee hearings, hearing from health care providers, from insurance regulators, from advocacy groups, from governors, from everyone involved," Collins told Todd.

In addition to the discussion of the Affordable Care Act, Collins was also pressed about her recent controversy in which she forgot she was wearing a hot microphone and was recorded seemingly agreeing with Democratic Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island who referred to the President as "crazy."

In the recording, Reed can be heard saying "I think he's crazy," and Collins responds, "I'm worried."

Collins said she was referring to an earlier part of her conversation with Reed about President Trump's budget.

"When I said, 'I'm worried,' that's what I was referring to. I was referring to the President's budget, and I am worried about the President's budget. As OMB [Office of Management and Budget] has put it forth, I think there are a lot of problems in it," Collins explained.

Todd also asked Collins if she would "support or attempt to block" a speculated move by President Trump to have Attorney General Jeff Sessions replace John Kelly as Secretary of Homeland Security, even though that would "essentially be throwing Sessions out of the Department of Justice." Senator Collins said that kind of decision is ultimately up to the President.

However, Collins said Sessions "made absolutely the right decision to recuse himself from the Russia investigations" and that she doesn't think it's right for him to be criticized for it and to change his position in the White House because of it would be "a mistake."

Senator Collins ended her interview with Todd by saying she does think that John Kelly will bring "order, and discipline" to the West Wing as the White House Chief of Staff.

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