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Wikipedia

Susan Collins

January 01, 1970

For other people named Susan Collins, see Susan Collins (disambiguation).
"Senator Collins" redirects here. For other uses, see Senator Collins (disambiguation).

Susan Margaret Collins (born December 7, 1952) is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator from Maine. A member of the Republican Party, she has held her seat since 1997 and is Maine's longest-serving member of congress.

Susan Collins
Official portrait, 2014
United States Senator
from Maine
Assumed office
January 3, 1997
Serving with Angus King
Preceded byWilliam Cohen
Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee
Assumed office
January 3, 2023
Preceded byRichard Shelby
Chair of the Senate Aging Committee
In office
January 3, 2015 – February 3, 2021
Preceded byBill Nelson
Succeeded byBob Casey Jr.
Ranking Member of the Senate Aging Committee
In office
January 3, 2013 – January 3, 2015
Preceded byBob Corker
Succeeded byClaire McCaskill
Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
In office
January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2013
Preceded byJoe Lieberman
Succeeded byTom Coburn
Chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
In office
January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2007
Preceded byJoe Lieberman
Succeeded byJoe Lieberman
Personal details
Born
Susan Margaret Collins

(1952-12-07) December 7, 1952 (age 71)
Caribou, Maine, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Other political
affiliations		No Labels[a]
Spouse
Thomas Daffron
​
(m. 2012)​
Parent(s)Donald Collins
Patricia McGuigan
RelativesSamuel Collins (uncle)
EducationSt. Lawrence University (BA)
WebsiteSenate website
Susan Collins's voice
Susan Collins on her support to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court
Recorded October 5, 2018

Born in Caribou, Maine, Collins is a graduate of St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York. Beginning her career as a staff assistant for Senator William Cohen in 1975, she became staff director of the Oversight of Government Management Subcommittee of the Committee on Governmental Affairs (which later became the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs)[2] in 1981. Governor John R. McKernan Jr. then appointed her commissioner of the Maine Department of Professional and Financial Regulation in 1987. In 1992 President George H. W. Bush appointed her director of the Small Business Administration's regional office in Boston. Collins became a deputy state treasurer in the office of the Treasurer and Receiver-General of Massachusetts in 1993.[3] After moving back to Maine in 1994, she became the Republican nominee for governor of Maine in the 1994 general election. She was the first female major-party nominee for the post, finishing third in a four-way race with 23% of the vote. After her bid for governor in 1994, she became the founding director of the Center for Family Business at Husson University in Bangor, Maine.

Collins was first elected to the Senate in 1996. She was reelected in 2002, in 2008, in 2014, and in 2020. She chaired the Senate Special Committee on Aging from 2015 to 2021 and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs from 2003 to 2007. Collins is a senior Republican woman in the Senate, the dean of Maine's congressional delegation, and the only New England Republican in the 116th, 117th, and 118th Congresses[4].[5] As of the 118th Congress, Collins is the only Republican to represent a Northeastern state in the Senate. She has been called a moderate Republican, and is often a pivotal vote in the Senate.[6][7] To date, Collins is the longest-serving Republican woman in the Senate.[8][9]

Collins, who has described herself as a pro-choice Republican,[10] attracted controversy for her vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh[11] to the Supreme Court. She attributed her vote to her belief that Kavanaugh would not support overturning Roe v. Wade; in June 2022, Kavanaugh joined the majority opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which overturned Roe.

During the impeachment trial of Bill Clinton, Collins was one of 10 Republican senators to vote to acquit him on the first charge and one of five to vote to acquit on the second, and during the first impeachment trial of Donald Trump, Collins joined all Senate Republicans but one in voting to acquit him on the first charge, and all Republicans to acquit on the second. She was the only Republican senator to vote against confirming Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court in 2020. On February 13, 2021, she was one of seven Republican senators to vote to convict Trump of incitement of insurrection in his second impeachment trial.

Early life edit

One of six children, Collins was born in Caribou, Maine, where her family operates a lumber business established by her great-great-great-grandfather, Samuel W. Collins, in 1844.[12] Her parents, Patricia (née McGuigan) and Donald Collins (1925–2018), each served as mayor of Caribou.[12] Her father, a decorated veteran of World War II, also served in the Maine Legislature, with one term in the House, and four in the Senate.[13][14]

Collins's mother was born in Barrancabermeja, Colombia, to American parents.[15] Collins is of English and Irish ancestry. Her uncle, Samuel W. Collins Jr., sat on the Maine Supreme Judicial Court from 1988 to 1994 and served in the Maine Senate from 1973 to 1984.[16]

Collins attended Caribou High School, where she was president of the student council.[17] During her senior year of high school in 1971, she was chosen to participate in the U.S. Senate Youth Program, through which she visited Washington, D.C., for the first time and had a two-hour conversation with Maine's first female United States Senator, Margaret Chase Smith, also a Republican. Collins is the first program delegate elected to the Senate and holds the seat once held by Smith.[17] After graduating from high school, she continued her education at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York.[18] Like her father, she was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa national academic honor society. She graduated from St. Lawrence magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree in government in 1975.[19]

Early political career edit

Following graduation, Collins worked as a legislative assistant to U.S. Representative and later U.S. Senator William Cohen from 1975 to 1987.[18] She was also staff director of the Oversight of Government Management Subcommittee on the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs from 1981 to 1987.[18]

In 1987, Collins joined the cabinet of Governor John R. McKernan Jr. as Commissioner of the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation.[19] President George H. W. Bush appointed her the New England regional director for the Small Business Administration in 1992.[14] After briefly serving in this post until the 1992 election of President Bill Clinton, she moved to Massachusetts and became Deputy State Treasurer of Massachusetts under Joe Malone in 1993.[18]

Returning to Maine, Collins won an eight-way Republican primary in the 1994 gubernatorial election, becoming the first woman nominated by a major party for governor of Maine.[14] During the campaign, she received little support from Republican leaders and was criticized by conservative groups for her more liberal views on social issues. She lost the general election, receiving 23% of the vote and placing third behind Democrat Joseph E. Brennan and the winner, Independent candidate Angus King, her future Senate colleague.[20]

In December 1994, Collins became the founding executive director of the Richard E. Dyke Center for Family Business at Husson College.[19] She served in this post until 1996, when she announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by her former boss, William Cohen, who retired to become United States Secretary of Defense under President Clinton. With Cohen's public endorsement, she won a difficult four-way primary and faced Brennan, her opponent in the 1994 gubernatorial election, in the general election. She defeated him, 49% to 44%.[21][22]

U.S. Senate edit

Elections edit

 
Collins with President Barack Obama

Collins was elected to the Senate in 1996. During the campaign she pledged that, if elected, she would serve only two terms.[23]

Collins was reelected in 2002 over State Senator Chellie Pingree, 58%–42%, in 2008 over Representative Tom Allen, 61.5%–38.5%, and in 2014 over Shenna Bellows, 68.5%–31.5%. In her first three reelection campaigns, she carried every county in Maine.[24]

In 2020, Collins was challenged by Democratic State House Speaker Sara Gideon. The hotly contested race became the most expensive in Maine history, with Collins spending $23 million and Gideon nearly $48 million.[25] The race also had national implications, as defeating Collins was a key part of the Democrats' strategy to achieve a Senate majority. Despite trailing Gideon in every public poll of the race,[26] Collins defeated Gideon[27] by a decisive margin.[28]

In 2009, Collins was called one of "the last survivors of a once common species of moderate Northeastern Republican".[16] She is considered a centrist Republican and an influential player in the Senate.[29][30][31]

Although she shared a centrist ideology with Maine's former senator, Olympia Snowe, Collins is considered a "half-turn more conservative" than Snowe.[16] She was consistently endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign, a major LGBT rights organization, until 2020.[32] She supported John McCain in the 2008 presidential election. She became the state's senior senator in 2013 when Snowe left the Senate and was replaced by independent Angus King, who defeated Collins in the 1994 governor election.[33]

Tenure edit

First term edit

In the 1990s, Collins played an important role during the Senate's impeachment trial of Bill Clinton when she and Snowe sponsored a motion that would have allowed the Senate to vote separately on the charges and the remedy. The motion failed, and Snowe and Collins voted to acquit, believing that while Clinton had committed perjury, that was not grounds for removal from office.[34]

In March 1997, the Senate adopted a broader investigation into White House and Congressional campaign fund-raising practices than Senate Republicans initially wanted. Collins said there were "a number of allegations that may or may not be illegal, but they may be improper."[35]

In a May 1997 interview, Collins stated her support for a proposal by Tom Daschle banning all abortions after the fetus is capable of living outside the womb except to save the life of the woman or protect her from physical injury. Of an alternative measure proposed by Rick Santorum that would ban partial-birth abortion, Collins said it "ignores cases in the medical literature involving women with very serious physical health problems".[36]

In 2001 Collins authored a measure that granted the United States Secretary of Education authority to grant waivers that would relieve reservists and members of the National Guard from making federal student loan payments during active duty and grant the same privileges to victims and families of those affected by the September 11 attacks. The bill passed the Senate and House in December 2001.[37]

In November 2002, the Senate overwhelmingly approved the creation of the Department of Homeland Security while a Democratic effort to remove the bill's provisions fell short on a 52-to-47 vote that came after President George W. Bush lobbied against the vote. Collins and other senators said that Senate and House Republicans, as well as the White House, had given them an "ironclad promise" to essentially rescind provisions in the first spending bill to pass Congress the following year.[38]

Second term edit

In 2004, Collins was one of the primary sponsors of legislation overhauling the U.S. intelligence community by creating a new post, Director of National Intelligence, to oversee budgets and most assets of the spy agencies, and mandating that federal agencies establish minimum standards for states pertaining to issuing driver's licenses and birth certificates along with directing the United States Department of Homeland Security to form standards for ID used to board airplanes. The bill passed in the House and Senate in December. Collins said, "This was the most difficult bill to bring from conception to birth that I can imagine being involved with. But that makes the victory doubly satisfying."[39] Bush signed the bill, formally known as the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act, on December 17, 2004.[40]

In May 2005, Collins was one of 14 senators (seven Democrats and seven Republicans) to forge a compromise on the Democrats' use of the judicial filibuster, thus allowing the Republican leadership to end debate without having to exercise the nuclear option. Under the agreement, Democrats agreed they would filibuster Bush's judicial nominees only in "extraordinary circumstances"; three Bush appellate court nominees (Janice Rogers Brown, Priscilla Owen, and William Pryor) would receive a vote by the full Senate; and two others, Henry Saad and William Myers, were expressly denied such protection (both eventually withdrew their names from consideration).[41][42]

In October 2008, Collins criticized robocalls by the McCain campaign claiming that Barack Obama "has worked closely with domestic terrorist Bill Ayers, whose organization bombed the U.S. Capitol, the Pentagon, a judge's home and killed Americans", asserting that those "kind of tactics have no place in Maine politics" and urging McCain to cease the calls immediately.[43]

Third term edit

In 2009, Collins was criticized for blocking flu relief funding during the swine flu pandemic. She said she had done so on procedural grounds, because the funding did not belong in a stimulus bill: "while worthwhile, [it does] not boost our economy," and "it does not make sense to include $870 million for pandemic flu preparedness."[44]

In April 2010, Collins and Senator Joe Lieberman issued a subpoena seeking documents and interviews associated with the American government's investigation into the conduct of investigators during their interactions with Nidal Hasan before the Fort Hood shooting. The Pentagon announced that the Obama administration would not authorize Senate investigators to question intelligence agents who reviewed e-mails between Hasan and an extremist Islamic cleric before the shooting. Collins and Lieberman issued a statement accusing the Departments of Justice and Defense of refusing "to provide access to their agents who reportedly reviewed Major Hasan's communications with radical extremist cleric Anwar al Awlaki and to transcripts of prosecution interviews with Hasan's associates and superiors, which DOD already provided to its internal review."[45]

 
Collins, right, stands near President Barack Obama as he signs the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell

In May 2010, Collins and Snowe were the only two Republicans to vote for an unsuccessful Democratic measure that would have prevented bailouts, highlighted financial products of complexity and toughened consumer protection.[46]

In February 2013, Collins announced her opposition to the confirmation of Chuck Hagel for United States Secretary of Defense, citing her belief that Hagel's "past positions, votes and statements [do not] match the challenges of our time." The announcement came as a surprise, as Collins was considered a possible supporter of his nomination, and it occurred while the nomination was being filibustered.[47] The filibuster on Hagel's nomination was defeated,[48] and he was confirmed later that month.[49]

In May 2013, following a report that the Internal Revenue Service had put additional scrutiny on conservative groups, Collins said the revelation "contributes to the profound distrust that the American people have in government" and added that she was disappointed that Obama "hasn't personally condemned this and spoken out".[50]

In April 2014, the Senate debated the Minimum Wage Fairness Act (S. 1737; 113th Congress). The bill would have amended the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) to increase the federal minimum wage to $10.10 per hour over two years.[51] The bill was strongly supported by Obama and many Democratic senators but strongly opposed by Republicans in the Senate and House.[52][53][54] Collins tried to negotiate a compromise bill that centrist Republicans could agree to but was unable to do so.[54]

Fourth term edit

 
Collins, Lamar Alexander, and Lindsey Graham meet with President Donald Trump in November 2017

In May 2016, the Senate passed an appropriations bill containing an amendment by Collins that she said would help prevent the Department of Housing and Urban Development from gaining "national zoning authority for every neighborhood in our country". The legislation was given a veto threat by the White House, which was said by the Office of Management and Budget to oppose "the inclusion of problematic ideological provisions that are beyond the scope of funding legislation".[55]

In 2016, Collins authored the Safe Treatments and Opportunities to Prevent Pain Act, a provision intended to encourage the National Institutes of Health to further its research into opioid therapy alternatives for pain management, and the Infant Plan of Safe Care Act, which mandated that states ensure safe care plans are developed for infants who are drug-dependent before they are discharged from hospitals. These provisions were included in the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act,[56] legislation that created programs and expanded treatment access alongside implementing $181 million in new spending as part of an attempt to curb heroin and opioid addiction. Obama signed the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act into law on July 22, 2016.[57]

On August 8, 2016, Collins announced that she would not vote for Donald Trump, the Republican nominee in the 2016 presidential election. She said that as a lifelong Republican she did not make the decision lightly but felt he was unsuitable for office, "based on his disregard for the precept of treating others with respect, an idea that should transcend politics".[58] She considered voting for the Libertarian Party's ticket or a write-in candidate.[59][60]

In the 2016 United States presidential election, Collins received one electoral vote for vice president from a faithless elector in Washington.[61]

In January 2017, Collins and Senator Lisa Murkowski voted for Trump's nominee for Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, within the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, passing DeVos's nomination by a vote of 12–11 to allow the full Senate to vote. Collins justified her vote, saying, "Presidents are entitled to considerable deference in the selection of Cabinet members."[62][63][64] Later, she and Murkowski were the only Republicans to break party lines and vote against DeVos's confirmation.[65][66] This caused a 50–50 tie that was broken by Senate President Mike Pence to confirm DeVos.[67]

In March 2017, Collins said she could not support the American Health Care Act, the House Republicans' plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.[68] She announced she would vote against the Senate version of the Republican bill to repeal Obamacare.[69] Collins also clarified that she opposed repealing the ACA without a replacement proposal.[70] On July 26, Collins was one of seven Republicans in voting against repealing the ACA without a suitable replacement.[71] On July 27, she joined two other Republicans in voting against the "skinny" repeal of the ACA.[72] In October, Collins called on Trump to support a bipartisan Congressional effort led by Lamar Alexander and Patty Murray to reinstate insurer payments, saying that what Trump was doing was "affecting people's access and the cost of health care right now".[73]

On December 14, 2017, the day the FCC was set to hold a vote on net neutrality, Collins and King sent the FCC a letter asking that the vote be postponed to allow public hearings on the merits of repealing net neutrality.[74] They expressed concerns that repealing net neutrality could adversely affect the U.S. economy.[74] As part of this drive, Collins is reported to support using the authority under the Congressional Review Act to nullify the FCC's repeal vote.[75] In 2018, Collins was one of three Republicans voting with Democrats to repeal rule changes enacted by the Republican-controlled FCC.[76] The measure was meant to restore Obama-era net neutrality rules.[77]

In 2017, The Lugar Center, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit founded by Senator Richard Lugar, released a bipartisan index in cooperation with Georgetown University that ranked Collins the most bipartisan senator during the first session of the 115th Congress (and the only U.S. Senator from the Northeast ranked among the top 10 most bipartisan senators).[78][79]

In January 2018, in response to the Trump administration's not implementing congressionally approved sanctions on Russia, Collins said it was confirmed Russia had tried to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, adding, "not only should there be a price to pay in terms of sanctions, but also we need to put safeguards in place right now for the elections for this year." She noted that the legislation received bipartisan support and predicted Russia would also attempt to interfere in the 2018 elections.[80] In January 2019, Collins was one of 11 Republican senators to vote to advance legislation intended to block Trump from lifting sanctions on three Russian companies. She said she disagreed with "the easing of the sanctions because I think it sends the wrong message to Russia and to the oligarch and close ally of Mr. Putin, Oleg Deripaska, who will in my judgment continue to maintain considerable [ownership] under the Treasury's plan."[81]

In 2018, Collins and Senators Tim Kaine, Catherine Cortez Masto, and Shelley Moore Capito authored the Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act, legislation centered on providing a public health approach to Alzheimer's. The bill would authorize $20 million annually to establish the "Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias Public Health Centers of Excellence" and aid statewide efforts to promote brain health and reduce cognitive decline. It passed the Senate and House and was signed by Trump in January 2019.[82]

In September 2018, Collins authored two bills as part of the Opioid Crisis Response Act, a bipartisan package of 70 Senate bills that would alter programs across multiple agencies in an effort to prevent opioids from being shipped through the U.S. Postal Service and grant doctors the ability to prescribe medications designed to wean opioid addictions. The bills passed 99 to 1.[83][84]

In February 2019, Collins was one of five senators to sponsor legislation authorizing the Treasury Department to mint coins honoring George H. W. Bush and Barbara Bush under the Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005[85] and introduced the Reviving America's Scenic Byways Act of 2019 along with Ben Cardin. The bill required the Secretary of Transportation to request nominations and make determinations in regard to roads that would be designed under a voluntary, community-based program and was signed into law by Trump in September of that year.[86] After the Senate Intelligence Committee held a closed-door meeting with Michael Cohen, Collins said senators "clearly need to re-interview some witnesses whose accounts [Cohen] contradicts". Her comment was seen as hinting at the Intelligence Committee's interest in speaking with Donald Trump Jr. again.[87] In June, Collins cosponsored an amendment to form the John S. McCain III Human Rights Commission, which would hold hearings and briefings on human rights violations ahead of collaborations with the Trump administration to address the violations, and be included in a defense authorization bill McCain had helped create as Armed Services Committee chairman.[88]

In her May 2019 commencement speech at Maine Maritime Academy, Collins said getting the Senate to approve funding for a new training ship for the academy was her "number one priority" and that funding was included in Trump's proposed budget while she would still seek further funds through other measures.[89]

In July 2019, Collins cosponsored the Fallen Journalists Memorial Act, a bill introduced by Ben Cardin and Rob Portman that would create a new, privately funded memorial that would be constructed on federal lands in Washington, D.C. in order to honor journalists, photographers, and broadcasters who died in the line of duty. Collins called freedom of the press "one of our fundamental constitutional rights" and spoke of the risks of reprisals faced by reporters around the world for their work.[90]

In February 2020, Collins voted "not guilty" on both articles in the first impeachment trial of Donald Trump.[91]

On October 26, 2020, Collins was the only Republican senator to vote against the confirmation of Trump's nominee Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. Barrett was confirmed by a vote of 52–48.[92]

Fifth term edit

Collins giving her 2021 United States Electoral College vote count speech after the January 6 United States Capitol attack.

On January 6, 2021, Collins was participating in the certification of the Electoral College vote count when Trump supporters attacked the United States Capitol. She was on the Senate floor listening to speeches related to the objection to counting Arizona's votes when the Sergeant at Arms of the U.S. Senate and U.S. Capitol Police removed Vice President Mike Pence and Senators Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer. She called the experience "frightening and appalling."[93] Collins later called the attack "a dangerous, shameful, and outrageous attack on our democracy" and blamed Trump for "working up the crowd and inciting this mob". She called on him to call off the rioters. When Congress reconvened after the Capitol was secure, Collins voted to certify the count.[94]

Toward the end of January 2021, Collins led a group of 10 Republican senators who requested that President Joe Biden join bipartisan negotiations when creating his COVID-19 economic relief package.[95] After meeting with the group, Biden opted to pass his relief package using the reconciliation process, for which he did not need Republican support.[96]

On February 13, 2021, Collins was one of seven Republican senators to vote to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial.[97]

Political analysis website FiveThirtyEight found that Collins had voted in line with President Joe Biden around 67% of the time in the 117th Congress.[98]

On May 18, 2021, Axios[99] revealed the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigation of defense contractor Martin Kao, former CEO of Navatek,[100][101] who funneled $150,000 to a pro-Collins super PAC, 1820PAC, via a shell LLC, Society for Young Women Scientists and Engineers, as a federal contractor, and reimbursed donations to the Collins 2020 campaign, both of which are illegal. A spokesperson said that the campaign had no knowledge of the exchange.[102][103]

Collins cast her 8,000th consecutive roll call vote on October 28, 2021; only Chuck Grassley and William Proxmire have set longer streaks.[104] On April 19, 2024, the Senate recognized her 9,000th vote that night, surpassing Grassley's 8,927-vote streak earlier in March.[105]

Collins voted to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, making her one of the only three GOP senators to support her nomination, the other two being Lisa Murkowski and Mitt Romney.[106]

Committee assignments edit

Collins's committee assignments for the 118th Congress are as follows:[107]

Caucus memberships edit

Political positions edit

Main article: Political positions of Susan Collins
 
With former U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe (also R-ME)

Collins has been described as a moderate Republican and a centrist,[111][112] having voted with her party 59% of the time from 1997 to 2016. She voted with her party more often, about 87% of the time, in 2017, at the beginning of the Trump administration.[113][114][115]

In 2013, Collins sided with Obama's position 75.9% of the time, one of only two Republicans to vote with him more than 70% of the time.[116] As of January 2021, according to FiveThirtyEight, she had voted with Trump's positions about 65% of the time, the lowest among all Republican senators.[117] During Trump's presidency she voted with the Republican majority on party-line votes much more often than during Obama's presidency.[113] According to FiveThirtyEight, as of January 2023, she had voted with Biden's position about 67% of the time.[118]

Collins voted to acquit Trump of all charges at his first impeachment trial.[119] She said she did not think Trump's request that the Ukrainian President announce an investigation into Joe Biden met the "high bar" for "removing a duly elected president".[120] She said Trump had "learned from this case" and "will be much more cautious in the future."[120] Shortly after his acquittal, Trump fired witnesses in the impeachment inquiry.[121][122] In the following months, he fired inspectors general of the State Department and the intelligence community. Collins criticized the firing, provoking a retaliatory response from Trump.[123]

On February 13, 2021, Collins was one of the seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial.[124] On May 27, 2021, along with five other Republicans and all present Democrats, she voted to establish a bipartisan commission to investigate the Capitol attack. She had amended the bill in the hopes of drawing sufficient Republicans to support it, but the vote failed for lack of 60 required "yes" votes to prevent a filibuster.[125]

Abortion edit

Collins is one of two Republican U.S. Senators, along with Lisa Murkowski, who describe themselves as pro-choice, or pro-abortion rights, and supported Roe v. Wade.[126][127][128]

According to HuffPost, Collins has repeatedly voted to confirm judges who have signaled opposition to abortion rights. She has defended these votes by citing her support for both of Obama's Supreme Court appointments.[129] She voted to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court, saying she did not believe he would overturn Roe.[130][131] She said she felt "vindication" in 2018 when Kavanaugh voted with the court's four Democratic-appointed justices and Chief Justice John Roberts not to hear cases against Planned Parenthood from Kansas and Louisiana, although Planned Parenthood disagreed with her assessment of the situation.[132][133] In 2020, Collins faced renewed criticism of her vote by progressive groups when Kavanaugh said states should be permitted to severely reduce access to and availability of abortion in his dissent in June Medical Services LLC v Russo.[134][135]

In 2021, Collins was one of three Republican senators to decline to sign an amicus brief supporting an anti-abortion Mississippi law banning abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.[136] She faced renewed criticism after Kavanaugh voted with the majority, in a 5–4 vote, to reject an emergency petition to block a Texas law banning abortion after six weeks of pregnancy; the law went into effect while facing continued challenges in the courts.[137] Responding to the legislation and criticism, Collins denounced the Texas anti-abortion law as "extreme, inhumane, and unconstitutional" and said she supports the Roe precedent as the "law of the land".[138]

In 2022, Collins received additional criticism for her support of Kavanaugh after a leaked draft of the Supreme Court opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization indicated the Court would overturn Roe v. Wade, with Kavanaugh breaking with his statements that Roe was "settled law".[139][140][141][142] She has also received criticism for calling the police in reaction to chalk protests due to her votes to confirm justices involved in the draft ruling.[143][144][145][146]

On May 11, 2022, Collins voted against the Women's Health Protection Act of 2022, a bill that would prohibit a variety of restrictions on access to abortion, on the basis that it went too far beyond the standards established in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey.[147][148] Collins joined Murkowski and Senator Kyrsten Sinema in drafting the Reproductive Choice Act, alternative legislation that would codify Roe and Casey into federal law more narrowly.[147][149][150]

Economy edit

In 2004, Collins expressed concerns about how the Bush administration wanted to implement its proposed plan to cut taxes.[151] She cited deficit concerns as a reason for opposing the plan,[151] but ultimately voted in favor of the Bush tax cuts in 2003 and for their extension in 2006.[152][153][154] Collins was one of just three Republican lawmakers to vote for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,[155] prompting heated criticism from the right for crossing party lines.

In December 2017, Collins voted to pass the 2017 Republican tax plan.[156] The bill greatly reduces corporate taxes while reducing taxes for some individuals and increasing them for others by removing some popular deductions.[156] The bill also repeals Affordable Care Act's individual mandate, leaving thirteen million Americans uninsured and raising premiums by an estimated additional 10% per year.[157][158] After the vote, Collins said she received assurances from congressional leaders that they would pass legislation intended to mitigate some of the adverse effects of the individual mandate's repeal.[158] When asked how she could vote for a bill that would increase the deficit by an estimated $1 trillion (over ten years) after having railed against the deficit during the Obama administration, Collins insisted that it would not increase the deficit. She said she had been advised in this determination by economists Glenn Hubbard, Larry Lindsey, and Douglas Holtz-Eakin.[159][156] Conservative columnist Jennifer Rubin wrote that Hubbard and Holtz-Eakin denied saying the plan would not increase the deficit.[160][161]

After voting for the tax plan, Collins became the top recipient of political donations from private equity firms.[162] Blackstone chief executive Steven Schwarzman donated $2 million to Collins's PAC, and Ken Griffin of the hedge fund Citadel donated $1.5 million.[162]

Along with all other Senate and House Republicans, Collins voted against the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.[163] On September 30, 2021, she was one of 15 Senate Republicans to join all Democrats and both Independents to approve a temporary spending bill to continue government funding and avoid a government shutdown.[164][165] On October 7, 2021, she voted with 10 other Republicans and all members of the Democratic caucus to break the filibuster on raising the debt ceiling.[166][167] She voted with all Republicans against the legislation to raise the debt ceiling.[168]

Environment edit

In 2008, Collins joined the bipartisan Gang of 20, which sought to break a deadlock on a bill allowing offshore drilling that would devote billions in proceeds to renewable energy development.[169][170]

In February 2017, Collins was the only Republican to vote against undoing an Obama administration rule that required coal mining companies to avoid contaminating local waterways.[171] She was the only Republican to vote against the confirmation of Scott Pruitt, and later Andrew Wheeler, to lead the Environmental Protection Agency.[172][173]

In 2017, Collins voted for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, allowing oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, after unsuccessfully attempting to remove that part of the bill.[174][better source needed]

As of 2022, Collins has a lifetime score of 60% from the League of Conservation Voters, the highest of any incumbent Senate Republican.[175]

Foreign policy and national security edit

In 2003, Collins voted in favor of the Iraq War Resolution authorizing President Bush to go to war against Iraq.[176] In November 2007, she was one of four Republicans to vote for a Democratic proposal of $50 billion that would condition further spending on a timeline for withdrawing troops, mandating that a withdrawal begin 30 days after the bill was enacted as part of a goal of removing all U.S. troops in Iraq by December 15, 2008. The bill failed to get the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster.[177] In April 2008, Collins and Senators Ben Nelson and Evan Bayh met with Bush's advisor on Iraq and Afghanistan, Douglas Lute, and expressed support for a prohibition on spending for major reconstruction projects, the proposal requiring Iraqis to pay for its security forces to be trained and equipped and reimburse the American military for the estimated $153 million a month the military spent on fueling in combat operations in Iraq. Collins said after the meeting that while the administration did not have a view entirely similar to the senators', it at least seemed open to their proposal.[178] In June 2014, while growing violence erupted in Iraq under the leadership of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, Collins said the violence would have been slower had a residual NATO force been present in Iraq and that the question was whether airstrikes were effective.[179]

In September 2009, Collins said she was unsure whether sending more American troops to Afghanistan would help end the Afghanistan War, but cited the need for "more American civilians to help build up institutions" and growth of the Afghan army.[180] In 2010, she called for the removal of Arnold Fields as Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, citing his repeated expressing of concern for the SIGAR and his disappointment with the Obama administration's "ongoing failure to take decisive action".[181] In August 2017, Collins commended Trump for providing clarity after years of the U.S. lacking a "clear focus and defined strategy" with respect to Afghanistan and said he made the case that the Afghan government must participate "in defending its people, ending havens for terrorists, and curtailing corruption".[182]

Before Obama met President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping at an informal retreat in June 2013, Collins cosponsored legislation that would authorize the Commerce Department to investigate whether currency manipulation is a form of subsidization.[183] In April 2018, she said the U.S. needed "a more nuanced approach" in dealing with China but gave Trump "credit for levying these tariffs against the Chinese, with whom we've talked for a decade about their unfair trade practices and their theft of intellectual property from American firms", adding that while the U.S. needed to toughen its stance against China, it would need to do this in a manner that did not create "a trade war and retaliation that will end up with our European and Asian competitors getting business that otherwise would have come to American farmers".[184]

In March 2015, Collins was one of seven Senate Republicans not to sign a March 2015 letter to the leadership of the Islamic Republic of Iran attempting to cast doubt on the Obama administration's authority to engage in nuclear-proliferation negotiations with Iran.[185] She announced her opposition to the Iran nuclear agreement later that year, saying it was "fundamentally flawed because it leaves Iran as capable of building a nuclear weapon at the expiration of the agreement as it is today", and predicted Iran "will be a more dangerous and stronger nuclear threshold state" after the agreement expires.[186] In June 2019, after the United States nearly launched an airstrike on Iran after Iran downed an American surveillance drone, Collins said the U.S. could not "allow Iran to continue to launch this kind of attack" but warned that miscalculations by either side "could lead to a war in the Middle East".[187]

In March 2017, Collins co-sponsored the Israel Anti-Boycott Act (S.270), which made it a federal crime, punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment,[188] for Americans to encourage or participate in boycotts against Israel and Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories if protesting actions by the Israeli government.[189]

In March 2018, Collins was one of five Republican senators to vote against tabling a resolution that would cease the U.S. military's support for Saudi Arabia's bombing operations in Yemen.[190] In December, she was one of seven Republican senators to vote for the resolution withdrawing American armed forces' support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen and an amendment by Todd Young ensuring midair refueling between American and Saudi Air Force did not resume.[191] Collins was one of seven Republicans to vote to end U.S. support for the war in Yemen in February 2019, and, in May 2019, she was one of seven Republicans to vote to override Trump's veto of the resolution on Yemen.[192] In June 2019, Collins was one of seven Republicans to vote to block Trump's Saudi arms deal providing weapons to Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Jordan and one of five Republicans to vote against an additional 20 arms sales.[193]

In May 2020, Collins voted to confirm U.S. Representative John Ratcliffe as Director of National Intelligence. In 2019, there was bipartisan opposition to Ratcliffe's nomination. The Washington Post called Collins's support for Ratcliffe "key" to his 2020 confirmation.[194]

Gun policy edit

Collins voted for the Manchin–Toomey bill to amend federal law to expand background checks for gun purchases.[195] She voted against a ban on high-capacity (more than ten rounds) magazines.[196] In 2014 she received a "C" grade on gun rights from the NRA Political Victory Fund,[197] rising to a "B" rating in 2020.[198] She received a D− from Gun Owners of America in 2012.[199]

In 2018, Collins co-sponsored the NICS Denial Notification Act,[200] legislation developed in the aftermath of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting that would require federal authorities to inform states within a day after a person failing the National Instant Criminal Background Check System attempted to buy a firearm.[201]

In February 2019, Collins supported the Terrorist Firearms Prevention Act, legislation enabling the attorney general to deny the sale of a firearm to people on the no-fly list or selectee list. It passed the House but failed to advance in the Senate.[202]

In 2020, Gun Owners of Maine gave Collins a B rating, writing, "On 2nd Amendment issues, Susan Collins generally stands with gun owners. She has opposed magazine capacity restrictions and voted to prohibit lawsuits against gun manufacturers for crimes committed with guns."[203]

In 2022, Collins became one of ten Republican senators to support a bipartisan agreement on gun control, which included a red flag provision, a support for state crisis intervention orders, funding for school safety resources, stronger background checks for buyers under the age of 21, and penalties for straw purchases.[204]

Health care edit

In May 2017, Collins was one of six senators to introduce the Medicaid Coverage for Addiction Recovery Expansion Act, legislation that would allow treatment facilities with up to 40 beds reimbursement by Medicaid for 60 consecutive days of inpatient services and serve as a modification of the Medicaid Institutions for Mental Disease law, which authorized Medicaid coverage only for facilities with 16 or fewer beds.[205]

Though she voted against the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), Collins (along with fellow Republicans John McCain and Lisa Murkowski) voted against an unsuccessful "skinny repeal" attempt in July 2017.[206] Later that year, she voted with Republican senators to repeal the individual mandate of the ACA.[207] The absence of the individual mandate weakened the ACA's legal stability, leading the Trump administration in 2020 to seek to have the ACA ruled unconstitutional by the courts (in a 5–4 Supreme Court decision in 2012, Chief Justice Roberts upheld the ACA by citing the individual mandate).[208][207] The ACA remained intact, despite the lack of the individual mandate, following a 7-2 Supreme Court decision to reject a challenge to the law.[209]

In December 2017, Collins was one of nine senators to sign a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer describing opioid use as a nonpartisan issue that was "ravaging communities in every state and preys upon individuals and families regardless of party affiliation" and requesting that they "make every effort to ensure that new, substantial and sustained funding for the opioid epidemic is included in any legislative package".[210]

In April 2019, Collins cosponsored the Protecting Jessica Grubb's Legacy Act, legislation that authorized the sharing of the medical records of patients being treated for substance use disorder among healthcare providers if the patient provided the information. Cosponsor Shelley Moore Capito said the bill also prevented medical providers from unintentionally providing opioids to individuals in recovery.[211]

Immigration edit

In 2007, Collins voted against the bipartisan McCain-Kennedy comprehensive immigration reform proposal, which would have given undocumented immigrants (including those brought into the United States as minors) a pathway to citizenship if they met certain requirements, while also substantially increasing border enforcement.[212] In 2010, she voted against the DREAM Act.[213] In 2013, Collins was one of 14 Republicans to vote in favor of a comprehensive immigration bill that included border security and a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.[214] She opposed Obama's decision to achieve immigration reform through executive action, which gave deportation relief to as many as five million undocumented immigrants through Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).[215]

In 2017, Collins opposed Trump's executive order to ban entry to the U.S. by citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries, saying, "The worldwide refugee ban set forth in the executive order is overly broad and implementing it will be immediately problematic."[216] In 2019, she introduced bipartisan legislation to oppose Trump's declaration emergency at the southern border in order to build a wall.[217] She was one of a dozen Republicans who broke with their party, joining all Democrats, to vote for the resolution rejecting the emergency declaration.[218] In September 2019, she again voted with 10 other Republicans to overturn Trump's emergency declaration on the border.[219]

LGBTQ policy edit

In 2004, Collins was one of six Republicans who voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment, a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would ban same-sex marriage.[220] She voted in favor of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010 and was the primary Republican sponsor of the repeal effort.[221][222][223][224][225] In 2015, she was one of 11 Republican senators to vote to give Social Security benefits to same-sex couples in states where same-sex marriage was not yet recognized.[226]

In 2017 and 2019, Collins co-sponsored bills with Democratic senators to prevent Trump from banning transgender people from the United States military[227] and prohibit anti-LGBT housing discrimination.[228][229][230] She was the only Republican co-sponsor of the Equality Act, which aims to comprehensively prohibit LGBT discrimination.[231] In February 2021, Collins announced she would no longer co-sponsor the bill over amendments that were not made.[232]

In 2021, Collins was one of 49 senators to vote for an amendment to the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which aimed to defund schools allowing transgender students to compete in sports.[233]

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), which rates politicians' support for LGBT issues, gave Collins a score of 85% during the 114th Congress (2015–17),[234] and a score of 33% during the 115th Congress (2017–19).[235] She received a 49% score in the 116th Congress.[236] In 2020, the HRC endorsed an opponent of Collins for the first time since 1996, citing her votes for judicial nominees, particularly Brett Kavanaugh.[237][238] In 2022, Collins was one of 12 Republicans in the Senate voting to advance and pass the Respect for Marriage Act, legislation intended to codify same-sex marriage rights into federal law.[239]

Net neutrality edit

Collins strongly supports FCC Open Internet Order 2010. After former Federal Communications Commission chairman Ajit Pai repealed net neutrality regulations in 2017, Collins and Senator Angus King announced they would support a bipartisan enactment of the Congressional Review Act to reverse the FCC's decision.[240] In another statement, Collins argued that net neutrality regulations would help rural communities obtain access to the internet and that the regulations strengthened consumer privacy protections, citing the Facebook–Cambridge Analytica data scandal for failing to protect consumers' privacy.[241]

United States Postal Service edit

In 2006, Collins sponsored the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, which passed the Senate unanimously. It requires the USPS to prepay 50 years' worth of employee health and retirement benefits.[242] Since the act passed, the USPS has defaulted on payments.[243][244]

Honors and awards edit

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a lobbying group, awarded Collins the 2013 Spirit of Enterprise Award for her support of its positions.[245]

On May 7, 2014, The National Journal recognized Collins as the senator with "perfect attendance", noting that she had not missed a single vote since her election to the Senate in 1997.[246]

In 2014, Elle magazine named Collins one of its "10 Most Powerful Women in D.C".[247]

Collins received the Publius Award from the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress on March 12, 2014.[248]

The Veterans of Foreign Wars gave Collins its 2017 Congressional Award, which is annually given to one member of Congress for their significant legislative contributions on behalf of military veterans.[249]

In 2022, Collins received the Academy of Achievement's Golden Plate Award.[250][251]

Honorary degrees edit

Honorary degrees awarded to Susan Collins
Location Date School Degree Gave commencement address
Bangor, Maine 1997 Husson University Doctor of Public Service[252][253] No
Biddeford, Maine 1999 University of New England Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)[254] Yes
Castine, Maine 2007 Maine Maritime Academy Doctorate[255][256] Yes
Waterville, Maine September 13, 2014 Colby College Doctorate[257][258] No
Augusta, Maine May 9, 2015 University of Maine at Augusta Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL)[259] Yes
Middlebury, Vermont May 29, 2016 Middlebury College Doctorate[260] No
Canton, New York May 21, 2017 St. Lawrence University Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL)[261] Yes[262]
Lewiston, Maine May 28, 2017 Bates College Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL)[263][264] No[265]

Personal life edit

Collins is married to Thomas Daffron, a lobbyist who worked as chief operating officer at Jefferson Consulting Group in Washington, D.C. from 2006 to 2016; he consulted on Collins's 1996, 2002 and 2008 Senate campaigns.[266] They were married on August 11, 2012, at the Gray Memorial United Methodist Church in Caribou, Maine.[267][268] Collins is Roman Catholic.[269]

Electoral history edit

Main article: Electoral history of Susan Collins

Collins has been on the general-election ballot six times in Maine: once for governor, five times for U.S. senator. She has been defeated just once, in her 1994 campaign for governor.

See also edit

Notes and references edit

  1. ^ No Labels is a political organization that was not officially recognized as political party in Maine until 2024. Collins confirmed her membership in the group in 2023.[1]
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External links edit

Party political offices
Preceded by Republican nominee for Governor of Maine
1994 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Republican nominee for U.S. Senator from Maine
(Class 2)
1996, 2002, 2008, 2014, 2020 		Most recent
Preceded by Response to the State of the Union address
2000
Served alongside: Bill Frist 		Succeeded by
U.S. Senate
Preceded by
Bill Cohen
 U.S. Senator (Class 2) from Maine
1997–present
Served alongside: Olympia Snowe, Angus King 		Incumbent
Preceded by
Joe Lieberman
 Chair of the Senate Homeland Security Committee
2003–2007 		Succeeded by
Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee
2007–2015 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Ranking Member of the Senate Aging Committee
2013–2015 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chair of the Senate Aging Committee
2015–2021 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Committee
2023–present 		Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by Order of precedence of the United States
as United States Senator 		Succeeded by
United States senators by seniority
7th 		Succeeded by

January 01, 1970
susan, collins, other, people, named, disambiguation, senator, collins, redirects, here, other, uses, senator, collins, disambiguation, susan, margaret, collins, born, december, 1952, american, politician, serving, senior, united, states, senator, from, maine,. For other people named Susan Collins see Susan Collins disambiguation Senator Collins redirects here For other uses see Senator Collins disambiguation Susan Margaret Collins born December 7 1952 is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator from Maine A member of the Republican Party she has held her seat since 1997 and is Maine s longest serving member of congress Susan CollinsOfficial portrait 2014United States Senatorfrom MaineIncumbentAssumed office January 3 1997Serving with Angus KingPreceded byWilliam CohenVice Chair of the Senate Appropriations CommitteeIncumbentAssumed office January 3 2023Preceded byRichard ShelbyChair of the Senate Aging CommitteeIn office January 3 2015 February 3 2021Preceded byBill NelsonSucceeded byBob Casey Jr Ranking Member of the Senate Aging CommitteeIn office January 3 2013 January 3 2015Preceded byBob CorkerSucceeded byClaire McCaskillRanking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs CommitteeIn office January 3 2007 January 3 2013Preceded byJoe LiebermanSucceeded byTom CoburnChair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs CommitteeIn office January 3 2003 January 3 2007Preceded byJoe LiebermanSucceeded byJoe LiebermanPersonal detailsBornSusan Margaret Collins 1952 12 07 December 7 1952 age 71 Caribou Maine U S Political partyRepublicanOther politicalaffiliationsNo Labels a SpouseThomas Daffron m 2012 wbr Parent s Donald CollinsPatricia McGuiganRelativesSamuel Collins uncle EducationSt Lawrence University BA WebsiteSenate websiteSusan Collins s voice source source Susan Collins on her support to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme CourtRecorded October 5 2018 Born in Caribou Maine Collins is a graduate of St Lawrence University in Canton New York Beginning her career as a staff assistant for Senator William Cohen in 1975 she became staff director of the Oversight of Government Management Subcommittee of the Committee on Governmental Affairs which later became the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 2 in 1981 Governor John R McKernan Jr then appointed her commissioner of the Maine Department of Professional and Financial Regulation in 1987 In 1992 President George H W Bush appointed her director of the Small Business Administration s regional office in Boston Collins became a deputy state treasurer in the office of the Treasurer and Receiver General of Massachusetts in 1993 3 After moving back to Maine in 1994 she became the Republican nominee for governor of Maine in the 1994 general election She was the first female major party nominee for the post finishing third in a four way race with 23 of the vote After her bid for governor in 1994 she became the founding director of the Center for Family Business at Husson University in Bangor Maine Collins was first elected to the Senate in 1996 She was reelected in 2002 in 2008 in 2014 and in 2020 She chaired the Senate Special Committee on Aging from 2015 to 2021 and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs from 2003 to 2007 Collins is a senior Republican woman in the Senate the dean of Maine s congressional delegation and the only New England Republican in the 116th 117th and 118th Congresses 4 5 As of the 118th Congress Collins is the only Republican to represent a Northeastern state in the Senate She has been called a moderate Republican and is often a pivotal vote in the Senate 6 7 To date Collins is the longest serving Republican woman in the Senate 8 9 Collins who has described herself as a pro choice Republican 10 attracted controversy for her vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh 11 to the Supreme Court She attributed her vote to her belief that Kavanaugh would not support overturning Roe v Wade in June 2022 Kavanaugh joined the majority opinion in Dobbs v Jackson Women s Health Organization which overturned Roe During the impeachment trial of Bill Clinton Collins was one of 10 Republican senators to vote to acquit him on the first charge and one of five to vote to acquit on the second and during the first impeachment trial of Donald Trump Collins joined all Senate Republicans but one in voting to acquit him on the first charge and all Republicans to acquit on the second She was the only Republican senator to vote against confirming Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court in 2020 On February 13 2021 she was one of seven Republican senators to vote to convict Trump of incitement of insurrection in his second impeachment trial Contents 1 Early life 2 Early political career 3 U S Senate 3 1 Elections 3 2 Tenure 3 2 1 First term 3 2 2 Second term 3 2 3 Third term 3 2 4 Fourth term 3 2 5 Fifth term 3 3 Committee assignments 3 4 Caucus memberships 4 Political positions 4 1 Abortion 4 2 Economy 4 3 Environment 4 4 Foreign policy and national security 4 5 Gun policy 4 6 Health care 4 7 Immigration 4 8 LGBTQ policy 4 9 Net neutrality 4 10 United States Postal Service 5 Honors and awards 6 Honorary degrees 7 Personal life 8 Electoral history 9 See also 10 Notes and references 11 External linksEarly life editOne of six children Collins was born in Caribou Maine where her family operates a lumber business established by her great great great grandfather Samuel W Collins in 1844 12 Her parents Patricia nee McGuigan and Donald Collins 1925 2018 each served as mayor of Caribou 12 Her father a decorated veteran of World War II also served in the Maine Legislature with one term in the House and four in the Senate 13 14 Collins s mother was born in Barrancabermeja Colombia to American parents 15 Collins is of English and Irish ancestry Her uncle Samuel W Collins Jr sat on the Maine Supreme Judicial Court from 1988 to 1994 and served in the Maine Senate from 1973 to 1984 16 Collins attended Caribou High School where she was president of the student council 17 During her senior year of high school in 1971 she was chosen to participate in the U S Senate Youth Program through which she visited Washington D C for the first time and had a two hour conversation with Maine s first female United States Senator Margaret Chase Smith also a Republican Collins is the first program delegate elected to the Senate and holds the seat once held by Smith 17 After graduating from high school she continued her education at St Lawrence University in Canton New York 18 Like her father she was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa national academic honor society She graduated from St Lawrence magna cum laude with a bachelor s degree in government in 1975 19 Early political career editFollowing graduation Collins worked as a legislative assistant to U S Representative and later U S Senator William Cohen from 1975 to 1987 18 She was also staff director of the Oversight of Government Management Subcommittee on the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs from 1981 to 1987 18 In 1987 Collins joined the cabinet of Governor John R McKernan Jr as Commissioner of the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation 19 President George H W Bush appointed her the New England regional director for the Small Business Administration in 1992 14 After briefly serving in this post until the 1992 election of President Bill Clinton she moved to Massachusetts and became Deputy State Treasurer of Massachusetts under Joe Malone in 1993 18 Returning to Maine Collins won an eight way Republican primary in the 1994 gubernatorial election becoming the first woman nominated by a major party for governor of Maine 14 During the campaign she received little support from Republican leaders and was criticized by conservative groups for her more liberal views on social issues She lost the general election receiving 23 of the vote and placing third behind Democrat Joseph E Brennan and the winner Independent candidate Angus King her future Senate colleague 20 In December 1994 Collins became the founding executive director of the Richard E Dyke Center for Family Business at Husson College 19 She served in this post until 1996 when she announced her candidacy for the U S Senate seat being vacated by her former boss William Cohen who retired to become United States Secretary of Defense under President Clinton With Cohen s public endorsement she won a difficult four way primary and faced Brennan her opponent in the 1994 gubernatorial election in the general election She defeated him 49 to 44 21 22 U S Senate editElections edit nbsp Collins with President Barack Obama Collins was elected to the Senate in 1996 During the campaign she pledged that if elected she would serve only two terms 23 Collins was reelected in 2002 over State Senator Chellie Pingree 58 42 in 2008 over Representative Tom Allen 61 5 38 5 and in 2014 over Shenna Bellows 68 5 31 5 In her first three reelection campaigns she carried every county in Maine 24 In 2020 Collins was challenged by Democratic State House Speaker Sara Gideon The hotly contested race became the most expensive in Maine history with Collins spending 23 million and Gideon nearly 48 million 25 The race also had national implications as defeating Collins was a key part of the Democrats strategy to achieve a Senate majority Despite trailing Gideon in every public poll of the race 26 Collins defeated Gideon 27 by a decisive margin 28 In 2009 Collins was called one of the last survivors of a once common species of moderate Northeastern Republican 16 She is considered a centrist Republican and an influential player in the Senate 29 30 31 Although she shared a centrist ideology with Maine s former senator Olympia Snowe Collins is considered a half turn more conservative than Snowe 16 She was consistently endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign a major LGBT rights organization until 2020 32 She supported John McCain in the 2008 presidential election She became the state s senior senator in 2013 when Snowe left the Senate and was replaced by independent Angus King who defeated Collins in the 1994 governor election 33 Tenure edit First term edit In the 1990s Collins played an important role during the Senate s impeachment trial of Bill Clinton when she and Snowe sponsored a motion that would have allowed the Senate to vote separately on the charges and the remedy The motion failed and Snowe and Collins voted to acquit believing that while Clinton had committed perjury that was not grounds for removal from office 34 In March 1997 the Senate adopted a broader investigation into White House and Congressional campaign fund raising practices than Senate Republicans initially wanted Collins said there were a number of allegations that may or may not be illegal but they may be improper 35 In a May 1997 interview Collins stated her support for a proposal by Tom Daschle banning all abortions after the fetus is capable of living outside the womb except to save the life of the woman or protect her from physical injury Of an alternative measure proposed by Rick Santorum that would ban partial birth abortion Collins said it ignores cases in the medical literature involving women with very serious physical health problems 36 In 2001 Collins authored a measure that granted the United States Secretary of Education authority to grant waivers that would relieve reservists and members of the National Guard from making federal student loan payments during active duty and grant the same privileges to victims and families of those affected by the September 11 attacks The bill passed the Senate and House in December 2001 37 In November 2002 the Senate overwhelmingly approved the creation of the Department of Homeland Security while a Democratic effort to remove the bill s provisions fell short on a 52 to 47 vote that came after President George W Bush lobbied against the vote Collins and other senators said that Senate and House Republicans as well as the White House had given them an ironclad promise to essentially rescind provisions in the first spending bill to pass Congress the following year 38 Second term edit In 2004 Collins was one of the primary sponsors of legislation overhauling the U S intelligence community by creating a new post Director of National Intelligence to oversee budgets and most assets of the spy agencies and mandating that federal agencies establish minimum standards for states pertaining to issuing driver s licenses and birth certificates along with directing the United States Department of Homeland Security to form standards for ID used to board airplanes The bill passed in the House and Senate in December Collins said This was the most difficult bill to bring from conception to birth that I can imagine being involved with But that makes the victory doubly satisfying 39 Bush signed the bill formally known as the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act on December 17 2004 40 In May 2005 Collins was one of 14 senators seven Democrats and seven Republicans to forge a compromise on the Democrats use of the judicial filibuster thus allowing the Republican leadership to end debate without having to exercise the nuclear option Under the agreement Democrats agreed they would filibuster Bush s judicial nominees only in extraordinary circumstances three Bush appellate court nominees Janice Rogers Brown Priscilla Owen and William Pryor would receive a vote by the full Senate and two others Henry Saad and William Myers were expressly denied such protection both eventually withdrew their names from consideration 41 42 In October 2008 Collins criticized robocalls by the McCain campaign claiming that Barack Obama has worked closely with domestic terrorist Bill Ayers whose organization bombed the U S Capitol the Pentagon a judge s home and killed Americans asserting that those kind of tactics have no place in Maine politics and urging McCain to cease the calls immediately 43 Third term edit In 2009 Collins was criticized for blocking flu relief funding during the swine flu pandemic She said she had done so on procedural grounds because the funding did not belong in a stimulus bill while worthwhile it does not boost our economy and it does not make sense to include 870 million for pandemic flu preparedness 44 In April 2010 Collins and Senator Joe Lieberman issued a subpoena seeking documents and interviews associated with the American government s investigation into the conduct of investigators during their interactions with Nidal Hasan before the Fort Hood shooting The Pentagon announced that the Obama administration would not authorize Senate investigators to question intelligence agents who reviewed e mails between Hasan and an extremist Islamic cleric before the shooting Collins and Lieberman issued a statement accusing the Departments of Justice and Defense of refusing to provide access to their agents who reportedly reviewed Major Hasan s communications with radical extremist cleric Anwar al Awlaki and to transcripts of prosecution interviews with Hasan s associates and superiors which DOD already provided to its internal review 45 nbsp Collins right stands near President Barack Obama as he signs the repeal of Don t Ask Don t Tell In May 2010 Collins and Snowe were the only two Republicans to vote for an unsuccessful Democratic measure that would have prevented bailouts highlighted financial products of complexity and toughened consumer protection 46 In February 2013 Collins announced her opposition to the confirmation of Chuck Hagel for United States Secretary of Defense citing her belief that Hagel s past positions votes and statements do not match the challenges of our time The announcement came as a surprise as Collins was considered a possible supporter of his nomination and it occurred while the nomination was being filibustered 47 The filibuster on Hagel s nomination was defeated 48 and he was confirmed later that month 49 In May 2013 following a report that the Internal Revenue Service had put additional scrutiny on conservative groups Collins said the revelation contributes to the profound distrust that the American people have in government and added that she was disappointed that Obama hasn t personally condemned this and spoken out 50 In April 2014 the Senate debated the Minimum Wage Fairness Act S 1737 113th Congress The bill would have amended the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 FLSA to increase the federal minimum wage to 10 10 per hour over two years 51 The bill was strongly supported by Obama and many Democratic senators but strongly opposed by Republicans in the Senate and House 52 53 54 Collins tried to negotiate a compromise bill that centrist Republicans could agree to but was unable to do so 54 Fourth term edit nbsp Collins Lamar Alexander and Lindsey Graham meet with President Donald Trump in November 2017 In May 2016 the Senate passed an appropriations bill containing an amendment by Collins that she said would help prevent the Department of Housing and Urban Development from gaining national zoning authority for every neighborhood in our country The legislation was given a veto threat by the White House which was said by the Office of Management and Budget to oppose the inclusion of problematic ideological provisions that are beyond the scope of funding legislation 55 In 2016 Collins authored the Safe Treatments and Opportunities to Prevent Pain Act a provision intended to encourage the National Institutes of Health to further its research into opioid therapy alternatives for pain management and the Infant Plan of Safe Care Act which mandated that states ensure safe care plans are developed for infants who are drug dependent before they are discharged from hospitals These provisions were included in the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act 56 legislation that created programs and expanded treatment access alongside implementing 181 million in new spending as part of an attempt to curb heroin and opioid addiction Obama signed the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act into law on July 22 2016 57 On August 8 2016 Collins announced that she would not vote for Donald Trump the Republican nominee in the 2016 presidential election She said that as a lifelong Republican she did not make the decision lightly but felt he was unsuitable for office based on his disregard for the precept of treating others with respect an idea that should transcend politics 58 She considered voting for the Libertarian Party s ticket or a write in candidate 59 60 In the 2016 United States presidential election Collins received one electoral vote for vice president from a faithless elector in Washington 61 In January 2017 Collins and Senator Lisa Murkowski voted for Trump s nominee for Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos within the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee passing DeVos s nomination by a vote of 12 11 to allow the full Senate to vote Collins justified her vote saying Presidents are entitled to considerable deference in the selection of Cabinet members 62 63 64 Later she and Murkowski were the only Republicans to break party lines and vote against DeVos s confirmation 65 66 This caused a 50 50 tie that was broken by Senate President Mike Pence to confirm DeVos 67 In March 2017 Collins said she could not support the American Health Care Act the House Republicans plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act 68 She announced she would vote against the Senate version of the Republican bill to repeal Obamacare 69 Collins also clarified that she opposed repealing the ACA without a replacement proposal 70 On July 26 Collins was one of seven Republicans in voting against repealing the ACA without a suitable replacement 71 On July 27 she joined two other Republicans in voting against the skinny repeal of the ACA 72 In October Collins called on Trump to support a bipartisan Congressional effort led by Lamar Alexander and Patty Murray to reinstate insurer payments saying that what Trump was doing was affecting people s access and the cost of health care right now 73 On December 14 2017 the day the FCC was set to hold a vote on net neutrality Collins and King sent the FCC a letter asking that the vote be postponed to allow public hearings on the merits of repealing net neutrality 74 They expressed concerns that repealing net neutrality could adversely affect the U S economy 74 As part of this drive Collins is reported to support using the authority under the Congressional Review Act to nullify the FCC s repeal vote 75 In 2018 Collins was one of three Republicans voting with Democrats to repeal rule changes enacted by the Republican controlled FCC 76 The measure was meant to restore Obama era net neutrality rules 77 In 2017 The Lugar Center a Washington D C based nonprofit founded by Senator Richard Lugar released a bipartisan index in cooperation with Georgetown University that ranked Collins the most bipartisan senator during the first session of the 115th Congress and the only U S Senator from the Northeast ranked among the top 10 most bipartisan senators 78 79 In January 2018 in response to the Trump administration s not implementing congressionally approved sanctions on Russia Collins said it was confirmed Russia had tried to interfere in the 2016 U S presidential election adding not only should there be a price to pay in terms of sanctions but also we need to put safeguards in place right now for the elections for this year She noted that the legislation received bipartisan support and predicted Russia would also attempt to interfere in the 2018 elections 80 In January 2019 Collins was one of 11 Republican senators to vote to advance legislation intended to block Trump from lifting sanctions on three Russian companies She said she disagreed with the easing of the sanctions because I think it sends the wrong message to Russia and to the oligarch and close ally of Mr Putin Oleg Deripaska who will in my judgment continue to maintain considerable ownership under the Treasury s plan 81 In 2018 Collins and Senators Tim Kaine Catherine Cortez Masto and Shelley Moore Capito authored the Building Our Largest Dementia BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer s Act legislation centered on providing a public health approach to Alzheimer s The bill would authorize 20 million annually to establish the Alzheimer s Disease and Related Dementias Public Health Centers of Excellence and aid statewide efforts to promote brain health and reduce cognitive decline It passed the Senate and House and was signed by Trump in January 2019 82 In September 2018 Collins authored two bills as part of the Opioid Crisis Response Act a bipartisan package of 70 Senate bills that would alter programs across multiple agencies in an effort to prevent opioids from being shipped through the U S Postal Service and grant doctors the ability to prescribe medications designed to wean opioid addictions The bills passed 99 to 1 83 84 In February 2019 Collins was one of five senators to sponsor legislation authorizing the Treasury Department to mint coins honoring George H W Bush and Barbara Bush under the Presidential 1 Coin Act of 2005 85 and introduced the Reviving America s Scenic Byways Act of 2019 along with Ben Cardin The bill required the Secretary of Transportation to request nominations and make determinations in regard to roads that would be designed under a voluntary community based program and was signed into law by Trump in September of that year 86 After the Senate Intelligence Committee held a closed door meeting with Michael Cohen Collins said senators clearly need to re interview some witnesses whose accounts Cohen contradicts Her comment was seen as hinting at the Intelligence Committee s interest in speaking with Donald Trump Jr again 87 In June Collins cosponsored an amendment to form the John S McCain III Human Rights Commission which would hold hearings and briefings on human rights violations ahead of collaborations with the Trump administration to address the violations and be included in a defense authorization bill McCain had helped create as Armed Services Committee chairman 88 In her May 2019 commencement speech at Maine Maritime Academy Collins said getting the Senate to approve funding for a new training ship for the academy was her number one priority and that funding was included in Trump s proposed budget while she would still seek further funds through other measures 89 In July 2019 Collins cosponsored the Fallen Journalists Memorial Act a bill introduced by Ben Cardin and Rob Portman that would create a new privately funded memorial that would be constructed on federal lands in Washington D C in order to honor journalists photographers and broadcasters who died in the line of duty Collins called freedom of the press one of our fundamental constitutional rights and spoke of the risks of reprisals faced by reporters around the world for their work 90 In February 2020 Collins voted not guilty on both articles in the first impeachment trial of Donald Trump 91 On October 26 2020 Collins was the only Republican senator to vote against the confirmation of Trump s nominee Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court Barrett was confirmed by a vote of 52 48 92 Fifth term edit source source source Collins giving her 2021 United States Electoral College vote count speech after the January 6 United States Capitol attack On January 6 2021 Collins was participating in the certification of the Electoral College vote count when Trump supporters attacked the United States Capitol She was on the Senate floor listening to speeches related to the objection to counting Arizona s votes when the Sergeant at Arms of the U S Senate and U S Capitol Police removed Vice President Mike Pence and Senators Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer She called the experience frightening and appalling 93 Collins later called the attack a dangerous shameful and outrageous attack on our democracy and blamed Trump for working up the crowd and inciting this mob She called on him to call off the rioters When Congress reconvened after the Capitol was secure Collins voted to certify the count 94 Toward the end of January 2021 Collins led a group of 10 Republican senators who requested that President Joe Biden join bipartisan negotiations when creating his COVID 19 economic relief package 95 After meeting with the group Biden opted to pass his relief package using the reconciliation process for which he did not need Republican support 96 On February 13 2021 Collins was one of seven Republican senators to vote to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial 97 Political analysis website FiveThirtyEight found that Collins had voted in line with President Joe Biden around 67 of the time in the 117th Congress 98 On May 18 2021 Axios 99 revealed the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigation of defense contractor Martin Kao former CEO of Navatek 100 101 who funneled 150 000 to a pro Collins super PAC 1820PAC via a shell LLC Society for Young Women Scientists and Engineers as a federal contractor and reimbursed donations to the Collins 2020 campaign both of which are illegal A spokesperson said that the campaign had no knowledge of the exchange 102 103 Collins cast her 8 000th consecutive roll call vote on October 28 2021 only Chuck Grassley and William Proxmire have set longer streaks 104 On April 19 2024 the Senate recognized her 9 000th vote that night surpassing Grassley s 8 927 vote streak earlier in March 105 Collins voted to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court making her one of the only three GOP senators to support her nomination the other two being Lisa Murkowski and Mitt Romney 106 Committee assignments edit Collins s committee assignments for the 118th Congress are as follows 107 Committee on Appropriations Vice Chair In addition to the below as Vice Chair Collins is an ex officio member of all subcommittees Subcommittee on Agriculture Rural Development Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies Subcommittee on Commerce Justice Science and Related Agencies Subcommittee on Defense Ranking Member Subcommittee on Military Construction Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Subcommittee on Transportation Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Committee on Health Education Labor and Pensions Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security Select Committee on Intelligence Caucus memberships edit Afterschool Caucuses 108 Republican Main Street Partnership 109 Congressional Coalition on Adoption 110 Political positions editMain article Political positions of Susan Collins nbsp With former U S Senator Olympia Snowe also R ME Collins has been described as a moderate Republican and a centrist 111 112 having voted with her party 59 of the time from 1997 to 2016 She voted with her party more often about 87 of the time in 2017 at the beginning of the Trump administration 113 114 115 In 2013 Collins sided with Obama s position 75 9 of the time one of only two Republicans to vote with him more than 70 of the time 116 As of January 2021 according to FiveThirtyEight she had voted with Trump s positions about 65 of the time the lowest among all Republican senators 117 During Trump s presidency she voted with the Republican majority on party line votes much more often than during Obama s presidency 113 According to FiveThirtyEight as of January 2023 she had voted with Biden s position about 67 of the time 118 Collins voted to acquit Trump of all charges at his first impeachment trial 119 She said she did not think Trump s request that the Ukrainian President announce an investigation into Joe Biden met the high bar for removing a duly elected president 120 She said Trump had learned from this case and will be much more cautious in the future 120 Shortly after his acquittal Trump fired witnesses in the impeachment inquiry 121 122 In the following months he fired inspectors general of the State Department and the intelligence community Collins criticized the firing provoking a retaliatory response from Trump 123 On February 13 2021 Collins was one of the seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial 124 On May 27 2021 along with five other Republicans and all present Democrats she voted to establish a bipartisan commission to investigate the Capitol attack She had amended the bill in the hopes of drawing sufficient Republicans to support it but the vote failed for lack of 60 required yes votes to prevent a filibuster 125 Abortion edit Collins is one of two Republican U S Senators along with Lisa Murkowski who describe themselves as pro choice or pro abortion rights and supported Roe v Wade 126 127 128 According to HuffPost Collins has repeatedly voted to confirm judges who have signaled opposition to abortion rights She has defended these votes by citing her support for both of Obama s Supreme Court appointments 129 She voted to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the U S Supreme Court saying she did not believe he would overturn Roe 130 131 She said she felt vindication in 2018 when Kavanaugh voted with the court s four Democratic appointed justices and Chief Justice John Roberts not to hear cases against Planned Parenthood from Kansas and Louisiana although Planned Parenthood disagreed with her assessment of the situation 132 133 In 2020 Collins faced renewed criticism of her vote by progressive groups when Kavanaugh said states should be permitted to severely reduce access to and availability of abortion in his dissent in June Medical Services LLC v Russo 134 135 In 2021 Collins was one of three Republican senators to decline to sign an amicus brief supporting an anti abortion Mississippi law banning abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy 136 She faced renewed criticism after Kavanaugh voted with the majority in a 5 4 vote to reject an emergency petition to block a Texas law banning abortion after six weeks of pregnancy the law went into effect while facing continued challenges in the courts 137 Responding to the legislation and criticism Collins denounced the Texas anti abortion law as extreme inhumane and unconstitutional and said she supports the Roe precedent as the law of the land 138 In 2022 Collins received additional criticism for her support of Kavanaugh after a leaked draft of the Supreme Court opinion in Dobbs v Jackson Women s Health Organization indicated the Court would overturn Roe v Wade with Kavanaugh breaking with his statements that Roe was settled law 139 140 141 142 She has also received criticism for calling the police in reaction to chalk protests due to her votes to confirm justices involved in the draft ruling 143 144 145 146 On May 11 2022 Collins voted against the Women s Health Protection Act of 2022 a bill that would prohibit a variety of restrictions on access to abortion on the basis that it went too far beyond the standards established in Roe v Wade and Planned Parenthood v Casey 147 148 Collins joined Murkowski and Senator Kyrsten Sinema in drafting the Reproductive Choice Act alternative legislation that would codify Roe and Casey into federal law more narrowly 147 149 150 Economy edit In 2004 Collins expressed concerns about how the Bush administration wanted to implement its proposed plan to cut taxes 151 She cited deficit concerns as a reason for opposing the plan 151 but ultimately voted in favor of the Bush tax cuts in 2003 and for their extension in 2006 152 153 154 Collins was one of just three Republican lawmakers to vote for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 155 prompting heated criticism from the right for crossing party lines In December 2017 Collins voted to pass the 2017 Republican tax plan 156 The bill greatly reduces corporate taxes while reducing taxes for some individuals and increasing them for others by removing some popular deductions 156 The bill also repeals Affordable Care Act s individual mandate leaving thirteen million Americans uninsured and raising premiums by an estimated additional 10 per year 157 158 After the vote Collins said she received assurances from congressional leaders that they would pass legislation intended to mitigate some of the adverse effects of the individual mandate s repeal 158 When asked how she could vote for a bill that would increase the deficit by an estimated 1 trillion over ten years after having railed against the deficit during the Obama administration Collins insisted that it would not increase the deficit She said she had been advised in this determination by economists Glenn Hubbard Larry Lindsey and Douglas Holtz Eakin 159 156 Conservative columnist Jennifer Rubin wrote that Hubbard and Holtz Eakin denied saying the plan would not increase the deficit 160 161 After voting for the tax plan Collins became the top recipient of political donations from private equity firms 162 Blackstone chief executive Steven Schwarzman donated 2 million to Collins s PAC and Ken Griffin of the hedge fund Citadel donated 1 5 million 162 Along with all other Senate and House Republicans Collins voted against the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 163 On September 30 2021 she was one of 15 Senate Republicans to join all Democrats and both Independents to approve a temporary spending bill to continue government funding and avoid a government shutdown 164 165 On October 7 2021 she voted with 10 other Republicans and all members of the Democratic caucus to break the filibuster on raising the debt ceiling 166 167 She voted with all Republicans against the legislation to raise the debt ceiling 168 Environment edit In 2008 Collins joined the bipartisan Gang of 20 which sought to break a deadlock on a bill allowing offshore drilling that would devote billions in proceeds to renewable energy development 169 170 In February 2017 Collins was the only Republican to vote against undoing an Obama administration rule that required coal mining companies to avoid contaminating local waterways 171 She was the only Republican to vote against the confirmation of Scott Pruitt and later Andrew Wheeler to lead the Environmental Protection Agency 172 173 In 2017 Collins voted for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act allowing oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge after unsuccessfully attempting to remove that part of the bill 174 better source needed As of 2022 Collins has a lifetime score of 60 from the League of Conservation Voters the highest of any incumbent Senate Republican 175 Foreign policy and national security edit In 2003 Collins voted in favor of the Iraq War Resolution authorizing President Bush to go to war against Iraq 176 In November 2007 she was one of four Republicans to vote for a Democratic proposal of 50 billion that would condition further spending on a timeline for withdrawing troops mandating that a withdrawal begin 30 days after the bill was enacted as part of a goal of removing all U S troops in Iraq by December 15 2008 The bill failed to get the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster 177 In April 2008 Collins and Senators Ben Nelson and Evan Bayh met with Bush s advisor on Iraq and Afghanistan Douglas Lute and expressed support for a prohibition on spending for major reconstruction projects the proposal requiring Iraqis to pay for its security forces to be trained and equipped and reimburse the American military for the estimated 153 million a month the military spent on fueling in combat operations in Iraq Collins said after the meeting that while the administration did not have a view entirely similar to the senators it at least seemed open to their proposal 178 In June 2014 while growing violence erupted in Iraq under the leadership of Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki Collins said the violence would have been slower had a residual NATO force been present in Iraq and that the question was whether airstrikes were effective 179 In September 2009 Collins said she was unsure whether sending more American troops to Afghanistan would help end the Afghanistan War but cited the need for more American civilians to help build up institutions and growth of the Afghan army 180 In 2010 she called for the removal of Arnold Fields as Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction citing his repeated expressing of concern for the SIGAR and his disappointment with the Obama administration s ongoing failure to take decisive action 181 In August 2017 Collins commended Trump for providing clarity after years of the U S lacking a clear focus and defined strategy with respect to Afghanistan and said he made the case that the Afghan government must participate in defending its people ending havens for terrorists and curtailing corruption 182 Before Obama met President of the People s Republic of China Xi Jinping at an informal retreat in June 2013 Collins cosponsored legislation that would authorize the Commerce Department to investigate whether currency manipulation is a form of subsidization 183 In April 2018 she said the U S needed a more nuanced approach in dealing with China but gave Trump credit for levying these tariffs against the Chinese with whom we ve talked for a decade about their unfair trade practices and their theft of intellectual property from American firms adding that while the U S needed to toughen its stance against China it would need to do this in a manner that did not create a trade war and retaliation that will end up with our European and Asian competitors getting business that otherwise would have come to American farmers 184 In March 2015 Collins was one of seven Senate Republicans not to sign a March 2015 letter to the leadership of the Islamic Republic of Iran attempting to cast doubt on the Obama administration s authority to engage in nuclear proliferation negotiations with Iran 185 She announced her opposition to the Iran nuclear agreement later that year saying it was fundamentally flawed because it leaves Iran as capable of building a nuclear weapon at the expiration of the agreement as it is today and predicted Iran will be a more dangerous and stronger nuclear threshold state after the agreement expires 186 In June 2019 after the United States nearly launched an airstrike on Iran after Iran downed an American surveillance drone Collins said the U S could not allow Iran to continue to launch this kind of attack but warned that miscalculations by either side could lead to a war in the Middle East 187 In March 2017 Collins co sponsored the Israel Anti Boycott Act S 270 which made it a federal crime punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment 188 for Americans to encourage or participate in boycotts against Israel and Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories if protesting actions by the Israeli government 189 In March 2018 Collins was one of five Republican senators to vote against tabling a resolution that would cease the U S military s support for Saudi Arabia s bombing operations in Yemen 190 In December she was one of seven Republican senators to vote for the resolution withdrawing American armed forces support for the Saudi led coalition in Yemen and an amendment by Todd Young ensuring midair refueling between American and Saudi Air Force did not resume 191 Collins was one of seven Republicans to vote to end U S support for the war in Yemen in February 2019 and in May 2019 she was one of seven Republicans to vote to override Trump s veto of the resolution on Yemen 192 In June 2019 Collins was one of seven Republicans to vote to block Trump s Saudi arms deal providing weapons to Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates and Jordan and one of five Republicans to vote against an additional 20 arms sales 193 In May 2020 Collins voted to confirm U S Representative John Ratcliffe as Director of National Intelligence In 2019 there was bipartisan opposition to Ratcliffe s nomination The Washington Post called Collins s support for Ratcliffe key to his 2020 confirmation 194 Gun policy edit Collins voted for the Manchin Toomey bill to amend federal law to expand background checks for gun purchases 195 She voted against a ban on high capacity more than ten rounds magazines 196 In 2014 she received a C grade on gun rights from the NRA Political Victory Fund 197 rising to a B rating in 2020 198 She received a D from Gun Owners of America in 2012 199 In 2018 Collins co sponsored the NICS Denial Notification Act 200 legislation developed in the aftermath of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting that would require federal authorities to inform states within a day after a person failing the National Instant Criminal Background Check System attempted to buy a firearm 201 In February 2019 Collins supported the Terrorist Firearms Prevention Act legislation enabling the attorney general to deny the sale of a firearm to people on the no fly list or selectee list It passed the House but failed to advance in the Senate 202 In 2020 Gun Owners of Maine gave Collins a B rating writing On 2nd Amendment issues Susan Collins generally stands with gun owners She has opposed magazine capacity restrictions and voted to prohibit lawsuits against gun manufacturers for crimes committed with guns 203 In 2022 Collins became one of ten Republican senators to support a bipartisan agreement on gun control which included a red flag provision a support for state crisis intervention orders funding for school safety resources stronger background checks for buyers under the age of 21 and penalties for straw purchases 204 Health care edit In May 2017 Collins was one of six senators to introduce the Medicaid Coverage for Addiction Recovery Expansion Act legislation that would allow treatment facilities with up to 40 beds reimbursement by Medicaid for 60 consecutive days of inpatient services and serve as a modification of the Medicaid Institutions for Mental Disease law which authorized Medicaid coverage only for facilities with 16 or fewer beds 205 Though she voted against the Affordable Care Act Obamacare Collins along with fellow Republicans John McCain and Lisa Murkowski voted against an unsuccessful skinny repeal attempt in July 2017 206 Later that year she voted with Republican senators to repeal the individual mandate of the ACA 207 The absence of the individual mandate weakened the ACA s legal stability leading the Trump administration in 2020 to seek to have the ACA ruled unconstitutional by the courts in a 5 4 Supreme Court decision in 2012 Chief Justice Roberts upheld the ACA by citing the individual mandate 208 207 The ACA remained intact despite the lack of the individual mandate following a 7 2 Supreme Court decision to reject a challenge to the law 209 In December 2017 Collins was one of nine senators to sign a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer describing opioid use as a nonpartisan issue that was ravaging communities in every state and preys upon individuals and families regardless of party affiliation and requesting that they make every effort to ensure that new substantial and sustained funding for the opioid epidemic is included in any legislative package 210 In April 2019 Collins cosponsored the Protecting Jessica Grubb s Legacy Act legislation that authorized the sharing of the medical records of patients being treated for substance use disorder among healthcare providers if the patient provided the information Cosponsor Shelley Moore Capito said the bill also prevented medical providers from unintentionally providing opioids to individuals in recovery 211 Immigration edit In 2007 Collins voted against the bipartisan McCain Kennedy comprehensive immigration reform proposal which would have given undocumented immigrants including those brought into the United States as minors a pathway to citizenship if they met certain requirements while also substantially increasing border enforcement 212 In 2010 she voted against the DREAM Act 213 In 2013 Collins was one of 14 Republicans to vote in favor of a comprehensive immigration bill that included border security and a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants 214 She opposed Obama s decision to achieve immigration reform through executive action which gave deportation relief to as many as five million undocumented immigrants through Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals DACA 215 In 2017 Collins opposed Trump s executive order to ban entry to the U S by citizens of seven Muslim majority countries saying The worldwide refugee ban set forth in the executive order is overly broad and implementing it will be immediately problematic 216 In 2019 she introduced bipartisan legislation to oppose Trump s declaration emergency at the southern border in order to build a wall 217 She was one of a dozen Republicans who broke with their party joining all Democrats to vote for the resolution rejecting the emergency declaration 218 In September 2019 she again voted with 10 other Republicans to overturn Trump s emergency declaration on the border 219 LGBTQ policy edit In 2004 Collins was one of six Republicans who voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment a proposed amendment to the U S Constitution that would ban same sex marriage 220 She voted in favor of the Don t Ask Don t Tell Repeal Act of 2010 and was the primary Republican sponsor of the repeal effort 221 222 223 224 225 In 2015 she was one of 11 Republican senators to vote to give Social Security benefits to same sex couples in states where same sex marriage was not yet recognized 226 In 2017 and 2019 Collins co sponsored bills with Democratic senators to prevent Trump from banning transgender people from the United States military 227 and prohibit anti LGBT housing discrimination 228 229 230 She was the only Republican co sponsor of the Equality Act which aims to comprehensively prohibit LGBT discrimination 231 In February 2021 Collins announced she would no longer co sponsor the bill over amendments that were not made 232 In 2021 Collins was one of 49 senators to vote for an amendment to the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 which aimed to defund schools allowing transgender students to compete in sports 233 The Human Rights Campaign HRC which rates politicians support for LGBT issues gave Collins a score of 85 during the 114th Congress 2015 17 234 and a score of 33 during the 115th Congress 2017 19 235 She received a 49 score in the 116th Congress 236 In 2020 the HRC endorsed an opponent of Collins for the first time since 1996 citing her votes for judicial nominees particularly Brett Kavanaugh 237 238 In 2022 Collins was one of 12 Republicans in the Senate voting to advance and pass the Respect for Marriage Act legislation intended to codify same sex marriage rights into federal law 239 Net neutrality edit Collins strongly supports FCC Open Internet Order 2010 After former Federal Communications Commission chairman Ajit Pai repealed net neutrality regulations in 2017 Collins and Senator Angus King announced they would support a bipartisan enactment of the Congressional Review Act to reverse the FCC s decision 240 In another statement Collins argued that net neutrality regulations would help rural communities obtain access to the internet and that the regulations strengthened consumer privacy protections citing the Facebook Cambridge Analytica data scandal for failing to protect consumers privacy 241 United States Postal Service edit In 2006 Collins sponsored the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act which passed the Senate unanimously It requires the USPS to prepay 50 years worth of employee health and retirement benefits 242 Since the act passed the USPS has defaulted on payments 243 244 Honors and awards editThe U S Chamber of Commerce a lobbying group awarded Collins the 2013 Spirit of Enterprise Award for her support of its positions 245 On May 7 2014 The National Journal recognized Collins as the senator with perfect attendance noting that she had not missed a single vote since her election to the Senate in 1997 246 In 2014 Elle magazine named Collins one of its 10 Most Powerful Women in D C 247 Collins received the Publius Award from the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress on March 12 2014 248 The Veterans of Foreign Wars gave Collins its 2017 Congressional Award which is annually given to one member of Congress for their significant legislative contributions on behalf of military veterans 249 In 2022 Collins received the Academy of Achievement s Golden Plate Award 250 251 Honorary degrees editHonorary degrees awarded to Susan Collins Location Date School Degree Gave commencement address Bangor Maine 1997 Husson University Doctor of Public Service 252 253 No Biddeford Maine 1999 University of New England Doctor of Laws LL D 254 Yes Castine Maine 2007 Maine Maritime Academy Doctorate 255 256 Yes Waterville Maine September 13 2014 Colby College Doctorate 257 258 No Augusta Maine May 9 2015 University of Maine at Augusta Doctor of Humane Letters DHL 259 Yes Middlebury Vermont May 29 2016 Middlebury College Doctorate 260 No Canton New York May 21 2017 St Lawrence University Doctor of Humane Letters DHL 261 Yes 262 Lewiston Maine May 28 2017 Bates College Doctor of Humane Letters DHL 263 264 No 265 This list is incomplete you can help by adding missing items July 2020 Personal life editCollins is married to Thomas Daffron a lobbyist who worked as chief operating officer at Jefferson Consulting Group in Washington D C from 2006 to 2016 he consulted on Collins s 1996 2002 and 2008 Senate campaigns 266 They were married on August 11 2012 at the Gray Memorial United Methodist Church in Caribou Maine 267 268 Collins is Roman Catholic 269 Electoral history editMain article Electoral history of Susan Collins Collins has been on the general election ballot six times in Maine once for governor five times for U S senator She has been defeated just once in her 1994 campaign for governor See also editWomen in the United States SenateNotes and references edit No Labels is a political organization that was not officially recognized as political party in Maine until 2024 Collins confirmed her membership in the group in 2023 1 No Labels now an officially recognized political party in Maine NBC News Center Maine January 6 2024 Retrieved January 20 2024 History Homeland Security amp Governmental Affairs Committee hsgac senate gov Retrieved October 13 2017 COLLINS Susan Margaret US House of Representatives History Art amp Archives Retrieved February 11 2020 https www norwichbulletin com story news politics elections 2020 10 15 last new england republican in congress sen susan collins beckons voters to political center 114373444 Pathe Simone Pathe Simone November 15 2018 Poliquin Loss Wipes Out New England Republicans in the House Roll Call Retrieved November 16 2018 Woodard Colin February 5 2017 Sen Susan Collins develops pivotal but uncomfortable role as check on Trump Press Herald Retrieved May 23 2019 Kiefer Francine July 23 2018 Can the center hold Susan Collins and the high wire act of being a moderate The Christian Science Monitor ISSN 0882 7729 Retrieved May 23 2019 Wolfe Rob January 3 2021 Collins sworn in for historic fifth term in U S Senate The Portland Press Herald South Portland ME Retrieved January 8 2021 Cochrane Emily November 27 2020 Empowered by an Odds Defying Win Susan Collins Is Ready to Deal The New York Times New York NY Retrieved January 8 2021 Senator Collins Statement on SCOTUS Dobbs Decision U S Senator Susan Collins of Maine www collins senate gov June 24 2022 Retrieved March 18 2024 Cox Ana Marie Journalist Political author May 4 2022 Susan Collins pro Roe pro abortion stance was doomed by her Supreme Court votes www nbcnews com Retrieved March 18 2024 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a last3 has generic name help a b Stolberg Sheryl Gay July 6 2019 Susan Collins a Fixture in Maine Has Twin Troubles Trump and Kavanaugh The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved July 12 2019 Burns Christopher March 11 2018 Donald Collins father of Sen Susan Collins dies at 92 Bangor Daily News Retrieved April 27 2018 a b c Rettig Jessica February 10 2010 10 Things You Didn t Know About Susan Collins U S News amp World Report Susan Margaret Collins Genealogy Geni com December 7 1952 a b c Tumulty Karen Newton Small Jay February 12 2009 How Maine s GOP Senators Are Key to Obama s Agenda Time Retrieved January 7 2018 a b Outstanding Maine Students Selected for Senate Youth Program United States Senator Susan M Collins Press release January 22 2010 Archived from the original on July 21 2011 a b c d COLLINS Susan Margaret Biographical Directory of the United States Congress a b c About Susan Collins Susan Collins for Senate Archived from the original on March 8 2010 General Election Tabulations Secretary of State of Maine November 8 1994 Archived from the original on September 17 2013 Carle Robin 1996 Statistics of the Congressional and Presidential Election of November 5 1996 PDF p 26 Bradsher Keith Herszenhorn David M Lewis Neil A Myers Steven Lee Niebuhr Gustav Schmitt Eric November 6 1996 The 1996 Elections State by State Northeast The New York Times Retrieved November 17 2019 Rachel Maddow Host October 5 2018 Susan Collins once pledged to only serve two terms Television production MSNBC Retrieved February 19 2020 Maine Election Results 2014 The New York Times Retrieved November 17 2019 Democrat Sara Gideon concedes to GOP Sen Susan Collins in Maine NBC News November 4 2020 Brewer Mark D December 22 2020 The political survival of Susan Collins Bureau of Corporations Elections amp Commissions Elections and Voting Tabulations June 12 2018 www maine gov Rooks Douglas Opinion Rooks Split decisions all the way down the ballot Seacoastonline com Cummings Jeanne October 27 2009 In Maine being bipartisan pays off Politico Retrieved January 7 2018 Connolly Ceci October 22 2009 New focus on Maine s other centrist Republican senator The Washington Post p A03 Retrieved January 7 2018 Herszenhorn David M October 26 2008 While Some Republicans Feel the Weight of Bush s Image a Senator in Maine Soars The New York Times Retrieved January 7 2018 Weigel Dave July 15 2020 Major LGBTQ rights group breaks with Sen Susan Collins endorses Democratic opponent Sara Gideon The Washington Post How Maine voted Governor s races 1990 2014 pressherald com Portland Press Herald October 8 2014 Retrieved November 17 2019 How the senators voted on impeachment CNN February 12 1999 Retrieved November 17 2019 Schmitt Eric March 12 1997 Senators Endorse Campaign Inquiry with Wider Scope The New York Times Retrieved September 15 2020 Seelye Katherine Q May 13 1997 Senate Is Lacking Veto Proof Vote for Ban on an Abortion Method The New York Times Student Loan Bill Goes to President michigansthumb com December 19 2001 Firestone David November 20 2002 THREATS AND RESPONSES LEGISLATION SENATE VOTES 90 9 TO SET UP A HOMELAND SECURITY DEPT GEARED TO FIGHT TERRORISM The New York Times Senate OKs intelligence overhaul bill CNN December 10 2004 Stout David December 17 2004 Bush Signs Bill to Revamp U S Intelligence Community The New York Times Retrieved September 18 2020 Senators compromise on filibusters Bipartisan group agrees to vote to end debate on 3 nominees CNN May 24 2005 Rudin Ken January 4 2006 Judging Alito The Gang of 14 Factor NPR GOP senator decries anti Obama robocalls Los Angeles Times Associated Press October 18 2008 Dennis Steven April 27 2009 Sen Collins Defends Role in Axing Pandemic Flu Funds Roll Call Retrieved August 4 2020 Senators disappointed by response to Fort Hood subpoena mcclatchydc com April 27 2010 Liberto Jennifer May 19 2010 Wall Street reform fails test CNN Camia Catalina February 13 2013 Senate gets ready for Chuck Hagel showdown USA Today Peralta Eyder February 26 2013 Senate Allows Nomination Of Chuck Hagel To Move Forward NPR Chuck Hagel confirmed as US defence secretary by Senate BBC News February 27 2013 Retrieved September 15 2020 Collins says IRS revelations will fuel government distrust CNN May 12 2013 Retrieved September 15 2020 S 1737 Summary United States Congress April 2 2014 Retrieved April 8 2014 Sink Justin April 2 2014 Obama Congress has clear choice on minimum wage The Hill Retrieved April 9 2014 Bolton Alexander April 8 2014 Reid punts on minimum wage hike The Hill Retrieved April 9 2014 a b Bolton Alexander April 4 2014 Centrist Republicans cool to minimum wage hike compromise The Hill Retrieved April 9 2014 Carney Jordain May 19 2016 Senate passes broad spending bill with 1 1B in Zika funds The Hill Senate approves Sen Collins provisions to opioid act The Oklahoman Associated Press July 15 2016 Obama Signs Bill to Curb Opioid Abuse But Decries Low Funding insurancejournal com Associated Press July 26 2016 Retrieved September 15 2020 Collins Susan August 8 2016 GOP senator Susan Collins Why I cannot support Trump The Washington Post Retrieved September 14 2020 DeCosta Klipa Nik August 9 2016 Echoing Romney Susan Collins says she would vote for the Libertarian ticket if Bill Weld were the nominee Boston com Retrieved January 2 2019 Lampariello Daniel August 14 2016 Susan Collins considers Libertarian write in for president WGME TV Retrieved January 2 2019 Gavin Ryan January 6 2017 Maine Senator Susan Collins Receives 1 Vote for Vice President in Official Count WJBQ Q97 9 Retrieved June 19 2020 Collins Steve February 1 2017 Despite committee vote Collins says she has not made up mind on Betsy DeVos Sun Journal Lewiston Maine Archived from the original on July 2 2018 Retrieved February 7 2017 Martinson Erica January 31 2017 Murkowski on DeVos This nomination is very difficult for me Alaska Dispatch News Alaska Dispatch Publishing Retrieved February 7 2017 Senator Collins Announces She Will Vote Against the Confirmation of Betsy DeVos to be Secretary of Education collins senate gov Press release Washington DC February 1 2017 Retrieved February 7 2017 Strauss Valerie January 31 2017 Two Republican senators say they aren t committed to voting for Betsy DeVos on Senate floor The Washington Post Retrieved February 10 2017 Berman Russell February 1 2017 Will the Senate Block Betsy DeVos The Atlantic Retrieved February 16 2017 Cowan Richard February 7 2017 Vice President Mike Pence breaks Senate tie to confirm Betsy DeVos as US education secretary Reuters Retrieved February 7 2017 Lawlor Joe March 16 2017 Sen Collins says she can t support House health care plan in current form Portland Press Herald Goldstein Amy Snell Kelsey June 26 2017 Senate GOP health care bill appears in deeper trouble following new CBO report The Washington Post Retrieved June 27 2017 Trunko Matthew DePiero Leah July 18 2017 Lisa Murkowski Shelley Moore Capito Susan Collins take heat on Twitter for opposing Senate healthcare bill Washington Examiner Retrieved July 18 2017 Kaplan Thomas Sullivan Eileen July 26 2017 Health Care Vote Senate Rejects Repeal Without Replace The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved July 26 2017 Jacobs Ben Gambino Lauren July 28 2017 US Senate rejects bill to repeal Obamacare in huge blow for Trump live The Guardian ISSN 0261 3077 Retrieved July 28 2017 GOP Senator Susan Collins urges Trump to back effort to resume health subsidy New York Daily News Associated Press October 16 2017 Archived from the original on June 5 2019 a b Hartmans Avery December 14 2017 Republican Sen Susan Collins is calling on the FCC to cancel the net neutrality vote Business Insider Retrieved December 14 2017 Neidig Harper March 7 2018 GOP senator offers his own net neutrality bill The Hill Retrieved March 9 2018 Barrett Ted Diaz Daniella May 17 2018 Senate passes bill to repealing changes to net neutrality rules CNN Retrieved May 18 2018 Hendel John May 16 2018 Senate Democrats score net neutrality win in bid for midterm momentum Politico Retrieved May 18 2018 The Lugar Center McCourt School Bipartisan Index PDF Washington D C The Lugar Center April 24 2018 Retrieved July 2 2018 Collins ranked most bipartisan U S Senator Presque Isle Maine WAGM TV April 24 2018 Retrieved July 2 2018 Samuels Brett January 30 2018 Collins WH decision to not implement Russian sanctions perplexing The Hill Carney Jordain January 15 2019 Senate advances measure bucking Trump on Russia sanctions The Hill Legislation co authored by Sen Tim Kaine geared to combat Alzheimer s signed into law wjhl com January 2 2019 Itkowitz Colby September 17 2018 Senate passes sweeping opioids package The Washington Post Collins King vote to pass Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018 wabi tv September 18 2018 Retrieved September 15 2020 Mills Rodrigo Chris February 19 2019 Texas senator introduces bill to produce 1 coin honoring Bushes The Hill Collins bill restarting National Scenic Byways Program becomes law Ripon Advance Ripon Society September 25 2019 Retrieved September 15 2020 Senate Intelligence Committee subpoenas Donald Trump Jr to testify again Los Angeles Times Associated Press May 8 2019 Retrieved September 15 2020 Carney Jordain June 17 2019 Senators revive effort to create McCain human rights commission The Hill Retrieved September 15 2020 Rappaport Stephen May 7 2019 Sen Collins Navy secretary speak at 76th MMA commencement mdislander com Sen Susan Collins joins effort to honor fallen journalists penbaypilot com July 9 2019 Retrieved September 15 2020 Trump impeachment vote count Politico Archived from the original on February 5 2020 Retrieved February 19 2020 Sharp David October 27 2020 Collins votes against Barrett heads home to save Senate job Yahoo News Retrieved January 21 2021 Collins who has never missed a vote said she voted against Barrett out of fairness to Democrats who were denied an election year vote on then President Barack Obama s nominee in 2016 Mannino Gabrielle January 6 2021 Maine Sen Susan Collins This is un American it is wrong and it must not succeed News Center Maine Retrieved January 10 2021 Shepherd Michael January 7 2021 Susan Collins Trump bears responsibility for Capitol insurrection Bangor Daily News Retrieved January 10 2021 Collins Susan January 31 2021 letter to The President PDF www collins senate gov Archived from the original PDF on March 10 2021 Retrieved March 6 2021 Democrats with Biden s blessing move forward with partisan Covid relief bill The Independent February 2 2021 Archived from the original on May 25 2022 Meg Wagner Melissa Mahtani Melissa Macaya Veronica Rocha February 13 2021 These are the 7 GOP senators who voted to convict Trump CNN Bycoffe Anna Wiederkehr and Aaron April 22 2021 Does Your Member Of Congress Vote With Or Against Biden FiveThirtyEight Feds probe alleged illegal scheme to finance Susan Collins 2020 run Rigging the System The Martin Kao Case Offers an Inside View of Pay To Play Politics June 20 2023 Former Hawaii Executives Plead Guilty to Sending Illegal Donations to US Sen Susan Collins May 15 2023 Markay Lachlan May 18 2021 Feds investigating alleged illegal donations to Collins re election bid Axios Choi Joseph May 18 2021 FBI investigating illegal donation scheme for Collins campaign report The Hill Schnell Mychael October 28 2021 Collins casts 8 000 consecutive roll call vote in Senate The Hill Retrieved November 1 2021 Susan Collins breaks a Senate record for never missing roll call votes Central Maine April 20 2024 Clare Jalonick Mary March 30 2022 GOP Sen Collins says she ll back Jackson for Supreme Court AP News Associated Press Retrieved March 30 2022 Committee Assignments of the 118th Congress United States Senate Retrieved March 17 2023 Members Afterschool Alliance Retrieved April 17 2018 MEMBERS RMSP Retrieved March 1 2021 Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute Sen Susan Collins Was Known As A Moderate Republican At Least Before Trump NPR Retrieved April 8 2022 Hulse Carl March 30 2022 Collins to Back Jackson for Supreme Court Giving Her a G O P Vote The New York Times Retrieved April 8 2022 a b Enten Harry July 11 2018 Susan Collins was a more reliable vote for GOP in 2017 than any other year CNN Retrieved April 24 2020 Traister Rebecca February 20 2020 Sen Susan Collins Was Known As A Moderate Republican At Least Before Trump NPR Interview Interviewed by Mary Louise Kelly Retrieved April 17 2020 Everett Burgess August 26 2019 Inside Susan Collins reelection fight in the age of Trump Politico Retrieved April 24 2020 Lesniewski Niels Lesniewski Niels February 4 2014 Collins Murkowski Most Likely Republicans to Back Obama Roll Call Retrieved March 24 2018 Bycoffe Aaron January 30 2017 Tracking Susan M Collins In The Age Of Trump FiveThirtyEight Retrieved March 18 2018 Bycoffe Anna Wiederkehr and Aaron April 22 2021 Does Your Member Of Congress Vote With Or Against Biden FiveThirtyEight Retrieved May 7 2021 Zaslav Ali February 12 2020 Collins says her vote to acquit Trump wasn t about predicting his behavior after saying he learned from impeachment CNN Retrieved February 27 2020 a b Collins Susan February 4 2020 Susan Collins explains her vote to acquit Trump CBS News Interview Interviewed by Norah O Donnell Retrieved February 27 2020 Baker Peter Schmidt Michael S Haberman Maggie February 8 2020 Republican Senators Tried to Stop Trump From Firing Impeachment Witness The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved May 22 2020 Russell Eric Byrnes Matt February 7 2020 Sen Collins says she opposes any retribution against impeachment witnesses Press Herald Retrieved July 15 2020 Desiderio Andrew LeVine Marianne May 18 2020 Trump railroads Republicans with new watchdog firing Politico Retrieved May 22 2020 Cheney Kyle Desiderio Andrew February 13 2021 Senate acquits Trump of inciting deadly Capitol attack Politico Retrieved February 14 2021 Republican senators torpedo Jan 6 commission Roll Call Chris Marquette May 28 2021 Retrieved May 29 2021 Thorp Frank V Seitz Wald Alex October 13 2017 Susan Collins announces she ll stay in Senate skip governor run NBC News Retrieved June 18 2018 a href Template Cite news html title Template Cite news cite news a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link ABC News January 3 2013 20 Female Senators Sworn in on Capitol Hill archived from the original on December 21 2021 retrieved April 11 2019 Dennis Steven T Litvan Laura July 5 2018 Trump s Supreme Court Pick May Turn on Outliers in Both Parties Bloomberg Retrieved July 5 2018 Miller Hayley June 5 2019 Senator Susan Collins Keeps Voting For Donald Trump s Anti Abortion Judges HuffPost Retrieved June 5 2019 Fandos Nicholas Stolberg Sheryl October 5 2018 Collins and Manchin Will Vote for Kavanaugh All but Ensuring His Confirmation The New York Times The New York Times Retrieved October 5 2018 Sonmez Felicia Scherer Michael February 8 2019 Democrats slam Collins for Kavanaugh vote in wake of Supreme Court ruling on Louisiana abortion law The Washington Post Retrieved September 15 2020 de Vogue Ariane Raju Manu December 11 2018 Republican senator feels vindication after Kavanaugh votes in favor of Planned Parenthood CNN Retrieved July 12 2020 Collins defends feeling vindicated after Kavanaugh vote AP News December 16 2018 Retrieved July 12 2020 Sonmez Felicia June 15 2020 Susan Collins faces criticism for Kavanaugh vote after his dissent in Supreme Court ruling protecting gay transgender workers The Washington Post Retrieved July 12 2020 Higgins Tucker January 21 2020 Progressive group launches ad campaign criticizing Susan Collins for her vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh CNBC Retrieved July 12 2020 Biden Calls Texas Abortion Law Extreme But Is Silent on Court Bloomberg September 1 2021 Retrieved September 15 2021 Piper Jessica September 2 2021 Susan Collins calls Texas abortion law extreme under more scrutiny for Kavanaugh vote Bangor Daily News Retrieved September 15 2021 Morris Kyle October 2 2021 Susan Collins calls Texas abortion law inhumane defends Roe v Wade as law of the land Fox News Retrieved October 4 2021 Tangalakis Lippert Katherine Clips of Sen Susan Collins saying Justice Kavanaugh sees Roe v Wade as settled law are circulating after report indicates Supreme Court appears poised to roll back abortion rights Business Insider Retrieved May 3 2022 Maine officials groups react to report that SCOTUS may overturn Roe v Wade newscentermaine com May 3 2022 Retrieved May 4 2022 GOP Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski who support abortion rights dismayed by draft opinion on Roe V Wade CBS News May 4 2022 Retrieved May 4 2022 SBG TV WGME May 3 2022 Completely inconsistent Collins reacts to Supreme Court overturning Roe v Wade report WGME Retrieved May 4 2022 Russell Lia May 9 2022 Susan Collins calls police after abortion rights chalk message appears outside her Bangor home Bangor Daily News Retrieved May 12 2022 Terrified Susan Collins Calls Cops After Chalk Vigilantes Politely Ask Her to Protect Women s Rights Vanity Fair May 10 2022 Retrieved May 12 2022 Duster Chandelis May 11 2022 Sen Collins calls police over abortion rights message written outside her Maine home CNN Retrieved May 12 2022 Protestors Double Down on Leaving Maine Senator Collins Chalk Drawings Bloomberg May 11 2022 Retrieved May 12 2022 a b What is in Murkowski and Collins abortion bill versus Democrats legislation The Independent May 5 2022 Archived from the original on May 25 2022 Retrieved December 16 2022 Susan Collins Says No to Democrats Abortion Rights Bill Because It Contains Too Many Abortion Rights Vanity Fair May 5 2022 GOP Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski who support abortion rights dismayed by draft opinion on Roe V Wade CBS News May 4 2022 Retrieved May 19 2022 The Senate s two pro abortion rights Republicans are still talking to Democrats about a bipartisan way to turn Roe v Wade into federal law Politico Retrieved May 19 2022 a b Andrews Edmund L May 21 2004 Mutiny by 4 Republicans Over Bush s Tax Cutting Forces Delay on the Budget Vote The New York Times Retrieved June 19 2018 On Passage of the Bill H R 1836 as amended US Senate May 23 2001 On the Conference Report H R 2 Conference Report US Senate May 23 2003 Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to Consider H R 5970 Estate Tax and Extension of Tax Relief Act of 2006 The Washington Post August 3 2006 Retrieved May 24 2010 Broder David S February 18 2009 President Obama shouldn t give up on bipartisanship The Seattle Times Retrieved July 30 2011 a b c Koenig Kailani December 3 2017 Sen Collins shares the promises she got for tax vote NBC News Retrieved December 5 2017 Mangan Dan December 1 2017 The senators who saved Obamacare are supporting a bill that could cripple it CNBC Retrieved December 5 2017 a b Hellmann Jessie December 4 2017 Collins doubles funding ask for ObamaCare bill The Hill Retrieved December 5 2017 Acquisto Alex December 3 2017 Collins let the people of Maine down with her vote to pass tax bill protesters say Bangor Daily News Retrieved December 5 2017 Rubin Jennifer December 4 2017 Republicans keep misrepresenting what they did on the debt The Washington Post Retrieved December 5 2017 Chait Jonathan December 4 2017 The Republican War on Economics New York Intelligencer Retrieved December 5 2017 a b Susan Collins backed down from a fight with private equity Now they re underwriting her reelection Politico October 29 2020 Retrieved October 29 2020 Carl Hulse March 6 2021 After Stimulus Victory in Senate Reality Sinks in Bipartisanship Is Dead The New York Times Archived from the original on December 28 2021 U S Senate U S Senate Roll Call Votes 117th Congress 1st Session www senate gov Retrieved October 5 2021 Cochrane Emily September 30 2021 Biden signs a short term spending bill swiftly passed by Congress averting a government shutdown The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved October 5 2021 Paul LeBlanc October 8 2021 Here are the 11 Senate Republicans that joined Democrats to break the debt limit deal filibuster CNN Retrieved October 8 2021 Senate votes to raise debt limit after 11 Republicans join Democrats to break filibuster ABC News Retrieved October 8 2021 Meyer Mal October 8 2021 Sen Collins joins vote to break filibuster but against 480B increase to debt ceiling WGME Retrieved October 10 2021 Anderson Mitch September 12 2008 Klobuchar joins bipartisan energy group Star Tribune Retrieved August 29 2010 Kane Paul September 14 2008 Offshore Drilling Is Coming to a Vote Washington Post Henry Devin February 2 2017 Senate votes to block Obama coal rule The Hill Senate votes for confirmation of Scott Pruitt as EPA administrator CBS News CBS AP February 17 2017 Retrieved January 8 2018 Green Miranda February 28 2019 Senate confirms Wheeler to lead EPA The Hill Sharon Susan December 7 2017 Collins Draws Ire from Conservation Groups Over Vote on Senate Tax Bill Allowing Arctic Drilling Natural Resources Council of Maine Check out Senator Susan Collins s Environmental Voting Record League of Conservation Voters Scorecard February 14 2022 Retrieved April 11 2022 Roll call for H J Res 114 US Senate Levey Noam N November 17 2007 War funding fails in Senate Chicago Tribune Retrieved September 15 2020 Congress Urged Not To Slash Iraq Funding CBS News CBS AP April 30 2008 Retrieved September 14 2020 Crittenden Michael R June 17 2014 U S Lawmakers Express Frustration With Iraq s Maliki The Wall Street Journal Raju Manu September 13 2009 Feinstein Afghan war should be time limited Politico Retrieved September 15 2020 Goldstein David October 15 2010 Senators question reconstruction oversight in Afghanistan mcclathchydc com Capito Collins Tillis support U S troops path ahead in Afghanistan Ripon Advance Ripon Society August 24 2017 Retrieved September 15 2020 Palmer Doug June 5 2013 Senators renew push against China currency manipulation despite yuan s rise Reuters Manchester Julia April 8 2018 Collins Trump should get credit for China tariffs The Hill Retrieved September 15 2020 Jaffe Greg March 10 2015 Who are the seven Republicans who didn t sign the Iran letter The Washington Post Retrieved September 15 2020 Russell Eric September 8 2015 Maine s Sen Susan Collins says no to Iran nuclear deal Gray Megan Byrne Matt June 21 2019 Maine congressional delegation says Iran situation fraught with danger Press Herald Levitz Eric July 19 2017 43 Senators Want to Make It a Federal Crime to Boycott Israeli Settlements New York Intelligencer Cosponsors S 720 115th Congress 2017 2018 Israel Anti Boycott Act congress gov March 23 2017 Carney Jordain March 20 2018 Senate sides with Trump on providing Saudi military support The Hill Erickson Bo December 13 2018 Senate votes to end U S support for Saudi war in Yemen CBS News Levine Marianne May 2 2019 Senate fails to override Trump s veto on Yemen Politico Retrieved May 6 2019 Carney Jordain June 20 2019 Senate votes to block Trump s Saudi arms sale The Hill Harris Shane May 21 2020 Senate confirms John Ratcliffe as next director of national intelligence in sharply divided vote The Washington Post Retrieved September 15 2020 U S Senate Roll Call Votes 113th Congress 1st Session Legislation amp Records US Senate Retrieved July 30 2013 Susan Collins on Gun Control ontheissues org Retrieved January 11 2019 NRA PVF Grades Maine nrapvf org NRA PVF Archived from the original on November 4 2014 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint unfit URL link NRA PVF Grades Maine nrapvf org NRA PVF Archived from the original on November 3 2020 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint unfit URL link Blake Aaron December 17 2012 Where the Senate stands on guns in one chart The Washington Post Archived from the original on September 23 2015 Retrieved March 8 2017 subscription required Gaudiano Nicole March 5 2018 School safety bill introduced by bipartisan senators in response to Florida shooting wfmynews2 com Collins backed push to keep criminals from guns progresses seacoastonline com Associated Press March 10 2018 Retrieved September 15 2020 Carney Jordain February 27 2018 Senators introduce bill to block terrorists from buying guns The Hill 2020 CANDIDATE GUN RIGHTS GRADES Gun Owners of Maine Retrieved June 1 2022 Bash Dana Raju Manu Judd Donald June 12 2022 Bipartisan group of senators announces agreement on gun control CNN Retrieved June 12 2022 Castellucci Maria May 18 2017 New Senate bill aims to boost Medicaid addiction treatment access modernhealthcare com Cassidy John September 26 2017 How Susan Collins Helped Save Obamacare The New Yorker Retrieved April 18 2020 a b Hadar Roey December 16 2018 Sen Susan Collins Obamacare court decision far too sweeping health care law should be maintained ABC News Retrieved June 27 2020 Kim Seung Min Demirjian Karoun June 26 2020 Trump administration s move to end Obamacare amid pandemic reignites political fight The Washington Post Liptak Adam June 17 2021 Affordable Care Act Survives Latest Supreme Court Challenge The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved October 6 2021 Baldwin Tammy December 15 2017 U S Senator Tammy Baldwin Joins Bipartisan Group of Senators Urging Congressional Leadership to Commit Resources to Opioid Epidemic urbanmilwaukee com Capito seeks better treatment for patients with opioid addiction through sharing of medical records Ripon Advance Ripon Society April 11 2019 Retrieved September 15 2020 Goddard Lisa June 29 2007 The Senate immigration vote How they voted CNN Retrieved May 29 2018 Willis Derek December 18 2010 Fails To Advance Dream Act H R 5281 Removal Clarification Act of 2010 ProPublica Retrieved May 29 2018 Berman Dan June 27 2013 Senate Immigration Roll Call Vote Republicans who voted for the bill Politico Retrieved May 29 2018 Cornwell Susan November 19 2014 Some Senate Democrats balk at Obama s unilateral immigration approach Reuters Blake Aaron January 29 2017 Coffman Gardner join Republicans against President Trump s travel ban here s where the rest stand Denver Post Retrieved January 30 2017 Khan Mariam February 28 2019 Senate will soon consider resolution to terminate Trump s emergency declaration ABC News Retrieved March 6 2019 Cochrane Emily Thrush Glenn March 14 2019 Senate Rejects Trump s Border Emergency Declaration Setting Up First Veto The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved March 14 2019 Balluck Kyle September 25 2019 Senate again votes to end Trump emergency declaration on border wall The Hill Retrieved September 26 2019 Same sex marriage Senate battle over war is not CNN July 15 2004 Retrieved May 22 2018 Foley Elise December 18 2010 Don t Ask Don t Tell Repeal Passes Senate 65 31 HuffPost Retrieved July 30 2011 Keyes Bob December 18 2010 Snowe Collins join majority in repeal of Don t Ask Don t Tell Kennebec Journal Archived from the original on August 7 2011 Retrieved July 30 2011 Toeplitz Shira December 18 2010 Eight Republicans back Don t Ask repeal Politico Retrieved July 30 2011 Senate Vote On the Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H R 2965 Senate gov December 18 2010 Retrieved July 30 2011 Senate Vote 281 Repeals Don t Ask Don t Tell The New York Times Archived from the original on October 27 2015 Retrieved May 11 2017 Dennis Steven T March 27 2015 Same Sex Marriage Benefits Endorsed on Senate Floor Updated Roll Call Retrieved August 27 2018 Reilly Katie September 11 2017 Democrat and Republican Senators Move to Stop Trump s Transgender Military Ban Time Retrieved September 17 2017 Stuart Calum May 12 2019 Senate bill seeks to expand LGBTI housing anti discrimination protections Gay Star News Retrieved May 12 2019 Phelps Rob May 11 2019 Maine s King and Collins introduce bill to add LGBT people to Fair Housing Act Boston Spirit Magazine Retrieved May 12 2019 Maine senators push to add LGBT people to Fair Housing Act WPFO Associated Press May 6 2019 Retrieved May 12 2019 Merkley Jeff March 13 2019 Cosponsors S 788 116th Congress 2019 2020 Equality Act www congress gov Retrieved June 18 2020 Chris Johnson February 23 2021 Sen Collins won t co sponsor Equality Act laments revision not made Washington Blade Retrieved March 8 2021 Chris Johnson March 6 2021 Collins Manchin vote to defund schools allowing trans kids in sports Washington Blade Retrieved March 8 2021 114th Congressional Scorecard PDF HRC org Human Rights Campaign 2017 Retrieved January 13 2017 The Voter s Self Defense System Vote Smart Retrieved March 30 2019 Congressional Scorecard HRC Retrieved December 15 2020 Budryk Zack July 15 2020 Major LGBTQ rights group endorses Collins opponent for the first time in decades The Hill Retrieved July 15 2020 Weigel David July 15 2020 Major LGBTQ rights group breaks with Sen Susan Collins endorses Democratic opponent Sara Gideon The Washington Post Retrieved July 16 2020 Metzger Bryan 12 Republican senators broke with their party and voted for a bill to protect same sex marriage Business Insider Retrieved December 12 2022 Collins King Announce Support for Bill to Protect Net Neutrality Senator Susan Collins www collins senate gov January 10 2018 Retrieved June 7 2021 Senator Collins Statement on Net Neutrality Vote Senator Susan Collins www collins senate gov Retrieved June 7 2021 Collins Steve August 20 2020 Susan Collins Postal Service overhaul in 2006 becomes a hot issue on the campaign trail Sun Journal Retrieved September 17 2020 Lee Ella USPS gets a financial overhaul Here s what we know about the Postal Service Reform Act USA Today Retrieved January 29 2023 Anderson Sarah Why the Just Passed Postal Service Reform Act is Such a Big Deal Inequality org Retrieved January 29 2023 Collins to get U S Chamber award speak in Waterville Tuesday Kennebec Journal June 19 2013 Retrieved August 29 2013 The Best and Worst Attendance Records in the Senate NationalJournal Retrieved May 11 2017 Timmons Sheila March 19 2014 Elle unveils its 10 Most Powerful Women in D C The Hill Retrieved May 6 2016 47th Annual Awards Dinner Honoring Senators Susan Collins and Joe Manchin Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress Archived from the original on June 6 2014 Sen Susan Collins receives prestigious veterans award Portland Press Herald March 1 2017 Retrieved March 4 2017 Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement www achievement org American Academy of Achievement 2022 Summit www achievement org American Academy of Achievement Senator Collins Delivers Commencement Address at Husson University Senator Susan Collins www collins senate gov Press release May 13 2019 United States Senator Susan M Collins to Deliver Husson University s Commencement Address Husson edu April 23 2019 Honorary Degree Recipients University of New England Retrieved September 15 2020 Susan Collins United States Senator for Maine to Address Class of 2017 at Maine Maritime Academy Commencement Maine Maritime Academy April 5 2017 Retrieved September 15 2020 Senator Collins Introduces Secretary of the Navy at Maine Maritime Academy Graduation Senator Susan Collins www collins senate gov Press release Colby Announces Inauguration Details Honorary Degree Recipients colby edu September 4 2014 Honorary Degree Recipients Citations The Inauguration of David A Greene colby edu Retrieved September 15 2020 Senator Susan Collins Delivers University Of Maine At Augusta Commencement Address Senator Susan Collins www collins senate gov Press release May 11 2015 Van Jones to Deliver Middlebury College Commencement Address Middlebury April 18 2016 Honorary Degrees St Lawrence University Senator Susan M Collins St Lawrence University May 21 2017 List of Honorary Degree Recipients Office of the President Bates College www bates edu April 5 2016 Senator Collins Will Receive 12th Honorary Degree WAGM TV May 27 2017 Retrieved September 15 2020 Visionary educator Geoffrey Canada to deliver 2017 Commencement address joining honorands Sen Susan Collins Wanda Corn and Patrick Dempsey Bates edu April 13 2017 Retrieved November 10 2017 Sollenberger Roger September 9 2020 Exclusive Susan Collins plight gets worse with new corruption allegation possible ethics probe Salon com Retrieved September 15 2020 Susan Collins and Thomas Daffron The New York Times August 12 2012 Retrieved May 11 2017 Sambides Nick Jr August 11 2012 Susan Collins weds longtime friend in small Caribou ceremony Bangor Daily News Retrieved October 11 2018 Members of Congress Religious Affiliations Pew Research Center s Religion amp Public Life Project January 5 2015 Retrieved October 11 2018 External links editSusan Collins at Wikipedia s sister projects nbsp Definitions from Wiktionary nbsp Media from Commons nbsp News from Wikinews nbsp Quotations from Wikiquote nbsp Texts from Wikisource nbsp Textbooks from Wikibooks nbsp Resources from Wikiversity Senator Collins official U S Senate website Susan Collins for Senate Column archive in the Bangor Daily News Susan Collins at Curlie Appearances on C SPAN Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress Financial information federal office at the Federal Election Commission Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress Profile at Vote Smart Party political offices Preceded byJohn McKernan Republican nominee for Governor of Maine1994 Succeeded byJim Longley Preceded byBill Cohen Republican nominee for U S Senator from Maine Class 2 1996 2002 2008 2014 2020 Most recent Preceded byJennifer DunnSteve Largent Response to the State of the Union address2000 Served alongside Bill Frist Succeeded byTom DaschleDick Gephardt U S Senate Preceded byBill Cohen U S Senator Class 2 from Maine1997 present Served alongside Olympia Snowe Angus King Incumbent Preceded byJoe Lieberman Chair of the Senate Homeland Security Committee2003 2007 Succeeded byJoe Lieberman Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee2007 2015 Succeeded byTom Carper Preceded byBob Corker Ranking Member of the Senate Aging Committee2013 2015 Succeeded byClaire McCaskill Preceded byBill Nelson Chair of the Senate Aging Committee2015 2021 Succeeded byBob Casey Jr Preceded byRichard Shelby Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Committee2023 present Incumbent U S order of precedence ceremonial Preceded byJack Reed Order of precedence of the United Statesas United States Senator Succeeded byMike Crapo United States senators by seniority7th Succeeded byChuck Schumer Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Susan Collins amp oldid 1220479691, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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