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Susan Margaret Collins (born December 7, 1952) is an American politician who currently serves as the senior United States Senator from Maine. A member of the Republican Party, Collins has served in the Senate since 1997, and has served as the Chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging since 2015 and previously chaired the Senate Committee on Homeland Security from 2003 to 2007. She is considered to be one of the most moderate Republicans in office.[1] She also is known for her long consecutive voting streak, which reached 6,000 votes in September 2015.
Born in Small Business Administration's regional office in Boston. Staying in Massachusetts, Collins became that state's Deputy State Treasurer in 1993. After moving back to Maine in 1994, Collins became the Republican nominee for Governor in the 1994 general election. Becoming the first woman to become the nominee of a major party for Governor of Maine, Collins finished third in a four way race with 23% of the vote. After her bid for Governor, in 1994, Collins became the founding director of the Center for Family Business at Husson University.
Collins was first elected to the Senate in 1996. She has since been re-elected to three more terms in the senate, in 2002, 2008, and 2014.
One of six children, Collins was born in Caribou, Maine, where her family has operated a lumber business since 1844.[2] Her parents, Patricia R. (née McGuigan) and Donald F. Collins, each served as mayor of Caribou; her father also served in both houses of the Maine Legislature.[3][4][5] Her mother was born in Barrancabermeja, Colombia, to American parents; Collins has Irish and English ancestry.[5] Her uncle, Samuel W. Collins, Jr., sat on the Maine Supreme Judicial Court from 1988 to 1994 and served in the Maine Senate from 1973–1984.[6] Collins attended Caribou High School, where she was president of the student council.[7] During her senior year of high school in 1971, Collins was chosen to participate in the U.S. Senate Youth Program, through which she visited Washington, D.C., for the first time and engaged in a two-hour conversation with U.S. Senator Margaret Chase Smith (R-ME).[7] Collins is the first program delegate elected to the Senate and currently holds the seat once held by Smith.
After graduating from Caribou High School, she continued her education at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York.[8] Like her father before her, she was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa national academic honor society.[2] She graduated from St. Lawrence magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree in government in 1975.[2]
Following graduation, Collins worked as a legislative assistant to U.S. Representative, and later U.S. Senator William Cohen (R-ME) from 1975 to 1987.[8] She was also staff director of the Oversight of Government Management Subcommittee on the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (1981–1987).[8]
In 1987, Collins joined the cabinet of
On March 26, 2014, Elle Magazine honored Collins, with others, at Italian Embassy in the United States during its annual "Women in Washington Power List."[69]
Collins was honored as a recipient of the Publius Award from the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress on March 12, 2014 at the 47th Awards Dinner for here tireless service to her state and country.[68]
On May 7, 2014 National Journal Recognized Collins as the senator with the Perfect Attendance. Citing that the senator with a perfect attendance badge, that "That honor goes to Maine Republican Susan Collins, who has not missed a single vote since her election to the Senate in 1997."[67]
On February 24, 2014 Collins received the "Thought Leader Award" from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) Award recognizes and honors American leaders who affirm the essential services that public media provides to citizens in areas of education, journalism, and the arts."[66]
On December 12, 2013 Collins received the "Legislator of the Year Award" from the Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI). CFSI, a nonprofit, nonpartisan policy institute established in 1989 which seeks to promote Congress' awareness of the needs of first responders, presented the award to Collins in the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.The Award is a distinction given to a member of Congress who the organization deems to have made a "significant contribution to the fire service."[65]
Collins was awarded the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's 2013 Spirit of Enterprise Award, for her support of the Chamber's positions in the Senate.[64]
September 19, 2012 Collins "received the Navy League's prestigious Congressional Sea Services Award for her outstanding contributions in Congress to advance the mission of our nation's maritime services".[63]
The sponsor of the bill, Rep. Matt Moonen (D-Portland), has said he was not motivated by the possibility of Collins running, and that he has spoken with her and she called such speculation "silly".[62]
It has been speculated that Collins is considering running for Edmund Muskie's term.[61]
Collins stated her support on same-sex marriage on June 25, 2014 after previously declining to publicly state her views, citing a policy to not discuss state-level issues, as well as a belief that each state's voters should decide the issue.[59] When she won reelection in 2014, she became the first Republican senator to be reelected while supporting same-sex marriage.[60]
In September 2013, Collins introduced a bill aimed at preventing Sudden Unexpected Infant Death Syndrome (SUIDS). The bill, dubbed the "Child Care Infant Mortality Prevention Act", aims to raise the amount of provider training in infant wards as well as enhanced CPR and first aid training. Backers of this bill hope this will make a dent in the 4,000 children killed every year due to SUIDS. This would require the Health and Human Services Department to update their materials as well as improve their training resources to primary providers.[58]
Collins introduced a bill in June 2013 that would define a "full-time employee" as someone who works for 40-hours of week, instead of 30. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) defined a full-time worker as someone who works 30 hours-per-week. Collins is cited as saying that her bill would help avoid employers reducing workers' hours to below 30 per week in order to comply with the ACA.[57]
On August 3, 2015, Collins voted to defund Planned Parenthood.[56]
In April 2014, the United States Senate debated the Paycheck Fairness Act (S. 2199; 113th Congress). It was a bill that "punishes employers for retaliating against workers who share wage information, puts the justification burden on employers as to why someone is paid less and allows workers to sue for punitive damages of wage discrimination."[55] Collins said that one of her reasons for voting against ending debate on the bill was that Majority Leader Harry Reid had refused to allow votes on any of the amendments that Republicans had suggested for the bill.[55]
In April 2014, the United States Senate debated the Minimum Wage Fairness Act (S. 1737; 113th Congress). The bill would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) to increase the federal minimum wage for employees to $10.10 per hour over the course of a two-year period.[51] The bill was strongly supported by President Barack Obama and many of the 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] Collins' tried to argue that the Congressional Budget Office report predicting 500,000 jobs lost if the minimum wage was increased to $10.10 also said that an increase to $9.00 would only lead to 100,000 jobs lost, but the argument did not seem to persuade her fellow centrists.[54] Collins said "I'm confident that the votes are not there to pass a minimum wage increase up to $10.10 therefore it seems to me to make sense for senators on both sides of the aisle to get together and see if we can come up with a package that would help low-income families with causing the kind of job loss that the Congressional Budget Office has warned against."[54]
Collins voted for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act to prevent job discrimination based on sexuality and gender identity.[50]
Collins voted for the Manchin-Toomey amendment to expand background checks for gun purchases.[49]
During the routine calling of names on the Senate floor on July 12, 2012, Collins cast her 5,000th consecutive roll-call vote, marking a streak that put her in third place behind Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) in second place and Sen. William Proxmire (D-Wis), who holds the number-one spot.[47] Collins had not missed a single vote since her inauguration in the Senate in 1997.[48]
On December 18, 2010, Collins 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.[41][42][43][44][45][46]
The Cantwell-Collins bill (S. 2877),[37] also called the Carbon Limits and Energy for America's Renewal (CLEAR) Act,[38] directs the Secretary of the Treasury to establish a program to regulate the entry of fossil carbon (fossil fuel) into commerce in the United States, to promote renewable energy jobs and economic growth.[39][40] The bill is bipartisan with Maria Cantwell, a Democrat from Washington.
Collins opposed President Barack Obama's health reform legislation; she voted against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in December 2009,[35] and she voted against the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010.[36]
On January 29, 2009, Collins voted in favor of the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (H.R. 2).[34]
Ultimately, Collins was one of just three Republican lawmakers to vote for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,[31] earning heated criticism from the right for crossing party lines on the bill.[32] In mid-December 2009, Collins was again one of three Republican senators to back a $1.1 trillion appropriations bill for the fiscal year beginning in 2010, joining Thad Cochran of Mississippi and Kit Bond of Missouri in compensating for three Democratic "nay" votes to pass the bill over a threatened GOP filibuster.[33]
In September 2008, Collins joined the Gang of 20, a bipartisan group seeking a comprehensive energy reform bill. The group is pushing for a bill that would encourage state-by-state decisions on offshore drilling and authorize billions of dollars for conservation and alternative energy.[30]
As ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Collins and committee Chairman Joe Lieberman voiced concerns about budget, outside contractors, privacy and civil liberties relating to the National Cybersecurity Center, the Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative and United States Department of Homeland Security plans to enhance Einstein, the program which protects federal networks.[28] Citing improved security and the benefits of information sharing, as of mid-2008, Collins was satisfied with the response the committee received from Secretary Michael Chertoff.[29]
Agreeing with the majority in both parties, Collins voted in favor of the Kyl-Lieberman Amendment,[26] which gave President Bush and the executive branch the authorization for military force against Iran.[27]
She later sponsored the Accountability in Government Contracting Act of 2007, approved unanimously by the Senate, which would create more competition between military contractors.[25]
Collins, joining the Senate majority, voted in favor of the Protect America Act, an amendment to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978.
On September 19, 2007, she voted against a motion to invoke cloture on Senator Arlen Specter's amendment proposing to restore habeas corpus for those detained by the United States.[24]
Collins voted for the confirmation of two U.S. Supreme Court Justice nominees, Samuel Alito and John G. Roberts.[22][23] In July 2009, Collins announced her intention to vote for the confirmation of President Barack Obama's first U.S. Supreme Court nominee, U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Sonia Sotomayor, breaking from the opposition led by several conservative Republican senators.
Collins voted in favor of and for the extension of the Bush tax cuts.[18][19][20] She offered an amendment to the original bill that allowed for tax credits to school teachers who purchase classroom materials.[21]
In October 2006, President Washington Senator Patty Murray. The new law includes major provisions to significantly strengthen security at U.S. ports.
Collins coauthored, along with Senator Joe Lieberman, the Collins-Lieberman Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. This law implemented many of the recommendations of the 9-11 Commission, modernizing and improving America's intelligence systems.
Collins has voted against some free-trade agreements including the Dominican Republic – Central America Free Trade Agreement. In 1999 she was one of only four Republicans (along with her colleague Olympia Snowe) to vote for a Wellstone amendment to the Trade and Development Act of 2000 which would have conditioned trade benefits for Caribbean countries on "compliance with internationally recognized labor rights."
Collins voted against the restrictions on travel to Cuba, harsher punishments for drug users, and amending the U.S. Constitution to prohibit same-sex marriages. She has also joined the moderates in the Republican Party and a vast majority of Democrats in supporting campaign finance reform laws. In 2003 she was the only Republican to vote for limiting a tax cut in order to help rural hospitals.
On May 23, 2005, Collins was one of filibuster, thus allowing the Republican leadership to end debate without having to exercise the so-called "nuclear option". Under the agreement the minority party would retain the power to filibuster a Presidential judicial nominee only in an "extraordinary circumstance", and three Bush appellate court nominees (Janice Rogers Brown, Priscilla Owen, and William Pryor) would receive a vote by the full Senate, while two others, Henry Saad and William Myers, were expressly denied such protection. Saad and Myers both eventually withdrew their names from consideration.
On October 21, 2003, with Senate Democrats, Collins was one of the three Republican Senators to oppose the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. She did however join the majority of Republicans in voting for Laci and Conner's Law to increase penalties for killing the unborn while committing a violent crime against the mother.
[17] October 10, 2002, saw Collins vote with the majority in favor of the
In the 1990s, Collins played an important role during the U.S. Senate's impeachment trial of Bill Clinton when she and fellow Maine Senator Olympia Snowe sponsored a motion that would have allowed the Senate to vote separately on the charges and the remedy. When the motion failed, both Snowe and Collins subsequently voted to acquit, believing that while Clinton had broken the law by committing perjury, the charges did not amount to grounds for removal from office.
Collins cast her 6,000th consecutive roll call vote on September 17, 2015. Only William Proxmire has a longer consecutive streak.[16]
On March 26, 2014, Elle Magazine honored Collins as "one of the ten most powerful Women in Washington Power List."[1]
Collins became the state's senior Senator in 2013 when Snowe left the Senate and was replaced by Angus King, who defeated Collins in the 1994 Governor election.
[15] in the 2008 election for President of the United States.John McCain She supported [14] Described as one of "the last survivors of a once common species of
In December 1994, Collins became the founding executive director of the Center for Family Business at Husson College in Bangor.[2] She served in this post until 1996, when she announced her candidacy for the seat in the U.S. Senate being vacated by her former boss, William Cohen, who retired to become U.S. Secretary of Defense under President Clinton. With Cohen's public endorsement, she won a difficult four-way primary and faced Joe Brennan, her Democratic opponent from the 1994 gubernatorial election, in the general election. She eventually defeated Brennan by a margin of 49% to 44%. She was reelected in 2002 over State Senator Chellie Pingree (D), 58%–42%, and again in 2008 over Rep. Tom Allen (D), 61.5%–38.5%. In both elections, she carried every county in Maine.
Returning to Maine, Collins won an eight-way Republican primary in the 1994 gubernatorial election, becoming the first woman to be nominated by a major party for Governor of Maine.[3] 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.[9]
[8] in 1993.Joe Malone under State Treasurer of Massachusetts and became Deputy Massachusetts, she moved to Bill Clinton Democrat of 1992 election After briefly serving in this post until the [3]
Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Lyndon B. Johnson, Politics
Republican Party (United States), United States Senate, Democratic Party (United States), United States House of Representatives, Maine
Republican Party (United States), Democratic Party (United States), United States Senate, Susan Collins, Governor of Maine
Republican Party (United States), Democratic Party (United States), Maine, Susan Collins, United States elections, 2008