Susan Collins
Encyclopedia
Susan Margaret Collins (born December 7, 1952) is the junior United States Senator
from Maine
and a member of the Republican Party
. First elected to the Senate in 1996, she is the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
. Collins and her fellow Senator from Maine, Olympia Snowe
, are regarded as leading moderate
s within the Republican Party.
, Maine
, where her family has operated a lumber business since 1844. Her parents, Donald and Patricia, each served as mayor of Caribou; her father also served in both houses of the Maine Legislature
. Her uncle, Samuel W. Collins, Jr., sat on the Maine Supreme Judicial Court
from 1988 to 1994. She attended Caribou High School
, where she was president of the student council
. 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
). 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
. Like her father before her, 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.
, and later U.S. Senator, William Cohen
(R-ME) from 1975 to 1987. 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).
In 1987, Collins returned to Maine and joined the cabinet of Governor
John R. McKernan, Jr.
as Commissioner of the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation. She was appointed the New England
regional director for the Small Business Administration
by President
George H. W. Bush
in 1992. After briefly serving in this post until the 1992 election
of Democrat
Bill Clinton
, she moved to Massachusetts
and became Deputy State Treasurer of Massachusetts
under Joe Malone in 1993.
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
. 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 also received negative publicity when her brother was arrested in connection with a $1 million marijuana distribution operation. 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
.
In December 1994, Collins became the founding executive director of the Center for Family Business at Husson College in Bangor
. 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.
Northeastern Republican," Collins is considered a bipartisan
and centrist member of the Republican Party, and an influential player in the U.S. Senate. She is a member of several moderate organizations
within the Republican Party, including the Republican Main Street Partnership
, Republican Majority For Choice
, Republicans for Choice
, The Wish List
, Republicans for Environmental Protection, and the Republican Leadership Council
. Her voting record was at one time center-left
which has caused some Republicans to label her as a "Republican in Name Only
" (RINO). Although she shares a centrist ideology with Maine's senior Senator, Olympia Snowe
, Collins is considered a "half-turn more conservative" than Snowe. Collins has consistently been endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign
, a major LGBT rights organization; she was one of six Republicans running in 2008 to be endorsed by the HRC. She supported John McCain
in the 2008 election for President of the United States.
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 voted with the majority in favor of the Iraq War Resolution authorizing President George W. Bush to go to war against Iraq, on October 10, 2002.
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.
On May 23, 2005, Collins was one of fourteen senators
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 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.
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.
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." This vote, joined only by Republicans Jim Jeffords
and Arlen Specter
, put her to the political left of many Democratic senators including 2008 presidential contenders John Edwards
, Christopher Dodd
, and Joseph Biden.
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.
In October 2006, President George W. Bush
signed into law major port security legislation coauthored by Collins and Washington Senator Patty Murray
. The new law includes major provisions to significantly strengthen security at U.S. ports.
Collins voted in favor of and for the extension of the Bush tax cuts
. She offered an amendment to the original bill that allowed for tax credits to school teachers who purchase classroom materials.
Collins voted for the confirmation of two U.S. Supreme Court
Justice nominees, Samuel Alito
and John G. Roberts. 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.
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.
Collins, joining the Senate majority, voted in favor of the Protect America Act, an amendment to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978
. Additionally, she voted to deny congressional oversight of Central Intelligence Agency
spying programs.
Siding with the majority, Collins voted for the Military Commissions Act of 2006
that stripped the right to a writ of habeas corpus
and access to a lawyer for prisoners held of charges of terrorism by the U.S. government. She voted against an amendment to that bill that would have allowed defendants the right to habeas corpus.
In 2004, along a mainly party-line vote, Collins voted against an amendment to prohibit "profiteering and fraud relating to military action, relief, and reconstruction." She later sponsored the Accountability in Government Contracting Act of 2007, approved unanimously by the Senate, which would create more competition between military contractors.
Agreeing with the majority in both parties, Collins voted in favor of the Kyl-Lieberman Amendment, which could give President Bush and the executive branch the authorization for military force against Iran
.
As ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Collins and committee chairman Senator Joe Lieberman
voiced concerns about budget, outside contractors, privacy and civil liberties relating to the National Cyber Security Center
, the Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative
and United States Department of Homeland Security
plans to enhance Einstein
, the program which protects federal networks. 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
.
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.
Ultimately, Collins was one of just three Republican lawmakers to vote for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, earning heated criticism from the right for crossing party lines on the bill. 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.
On January 29, 2009 Collins voted in favor of the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (H.R. 2).
Collins opposed President Barack Obama's health reform legislation; she voted against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
in December 2009, and she voted against the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010
.
The Cantwell-Collins bill (S. 2877), also called the Carbon Limits and Energy for America's Renewal (CLEAR) Act, 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.
The bill is bipartisan with Maria Cantwell
, a Democrat
from Washington
.
On December 18, 2010, Collins voted in favor of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010
.
Collins has an unbroken voting record in the Senate, never missing a single vote since becoming a senator in 1997.
(District 1) filed papers to run against her. On the same day a poll was released by Critical Insights — an independent polling firm in Portland, Maine — which showed Collins was a strong early favorite. The poll of 600 likely voters showed Collins leading Allen statewide 57% to 30%, with 65% of the important independent vote.
With just nine weeks to election day on November 4, according to a Rasmussen poll Senator Collins led Rep. Tom Allen by fifteen points, 53%-38%. Among independents, Senator Collins led comfortably, 55%-32% and was viewed favorably by independents with a 67% approval rating among them. One month prior to election day another Rasmussen poll gave Senator Collins a 10-point lead over Rep. Allen, 53%-43%.
Overcoming strong anti-Republican sentiment, Collins was elected to a third term with 61.5% of the vote.
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
and a member of the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. First elected to the Senate in 1996, she is the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
The United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs has jurisdiction over matters related to the Department of Homeland Security and other homeland security concerns, as well as the functioning of the government itself, including the National Archives, budget and...
. Collins and her fellow Senator from Maine, Olympia Snowe
Olympia Snowe
Olympia Jean Snowe , née Bouchles, is the senior United States Senator from Maine and a member of the Republican Party. Snowe has become widely known for her ability to influence the outcome of close votes, including whether to end filibusters. She and her fellow Senator from Maine, Susan Collins,...
, are regarded as leading moderate
Moderate
In politics and religion, a moderate is an individual who is not extreme, partisan or radical. In recent years, political moderates has gained traction as a buzzword....
s within the Republican Party.
Early life
One of six children, Susan Collins was born in CaribouCaribou, Maine
Caribou is the second largest city in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. Its population was 8,189 at the 2010 census.-History:Between 1838 and 1839, the undeclared Aroostook War flared between the United States and Canada, and the Battle of Caribou occurred in December 1838...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, where her family has operated a lumber business since 1844. Her parents, Donald and Patricia, each served as mayor of Caribou; her father also served in both houses of the Maine Legislature
Maine Legislature
The Maine Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maine. It is a bicameral body composed of the lower house Maine House of Representatives and the upper house Maine Senate...
. Her uncle, Samuel W. Collins, Jr., sat on the Maine Supreme Judicial Court
Maine Supreme Judicial Court
The Maine Supreme Judicial Court is the highest court in Maine's judicial system. Known as the Law Court when sitting as an appellate court, it is composed of seven justices, who are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Maine Senate...
from 1988 to 1994. She attended Caribou High School
Caribou High School
Caribou High School is an American high school educating students in grades 9 through 12. It is located in Caribou, Maine, at 308 Sweden Street. The current principal is Mark Jones. Current Guidance Counselors include Martin Gallant, Director of Guidance, and Mark Pinette, Guidance...
, where she was president of the student council
Student council
Student council is a curricular or extra-curricular activity for students within elementary and secondary schools around the world. Present in most public and private K-12 school systems across the United States, Canada and Australia these bodies are alternatively entitled student council, student...
. During her senior year of high school in 1971, Collins was chosen to participate in the U.S. Senate Youth Program
United States Senate Youth Program
The United States Senate Youth Program is an annual competition sponsored jointly by the U.S. Senate and the William Randolph Hearst Foundation....
, through which she visited Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
for the first time and engaged in a two-hour conversation with U.S. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Margaret Chase Smith
Margaret Chase Smith
Margaret Chase Smith was a Republican Senator from Maine, and one of the most successful politicians in Maine history. She was the first woman to be elected to both the U.S. House and the Senate, and the first woman from Maine to serve in either. She was also the first woman to have her name...
(R
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
-ME
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
). 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
St. Lawrence University
St. Lawrence University is a four-year liberal arts college located in the village of Canton in Saint Lawrence County, New York, United States. It has roughly 2300 undergraduate and 100 graduate students, about equally split between male and female....
in Canton
Canton (village), New York
Canton is a village in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The village is centrally located in both the town of Canton and the county of St. Lawrence. The population was 5,882 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of St. Lawrence County...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Like her father before her, she was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa
Phi Beta Kappa Society
The Phi Beta Kappa Society is an academic honor society. Its mission is to "celebrate and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences"; and induct "the most outstanding students of arts and sciences at America’s leading colleges and universities." Founded at The College of William and...
national academic honor society. She graduated from St. Lawrence magna cum laude
Latin honors
Latin honors are Latin phrases used to indicate the level of academic distinction with which an academic degree was earned. This system is primarily used in the United States, Canada, and in many countries of continental Europe, though some institutions also use the English translation of these...
with a bachelor's degree in government in 1975.
Early political career
Following graduation, Collins worked as a legislative assistant to U.S. RepresentativeUnited States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
, and later U.S. Senator, William Cohen
William Cohen
William Sebastian Cohen is an author and American politician from the U.S. state of Maine. A Republican, Cohen served as Secretary of Defense under Democratic President Bill Clinton.-Early life and education:...
(R-ME) from 1975 to 1987. She was also staff director of the Oversight of Government Management Subcommittee on the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
The United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs has jurisdiction over matters related to the Department of Homeland Security and other homeland security concerns, as well as the functioning of the government itself, including the National Archives, budget and...
(1981–1987).
In 1987, Collins returned to Maine and joined the cabinet of Governor
Governor of Maine
The governor of Maine is the chief executive of the State of Maine. Before Maine was admitted to the Union in 1820, Maine was part of Massachusetts and the governor of Massachusetts was chief executive....
John R. McKernan, Jr.
John R. McKernan, Jr.
John Rettie "Jock" McKernan, Jr. is an American politician who served two terms as the 71st Governor of Maine, from 1987 to 1995....
as Commissioner of the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation. She was appointed the New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
regional director for the Small Business Administration
Small Business Administration
The Small Business Administration is a United States government agency that provides support to entrepreneurs and small businesses. The mission of the Small Business Administration is "to maintain and strengthen the nation's economy by enabling the establishment and viability of small businesses...
by President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
in 1992. After briefly serving in this post until the 1992 election
United States presidential election, 1992
The United States presidential election of 1992 had three major candidates: Incumbent Republican President George Bush; Democratic Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton, and independent Texas businessman Ross Perot....
of Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, she moved to Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
and became Deputy State Treasurer of Massachusetts
Treasurer and Receiver-General of Massachusetts
The Treasurer and Receiver-General of Massachusetts is an executive officer, elected state-wide every four years....
under Joe Malone in 1993.
Returning to Maine, Collins won an eight-way Republican primary
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
in the 1994 gubernatorial election
Maine gubernatorial election, 1994
The 1994 Maine gubernatorial election took place on November 8, 1994. Independent candidate Angus King defeated Democratic Party challenger Joseph Brennan, a former Governor of Maine, Republican Party challenger Susan Collins, a regional coordinator of the Small Business Administration, and...
, becoming the first woman to be nominated by a major party for Governor of Maine
Governor of Maine
The governor of Maine is the chief executive of the State of Maine. Before Maine was admitted to the Union in 1820, Maine was part of Massachusetts and the governor of Massachusetts was chief executive....
. 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 also received negative publicity when her brother was arrested in connection with a $1 million marijuana distribution operation. She lost the general election, receiving 23% of the vote and placing third behind Democrat Joseph E. Brennan and the winner, Independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
candidate Angus King
Angus King
Angus S. King, Jr. served two terms as the 72nd Governor of Maine from 1995 to 2003. Since 2004, King has been a distinguished lecturer at Bowdoin College teaching a course called "Leaders and Leadership"; in the fall of 2009, he also taught a similar course at Bates College...
.
In December 1994, Collins became the founding executive director of the Center for Family Business at Husson College in Bangor
Bangor, Maine
Bangor is a city in and the county seat of Penobscot County, Maine, United States, and the major commercial and cultural center for eastern and northern Maine...
. 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
United States Secretary of Defense
The Secretary of Defense is the head and chief executive officer of the Department of Defense of the United States of America. This position corresponds to what is generally known as a Defense Minister in other countries...
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
United States Senate election in Maine, 2002
-See also:...
over State Senator Chellie Pingree
Chellie Pingree
Rochelle M. "Chellie" Pingree is an American politician. She is a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, representing since 2009. The district includes most of the southern part of the state, including Portland and Augusta.Pingree was a member of the Maine Senate from...
(D), 58%-42%, and again in 2008
United States Senate election in Maine, 2008
The 2008 United States Senate election in Maine was held November 4, 2008. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Susan Collins won re-election. She won all of Maine's counties including the ones Allen represented as a congressman.-Results:- Campaign :...
over Rep. Tom Allen
Tom Allen
Thomas Hodge "Tom" Allen is a former member of the United States House of Representatives representing , and the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2008 against Republican incumbent Senator Susan Collins. Allen lost to Collins .Allen was first elected in 1996, defeating Republican...
(D), 61.5%-38.5%. In both elections, she carried every county in Maine.
Senate career
Described as one of "the last survivors of a once common species of moderateModerate
In politics and religion, a moderate is an individual who is not extreme, partisan or radical. In recent years, political moderates has gained traction as a buzzword....
Northeastern Republican," Collins is considered a bipartisan
Bipartisanship
Bipartisanship is a political situation, usually in the context of a two-party system such as the United States, in which opposing political parties find common ground through compromise. The adjective bipartisan can refer to any bill, act, resolution, or other political act in which both of the...
and centrist member of the Republican Party, and an influential player in the U.S. Senate. She is a member of several moderate organizations
Factions in the Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party of the United States in the 21st century is composed of various groups or factions. Although their interests at times conflict, they share enough in common to remain in the same party....
within the Republican Party, including the Republican Main Street Partnership
Republican Main Street Partnership
The Republican Main Street Partnership is a group of moderate members of the United States Republican Party. They tend away from the dominant social conservatism of many Republicans and towards a moderate fiscal conservatism and limited government to a degree. The group is the rough equivalent of...
, Republican Majority For Choice
Republican Majority for Choice
The Republican Majority for Choice is a Republican organization in the United States dedicated to preserving legal access to abortion. The group also supports federal funding for all kinds of stem cell research, including Embryonic stem cell research.....
, Republicans for Choice
Republicans for Choice
Republicans for Choice, an organization based in the Washington, D.C. area is a political action committee composed of members of the United States Republican Party who support legalized abortion.-History of Republicans for Choice:Republicans for Choice was founded in 1989 by Ann Stone...
, The Wish List
The Wish List (political organization)
The Wish List is a political action committee devoted to electing pro-choice Republican women to the House of Representatives and Senate. The Wish List was founded in 1992. The acronym "WISH" stands for Women In the Senate and House. It can be considered a counterpart to another organization:...
, Republicans for Environmental Protection, and the Republican Leadership Council
Republican Leadership Council
The Republican Leadership Council , founded in 1993 as the Committee for Responsible Government, is a United States political advocacy group and political action committee that promotes Republican candidates who espouse a platform that the organization characterizes as "fiscally conservative,...
. Her voting record was at one time center-left
Centre-left
Centre-left is a political term that describes individuals, political parties or organisations such as think tanks whose ideology lies between the centre and the left on the left-right spectrum...
which has caused some Republicans to label her as a "Republican in Name Only
Republican In Name Only
Republican In Name Only is a pejorative term that refers to a member of the Republican Party of the United States whose political views or actions are considered insufficiently conservative or otherwise not conforming to party positions...
" (RINO). Although she shares a centrist ideology with Maine's senior Senator, Olympia Snowe
Olympia Snowe
Olympia Jean Snowe , née Bouchles, is the senior United States Senator from Maine and a member of the Republican Party. Snowe has become widely known for her ability to influence the outcome of close votes, including whether to end filibusters. She and her fellow Senator from Maine, Susan Collins,...
, Collins is considered a "half-turn more conservative" than Snowe. Collins has consistently been endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign
Human Rights Campaign
The Human Rights Campaign is the United States' largest LGBT advocacy group and lobbying organization; according to the HRC, it has more than one million members and supporters...
, a major LGBT rights organization; she was one of six Republicans running in 2008 to be endorsed by the HRC. She supported John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
in the 2008 election for President of the United States.
Voting record
In the 1990s, Collins played an important role during the U.S. Senate's impeachment trial of Bill ClintonBill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
when she and fellow Maine Senator Olympia Snowe
Olympia Snowe
Olympia Jean Snowe , née Bouchles, is the senior United States Senator from Maine and a member of the Republican Party. Snowe has become widely known for her ability to influence the outcome of close votes, including whether to end filibusters. She and her fellow Senator from Maine, Susan Collins,...
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
Perjury
Perjury, also known as forswearing, is the willful act of swearing a false oath or affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to a judicial proceeding. That is, the witness falsely promises to tell the truth about matters which affect the outcome of the...
, the charges did not amount to grounds for removal from office.
Collins voted with the majority in favor of the Iraq War Resolution authorizing President George W. Bush to go to war against Iraq, on October 10, 2002.
On October 21, 2003, with Senate Democrats, Collins was one of the three Republican Senators to oppose the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act
Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act
The Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003 is a United States law prohibiting a form of late-term abortion that the Act calls "partial-birth abortion", often referred to in medical literature as intact dilation and extraction...
. She did however join the majority of Republicans in voting for Laci and Conner's Law
Unborn Victims of Violence Act
The Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 2004 is a United States law which recognizes a "child in utero" as a legal victim, if he or she is injured or killed during the commission of any of over 60 listed federal crimes of violence...
to increase penalties for killing the unborn while committing a violent crime against the mother.
On May 23, 2005, Collins was one of fourteen senators
Gang of 14
The Gang of 14 was a term coined to describe the bipartisan group of Senators in the 109th United States Congress who successfully negotiated a compromise in the spring of 2005 to avoid the deployment of the so-called nuclear option over an organized use of the filibuster by Senate...
to forge a compromise on the Democrats' use of the judicial filibuster
Filibuster
A filibuster is a type of parliamentary procedure. Specifically, it is the right of an individual to extend debate, allowing a lone member to delay or entirely prevent a vote on a given proposal...
, thus allowing the Republican leadership to end debate without having to exercise the so-called "nuclear option
Nuclear option
In U.S. politics, the "nuclear option" allows the United States Senate to reinterpret a procedural rule by invoking the argument that the Constitution requires that the will of the majority be effective on specific Senate duties and procedures...
". 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
Appellate court
An appellate court, commonly called an appeals court or court of appeals or appeal court , is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal...
nominees (Janice Rogers Brown
Janice Rogers Brown
Janice Rogers Brown is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. She previously was an Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court, holding that post from May 2, 1996 until her appointment to the D.C. Circuit.President George W. Bush...
, Priscilla Owen
Priscilla Owen
Priscilla Richman Owen is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. She was previously a Justice on the Texas Supreme Court.-Early life:...
, and William Pryor
William H. Pryor, Jr.
William Holcombe "Bill" Pryor, Jr. is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Previously, he was the Attorney General of the State of Alabama from 1997 to 2004.-Background:...
) would receive a vote by the full Senate, while two others, Henry Saad
Henry Saad
Henry William Saad is a judge on the Michigan Court of Appeals and a former nominee to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. He was born in Detroit, Michigan.-Background:...
and William Myers, were expressly denied such protection. Saad and Myers both eventually withdrew their names from consideration.
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.
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." This vote, joined only by Republicans Jim Jeffords
Jim Jeffords
James Merrill "Jim" Jeffords is a former U.S. Senator from Vermont. He served as a Republican until 2001, when he left the party to become an independent. He retired from the Senate in 2006.-Background:...
and Arlen Specter
Arlen Specter
Arlen Specter is a former United States Senator from Pennsylvania. Specter is a Democrat, but was a Republican from 1965 until switching to the Democratic Party in 2009...
, put her to the political left of many Democratic senators including 2008 presidential contenders John Edwards
John Edwards
Johnny Reid "John" Edwards is an American politician, who served as a U.S. Senator from North Carolina. He was the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 2004, and was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004 and 2008.He defeated incumbent Republican Lauch Faircloth in...
, Christopher Dodd
Christopher Dodd
Christopher John "Chris" Dodd is an American lawyer, lobbyist, and Democratic Party politician who served as a United States Senator from Connecticut for a thirty-year period ending with the 111th United States Congress....
, and Joseph Biden.
Collins coauthored, along with Senator Joe Lieberman
Joe Lieberman
Joseph Isadore "Joe" Lieberman is the senior United States Senator from Connecticut. A former member of the Democratic Party, he was the party's nominee for Vice President in the 2000 election. Currently an independent, he remains closely affiliated with the party.Born in Stamford, Connecticut,...
, 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.
In October 2006, President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
signed into law major port security legislation coauthored by Collins and Washington Senator Patty Murray
Patty Murray
Patricia Lynn "Patty" Murray is the senior United States Senator from Washington and a member of the Democratic Party. Murray was first elected to the Senate in 1992, becoming Washington's first female senator...
. The new law includes major provisions to significantly strengthen security at U.S. ports.
Collins voted in favor of and for the extension of the Bush tax cuts
Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003
The Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 , was passed by the United States Congress on May 23, 2003 and signed into law by President George W. Bush on May 28, 2003...
. She offered an amendment to the original bill that allowed for tax credits to school teachers who purchase classroom materials.
Collins voted for the confirmation of two U.S. Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
Justice nominees, Samuel Alito
Samuel Alito
Samuel Anthony Alito, Jr. is an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. He was nominated by President George W. Bush and has served on the court since January 31, 2006....
and John G. Roberts. 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
Sonia Sotomayor
Sonia Maria Sotomayor is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, serving since August 2009. Sotomayor is the Court's 111th justice, its first Hispanic justice, and its third female justice....
, breaking from the opposition led by several conservative Republican senators.
On September 19, 2007, she voted against a motion to invoke cloture
Cloture
In parliamentary procedure, cloture is a motion or process aimed at bringing debate to a quick end. It is also called closure or, informally, a guillotine. The cloture procedure originated in the French National Assembly, from which the name is taken. Clôture is French for "ending" or "conclusion"...
on Senator Arlen Specter
Arlen Specter
Arlen Specter is a former United States Senator from Pennsylvania. Specter is a Democrat, but was a Republican from 1965 until switching to the Democratic Party in 2009...
's amendment proposing to restore habeas corpus
Habeas corpus
is a writ, or legal action, through which a prisoner can be released from unlawful detention. The remedy can be sought by the prisoner or by another person coming to his aid. Habeas corpus originated in the English legal system, but it is now available in many nations...
for those detained by the United States.
Collins, joining the Senate majority, voted in favor of the Protect America Act, an amendment to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978
America's Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 is an Act of Congress, , which prescribes procedures for the physical and electronic surveillance and collection of "foreign intelligence information" between "foreign powers" and "agents of foreign powers" America's Foreign Intelligence...
. Additionally, she voted to deny congressional oversight of Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
spying programs.
Siding with the majority, Collins voted for the Military Commissions Act of 2006
Military Commissions Act of 2006
The United States Military Commissions Act of 2006, also known as HR-6166, was an Act of Congress signed by President George W. Bush on October 17, 2006. Drafted in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision on Hamdan v...
that stripped the right to a writ of habeas corpus
Habeas corpus
is a writ, or legal action, through which a prisoner can be released from unlawful detention. The remedy can be sought by the prisoner or by another person coming to his aid. Habeas corpus originated in the English legal system, but it is now available in many nations...
and access to a lawyer for prisoners held of charges of terrorism by the U.S. government. She voted against an amendment to that bill that would have allowed defendants the right to habeas corpus.
In 2004, along a mainly party-line vote, Collins voted against an amendment to prohibit "profiteering and fraud relating to military action, relief, and reconstruction." She later sponsored the Accountability in Government Contracting Act of 2007, approved unanimously by the Senate, which would create more competition between military contractors.
Agreeing with the majority in both parties, Collins voted in favor of the Kyl-Lieberman Amendment, which could give President Bush and the executive branch the authorization for military force against Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
.
As ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Collins and committee chairman Senator Joe Lieberman
Joe Lieberman
Joseph Isadore "Joe" Lieberman is the senior United States Senator from Connecticut. A former member of the Democratic Party, he was the party's nominee for Vice President in the 2000 election. Currently an independent, he remains closely affiliated with the party.Born in Stamford, Connecticut,...
voiced concerns about budget, outside contractors, privacy and civil liberties relating to the National Cyber Security Center
National Cyber Security Center
The National Cybersecurity Center is an office within the United States Department of Homeland Security created in March 2008, and is based on the requirements of National Security Presidential Directive 54/Homeland Security Presidential Directive 23 , reporting directly to DHS Secretary Janet...
, the Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative
Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative
The Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative was established by President George W. Bush in National Security Presidential Directive 54/Homeland Security Presidential Directive 23 in January 2008. The initiative outlines U.S...
and United States Department of Homeland Security
United States Department of Homeland Security
The United States Department of Homeland Security is a cabinet department of the United States federal government, created in response to the September 11 attacks, and with the primary responsibilities of protecting the territory of the United States and protectorates from and responding to...
plans to enhance Einstein
Einstein (US-CERT program)
Einstein is an intrusion detection system that monitors the network gateways of government departments and agencies in the United States for unauthorized traffic...
, the program which protects federal networks. 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
Michael Chertoff
Michael Chertoff was the second United States Secretary of Homeland Security under President George W. Bush and co-author of the USA PATRIOT Act. He previously served as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, as a federal prosecutor, and as assistant U.S. Attorney...
.
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.
Ultimately, Collins was one of just three Republican lawmakers to vote for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, earning heated criticism from the right for crossing party lines on the bill. 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
Thad Cochran
William Thad Cochran is the senior United States Senator from Mississippi and a member of the Republican Party. First elected to the Senate in 1978, he is the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations and was its chairman and 2005 to 2007.-Early life:He was born in Pontotoc,...
of Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
and Kit Bond
Kit Bond
Christopher Samuel "Kit" Bond is a former United States Senator from Missouri and a member of the Republican Party. First elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986, he defeated Democrat Harriett Woods by a margin of 53%-47%. He was re-elected in 1992, 1998, and 2004...
of Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
in compensating for three Democratic "nay" votes to pass the bill over a threatened GOP filibuster.
On January 29, 2009 Collins voted in favor of the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (H.R. 2).
Collins opposed President Barack Obama's health reform legislation; she voted against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The law is the principal health care reform legislation of the 111th United States Congress...
in December 2009, and she voted against the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010
Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010
The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 is a law that was enacted by the 111th United States Congress, by means of the reconciliation process, in order to amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act...
.
The Cantwell-Collins bill (S. 2877), also called the Carbon Limits and Energy for America's Renewal (CLEAR) Act, directs the Secretary of the Treasury to establish a program to regulate the entry of fossil carbon
Carbon cycle
The carbon cycle is the biogeochemical cycle by which carbon is exchanged among the biosphere, pedosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere of the Earth...
(fossil fuel
Fossil fuel
Fossil fuels are fuels formed by natural processes such as anaerobic decomposition of buried dead organisms. The age of the organisms and their resulting fossil fuels is typically millions of years, and sometimes exceeds 650 million years...
) into commerce in the United States, to promote renewable energy
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
jobs and economic growth.
The bill is bipartisan with Maria Cantwell
Maria Cantwell
Maria E. Cantwell is the junior United States Senator from the state of Washington and a member of the Democratic Party....
, a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
from Washington
Washington State
Washington State may refer to:* Washington , often referred to as "Washington state" to differentiate it from Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States* Washington State University, a land-grant college in that state- See also :...
.
On December 18, 2010, Collins voted in favor of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010
Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010
The Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010 is a landmark federal statute that establishes a legal process for ending the Don't ask, don't tell policy , which since 1993 prevented openly gay and lesbian people from serving in the United States Armed Forces.The Act did not immediately repeal the...
.
Collins has an unbroken voting record in the Senate, never missing a single vote since becoming a senator in 1997.
Committee appointments
- United States Senate Committee on AppropriationsUnited States Senate Committee on AppropriationsThe United States Senate Committee on Appropriations is a standing committee of the United States Senate. It has jurisdiction over all discretionary spending legislation in the Senate....
- Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government (Ranking Member)
- Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
- Committee on Armed ServicesUnited States Senate Committee on Armed ServicesThe Committee on Armed Services is a committee of the United States Senate empowered with legislative oversight of the nation's military, including the Department of Defense, military research and development, nuclear energy , benefits for members of the military, the Selective Service System and...
- Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and CapabilitiesUnited States Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and CapabilitiesThe Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities is one of six subcommittees within the Senate Armed Services Committee.-Jurisdiction:...
- Subcommittee on PersonnelUnited States Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on PersonnelThe Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel is one of six subcommittees within the Senate Armed Services Committee.-Jurisdiction:The Personnel Subcommittee has jurisdiction over all matters relating to active and reserve military personnel, including pay rates, military health care and...
- Subcommittee on SeaPowerUnited States Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on SeaPowerThe Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower is one of six subcommittees within the Senate Armed Services Committee.-Jurisdiction:The Seapower Subcommittee has jurisdiction over all U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, including non-tactical air programs, and the Naval Reserve forces.-Members, 112th...
- Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
- Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental AffairsUnited States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental AffairsThe United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs has jurisdiction over matters related to the Department of Homeland Security and other homeland security concerns, as well as the functioning of the government itself, including the National Archives, budget and...
(Ranking Member)- As Ranking Member of the full committee, Collins may serve as an ex officio member of all subcommittees.
- Special Committee on AgingUnited States Senate Special Committee on AgingThe United States Senate Special Committee on Aging was initially established in 1961 as a temporary committee; it became a permanent Senate committee in 1977...
2008 re-election campaign
Collins ran for re-election in 2008 and on May 8, 2007, Representative Tom AllenTom Allen
Thomas Hodge "Tom" Allen is a former member of the United States House of Representatives representing , and the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2008 against Republican incumbent Senator Susan Collins. Allen lost to Collins .Allen was first elected in 1996, defeating Republican...
(District 1) filed papers to run against her. On the same day a poll was released by Critical Insights — an independent polling firm in Portland, Maine — which showed Collins was a strong early favorite. The poll of 600 likely voters showed Collins leading Allen statewide 57% to 30%, with 65% of the important independent vote.
With just nine weeks to election day on November 4, according to a Rasmussen poll Senator Collins led Rep. Tom Allen by fifteen points, 53%-38%. Among independents, Senator Collins led comfortably, 55%-32% and was viewed favorably by independents with a 67% approval rating among them. One month prior to election day another Rasmussen poll gave Senator Collins a 10-point lead over Rep. Allen, 53%-43%.
Overcoming strong anti-Republican sentiment, Collins was elected to a third term with 61.5% of the vote.
Electoral history
External links
- United States Senator Susan Collins official Senate site
- Susan Collins campaign website official campaign site
- Profile at SourceWatchSourceWatchSourceWatch is an internet wiki site that is a collaborative project of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy...
- Susan Collins My Space
- Senator Susan Collins Political Base