thumb Susan Margaret Collins (born December 7, 1952, in Caribou, Maine) is the junior U.S. Senator from Maine and a member of the Republican Party. Collins was re-elected on November 4, 2008.

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Early life and career

Collins is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of St. Lawrence University. She worked for Senator William Cohen from 1975 until 1987, when she became chair of the Maine commission on financial regulation. She served in this position until 1992, when she briefly served as New England regional director of the Small Business Administration. She was the Republican candidate in the Maine gubernatorial election of 1994, but both she and the Democratic candidate, former Governor Joe Brennan, were defeated by the Independent candidate, Angus King.

In 1996, when Senator William Cohen announced his retirement, Collins announced her Senate candidacy. After a difficult three-way primary, she defeated Democrat Joe Brennan in the general election with 49% of the vote to Brennan's 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%.

Senate career

She is a member of The Republican Main Street Partnership and supports stem-cell research. She is also a member of The Republican Majority For Choice, Republicans for Choice, The Wish List, Republicans for Environmental Protection, and It's My Party Too. Her voting record was at one time center-left which has caused some Republicans to label her as a "Republican in Name Only" (RINO). Collins's voting record has ventured slightly more to the right. 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. ^[1] She supported John McCain in the 2008 election for President of the United States. ^[2]

Voting record

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 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. ^[3]

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's attempt to control debate without having to exercise the so-called "nuclear option". Under the agreement the Democrats would retain the power to filibuster a Bush judicial nominee only in an "extraordinary circumstance", and the three Bush appellate court nominees (Janice Rogers Brown, Priscilla Owen, and William Pryor) would receive a vote by the full Senate.

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. ^{[4] [5] [6]} She offered an amendment to the original bill that allowed for tax credits to school teachers who purchase classroom materials. ^[7]

Collins voted for the confirmation of two U.S. Supreme Court Justice nominees, Samuel Alito and John G. Roberts. ^{[8] [9]} 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 (end debate) on Senator Arlen Specter's amendment proposing to restore habeas corpus for those detained by the United States. ^[10]

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. ^[11]

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 by the U.S. government. ^[12] She voted against an amendment to that bill that would have allowed defendents the right to habeas corpus. ^[13]

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." ^[14] She later sponsored the Accountability in Government Contracting Act of 2007, approved unanimously by the Senate, which would create more competition between military contractors. ^[15]

Agreeing with the majority in both parties, Collins voted in favor of the Kyl-Lieberman Amendment, ^[16] which could give President Bush and the executive branch the authorization for military force against Iran. ^[17]

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. ^[18] 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. ^[19]

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. ^[20]

Collins and Ben Nelson (D-NE) organized the complete elimination of National Science Foundation, Department of Energy Office of Science from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, along with deep cuts to science programs at NASA, NOAA, and NIST. Collins and Nelson amendment also eliminated funding for Head Start, school improvement, and child nutrition, as well as cutting $60 billion for school construction, which represented the bulk of the cuts. In place, Nelson and Collins organized additional spending on defense operations and procurement and transportation. ^[21] According to TPMMuckraker, Collins also removed protection for government whistleblowers, a measure which could have made the bill more effective by stopping waste and corruption. ^[22] Collins also opposed $780 million for pandemic-flu preparedness, which was drawn to the country's attention during the 2009 swine flu outbreak in the United States. ^[23]

Ultimately, Collins was one of just three Republican lawmakers to vote for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, ^[24] earning heated criticism from the right for crossing party lines on the bill. ^[25]

On January 29, 2009 Collins voted in favor of the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (H.R. 2). ^[26]

Committee appointments

• United States Senate Committee on Appropriations
• *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 Services
• *Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
• *Subcommittee on Personnel
• *Subcommittee on SeaPower
• Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (Ranking Member)
• *As Ranking Member of the full committee, Collins may serve as an ex officio member of all subcommittees.
• Special Committee on Aging

2008 re-election campaign

Collins in 2008 and on May 8, 2007, Representative Tom Allen (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

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References

1. Title Unavailable
2. McCain List of Supporters
3. Roll call for H.J.Res. 114
4. On Passage of the Bill (H.R. 1836, as amended )
5. On the Conference Report (H.R. 2 Conference Report )
6. Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to Consider H.R.5970; Estate Tax and Extension of Tax Relief Act of 2006
7. S.AMDT.675 to H.R.1836
8. Confirmation Samuel A. Alito, Jr., of New Jersey, to be an Associate Justice
9. Confirmation of John G. Roberts, Jr., of Maryland, to be Chief Justice of the United States
10. Roll call for H.R. 1585/S.Amdt. 2022
11. S.Amdt. 5095 to S. 3930
12. S. 3930 As Amended, A bill to authorize trial by military commission for violations of the law of war, and for other purposes.
13. Specter Amdt. No. 5087, To strike the provision regarding habeas review.
14. Leahy Amdt. No. 3292, To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit profiteering and fraud relating to military action, relief, and reconstruction.
15. S. 680--110th Congress (2007): Accountability in Government Contracting Act of 2007
16. Kyl Amdt. No. 3017 as Modified, To express the sense of the Senate regarding Iran.
17. Lieberman-Kyl Amendment Seeks To Escalate Possibility Of Military Action Against Iran
18. Lieberman and Collins Step Up Scrutiny of Cyber Security Initiative
19. DHS stays mum on new 'Cyber Security' center
20. http://www.startribune.com/politics/28297749.html
21. Collins-Nelson Group Staff Paper Potential Cuts -- $77.9 Billion
22. [1] Source: Collins Strips Stim Bill Of Whistleblower Protections By Zachary Roth - February 11, 2009, 6:57PM
23. [1]Source: senate.gov: GOP Wields More Influence Over the Stimulus Bill - The Wall Street Journal
24. President Obama shouldn't give up on bipartisanship
25. Traitors! GOP Sens. Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins and Arlen Specter all Give In To Liberal 'Porkulus' Bill
26. U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 111th Congress - 1st Session