Susan Collins Totally Explained

Everything about Susan Collins totally explained

ť For the artist, see Susan Alexis Collins.

Susan Margaret Collins (born December 7 1952, in Caribou, Maine) is an American politician, the junior U.S. Senator from Maine and a centrist Republican.

Biography

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 National 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%.

Senate career

Senator Collins is often labeled as more bipartisan than most senators, thus causing some Republicans to label her as a "Republican in Name Only," (RINO). Her voting record is moderate, which puts her to the left of most Republicans in the Senate. 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 didn't 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 September 19, 2007, she voted with the minority (that was nevertheless large enough to block via filibuster) against a bill restoring the right of habeas corpus; her colleague Olympia Snowe voted in favor of the measure.
   On October 21, 2003, Collins was one of the three Republican Senators to oppose the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act and voted with the Senate Democrats. The bill was passed 64-34 and became law on November 5, 2003. 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 moderate 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.
   Senator 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 the tax cut in order to help rural hospitals. Collins has also voted against some free-trade agreements including CAFTA. 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.
   Senator 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 Bush signed into law major port security legislation coauthored by Senator Collins and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA). The new law includes major provisions to significantly strengthen security at our nation’s ports.
   Senator Collins 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.
   She supports John McCain for President of the United States.

Committee membership

Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (Ranking Member)
- Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery (Ex Officio)
- Ad Hoc Subcommittee on State, Local, and Private Sector Preparedness and Integration (Ex Officio)
- Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Ex Officio)
- Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security (Ex Officio)
- Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia (Ex Officio)
Committee on Armed Services
- Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
- Subcommittee on Personnel
- Subcommittee on SeaPower
Special Committee on Aging

2008 Re-election

Collins is running for re-election

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.
   On October 15, 2007, a poll conducted by Research 2007 showed Collins leading Allen 56–33%.
   Independent Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman has stated that he plans to campaign for Senator Collins' re-election.
   In an October 18 article in the Portsmouth Herald, Independent/Democrat Laurie Dobson, of Kennebunkport, is quoted as saying she'll run for this Senate seat. Other ndependents said to be considering runs are Dexter Kamilewicz and Bill Slavick.
   According to PolitickerME.com, Former Maine Governor Angus King (I) has said that he's rejected the idea of running against Senator Collins in the general election because “our differences aren't so great, so running against her would be an ego thing. I think she's a pretty good senator.”

Electoral history

Further Information

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