Susan Margaret Collins (born December 7 1952 in Caribou, Maine) is an Irish-American politician, the junior U.S. Senator from Maine and a Republican. She is chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Senator Collins is a member of the Catholic church.

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 then moved to Massachusetts and served as its Deputy Treasurer in 1993, but then moved back to Maine. 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. When Senator Cohen announced his retirement, Collins announced her Senate candidacy, and after a difficult three-way primary she defeated Democrat Joe Brennan in the general election. She was reelected in 2002 over State Senator Chellie Pingree (D) 58% - 42%.

In the U.S. Senate, Collins played an important role during the 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.

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washingtonpost.com: Recent votes in Congress

Congress 110, House vote: Vote 566: On Motion to Adjourn
Fri, 01 Aug 2008 04:00:00 -0000
Question: On Motion to Adjourn. Category: Adjourn Result: Passed, 213-197, with 24 not voting.
Congress 110, House vote: Vote 565: H RES 1316
Fri, 01 Aug 2008 04:00:00 -0000
Question: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree. Bill: H RES 1316 Vote description: Honoring the Service of the Navy and Coast Guard Veterans Who Served on the Lst Amphibious Landing Craft During Wwii, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm, and Global Operations Through 2002 Result: Passed, 415-0, with 19 not voting.
Congress 110, House vote: Vote 564: H RES 1008
Fri, 01 Aug 2008 04:00:00 -0000
Question: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree, As Amended. Bill: H RES 1008 Vote description: Condemning the Persecution of Baha is in Iran Result: Passed, 408-3, with 23 not voting.
Congress 110, House vote: Vote 563: H R 6599
Fri, 01 Aug 2008 04:00:00 -0000
Question: On Passage. Bill: H R 6599 Vote description: Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriation, Fy 2009 Result: Passed, 409-4, with 21 not voting.
Congress 110, House vote: Vote 562: H R 6599
Fri, 01 Aug 2008 04:00:00 -0000
Question: On Motion to Table Appeal of the Ruling of the Chair. Bill: H R 6599 Vote description: Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriation, Fy 2009 Result: Passed, 230-184, with 20 not voting.
Congress 110, House vote: Vote 561: H R 6599
Fri, 01 Aug 2008 04:00:00 -0000
Question: On Agreeing to the Amendment. Bill: H R 6599 Result: Failed, 143-275, with 21 not voting.

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