Tribute to Senator Susan Collins

TRIBUTE TO SENATOR SUSAN COLLINS

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I rise this afternoon to pay tribute to one of the most effective and outstanding Members of the Senate, Senator SUSAN COLLINS of Maine. Today, Senator Collins cast her 2,942nd consecutive vote as a Senator, breaking the record of the former Senator from Maine, Margaret Chase Smith. In doing this, Senator Collins has maintained a perfect voting record since she was sworn in to the Senate in January 1997.

Senator Collins recently honored Margaret Chase Smith just a few weeks ago during a ceremony to unveil an official portrait of Senator Smith, a portrait entitled ``The Great Lady From Maine'' which now hangs proudly in the U.S. Capitol. As Senator Collins said in a tribute to Senator Smith at that unveiling:

For every woman serving in the Senate, Margaret Chase Smith blazed the path, but she was a special inspiration to me.

Senator Collins met Margaret Chase Smith as a senior in high school, participating in a Senate youth conference here in Washington. She remembers Senator Smith telling her to ``stand tall for what I believed.'' Senator Collins continues to use this advice today as she chairs the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee and working for the people of Maine.

I know I speak for all of my colleagues in the Senate when I congratulate her on this truly remarkable accomplishment.

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