[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 20]
[Senate]
[Page 27252]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    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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