WASHINGTON — Republican Sen. Susan Collins, who has never missed a roll call vote, extended her voting streak to 8,000 on Thursday.
The milestone for the 68-year-old senator from Maine was reached on a vote to confirm Elizabeth Prelogar as solicitor general.
A source of pride, Collins’ streak dates to Jan. 22, 1997, when her first Senate vote was to confirm Madeleine Albright as secretary of state.
Collins said she learned growing up in Maine about the “values of hard work, perseverance and honoring your commitments.”
Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa has a longer streak but it came to an end at 8,927 votes when he tested positive for COVID-19 last year.
As impressive as those voting streaks are, both Grassley and Collins fall short of the mark set by Wisconsin Democrat William Proxmire. He had 10,252 consecutive votes from April 20, 1966, to Oct. 18, 1988.
Collins has looked to a female mentor when it comes to her voting streak: The late Republican Sen. Margaret Chase Smith of Maine never missed a roll call for 13 years until being sidelined by surgery.
“Mainers are known for their strong work ethic, and I strive to demonstrate that same commitment to work hard for them,” Collins said.
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