Where Do YOU Stand on Collins' Key Issues?

Five questions. See how your priorities line up with one of Washington's most influential swing votes.

When senators cross party lines to compromise on legislation, that's generally...

• Good — gridlock is the real problem — Collins has built her brand on exactly this — she's one of the Senate's most frequent Republican crossover votes. She co-authored the bipartisan IRTPA intelligence reforms after 9/11.
• It depends on the issue — That's Collins' approach in practice too — she votes with Democrats on some social issues but stays Republican on others. Her record is genuinely mixed, not predictably moderate.
• Bad — stick to your party's principles — Collins' critics on the right have made this exact argument for years. She's survived primary challenges by winning general elections convincingly in a purple state.

Federal support for small businesses — like SBA loans and grants — is...

• Essential — small businesses are the backbone of local economies — Collins ran the SBA's Boston regional office under President George H.W. Bush. She's been a consistent advocate for small business programs throughout her Senate career.
• Useful but often poorly administered — Collins would likely agree — she oversaw the SBA's regional operations and has pushed for accountability in federal programs throughout her tenure chairing the Homeland Security committee.
• Government overreach — let the market work — This puts you at odds with Collins' career history. She's built much of her record on pragmatic federal tools for economic development, not pure free-market ideology.

Federal programs focused specifically on aging Americans — Medicare, senior housing, caregiver support — deserve...

• More investment — seniors are being left behind — Collins chaired the Senate Special Committee on Aging from 2015 to 2021. She's pushed to strengthen Medicare and protect seniors from financial fraud — issues that directly affect Northeast Ohio's large retiree population.
• The same funding, better targeted — Collins has often taken this reformist approach — she's pushed for efficiency and fraud prevention in senior programs rather than just larger appropriations.
• Cuts — entitlement spending is out of control — This puts you at direct odds with Collins' Senate record. She has consistently resisted cuts to senior programs and has used her Appropriations chairmanship to protect them.

Federal cybersecurity standards for critical infrastructure — power grids, hospitals, water systems — should be...

• Mandatory and strictly enforced — Collins co-authored the Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act — one of the earliest serious federal cybersecurity bills. This is core to her legacy on Homeland Security.
• Voluntary — mandates stifle innovation — Collins has generally favored stronger mandatory standards, especially after her years chairing the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee from 2003–2007.
• Left entirely to the private sector — Collins spent years building the case for federal cybersecurity oversight. She'd push back hard on this — her committee work post-9/11 was specifically about closing gaps that private industry left open.

A senator who has held their seat for nearly three decades is...

• An asset — experience and seniority bring resources home — Collins is now Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee — the most powerful spending role in Congress. Maine has benefited enormously from her seniority. Ohio's federal funding is shaped by senators who hold chairs like this.
• Mixed — experience helps, but fresh perspectives matter too — It's a real tension. Collins has used her tenure to deliver for Maine — but critics argue long-tenured senators lose touch with constituents. She's faced that criticism despite her moderate reputation.
• A problem — term limits should exist for the Senate — Roughly 60% of Americans support congressional term limits. Collins has served since 1997 and would be the poster child for why this debate exists — though her supporters say her seniority directly translates to federal investment.

Collins' record is one of the most studied in the Senate because she so rarely fits a simple label. She's a Republican who voted to convict Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial, who has supported abortion rights, and who co-authored landmark government ethics legislation. She's also voted for Republican tax cuts, conservative judges, and against the Affordable Care Act's passage.

For Cleveland-area residents, the most direct connection to Collins is through her new role atop the Senate Appropriations Committee. That committee controls the federal checkbook — infrastructure grants, healthcare funding, Great Lakes environmental programs, and economic development dollars that flow to Ohio all pass through her committee's decisions.

Susan Collins: A Career Timeline

• 1975 — Begins career as staff assistant to Sen. William Cohen of Maine
• 1981 — Becomes staff director of Senate Governmental Affairs subcommittee on oversight
• 1987 — Appointed Maine Commissioner of Professional and Financial Regulation by Gov. McKernan
• 1992 — President George H.W. Bush appoints her director of SBA regional office in Boston
• 1994 — Runs for Maine governor — first woman as major-party nominee; finishes third with 23%
• 1996 — Elected to U.S. Senate for the first time
• 2003 — Chairs Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
• 2004 — Co-authors Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act (IRTPA) post-9/11 reform
• 2015 — Chairs Senate Special Committee on Aging
• 2018 — Delivers pivotal floor speech supporting Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court confirmation
• 2021 — Votes to convict Trump in second impeachment trial — one of 7 Republican senators to do so
• 2025 — Becomes Chair of Senate Appropriations Committee — most powerful spending role in Congress

Collins Claims & Criticisms: What Checks Out

Collins is the longest-serving Republican woman in U.S. Senate history.

Verdict: true

Collins has served continuously since January 3, 1997 — nearly 28 years. No Republican woman has served longer in the Senate. She passed the previous record during her fourth term.

Collins is a moderate who votes independently of her party.

Verdict: mixed

Her voting record is genuinely mixed. She has crossed party lines on impeachment, abortion rights, and some social spending. But she has also voted with Republican majorities on tax legislation and judicial confirmations that generated significant controversy, including Kavanaugh.

As Appropriations Chair, Collins now controls federal spending that affects all 50 states.

Verdict: true

The Senate Appropriations Committee has jurisdiction over the annual federal discretionary budget — roughly $1.7 trillion. Every state, including Ohio, receives funding through appropriations bills her committee originates.

Collins is the only Republican holding statewide office in Maine.

Verdict: true

Since 2019, Collins has been the sole Republican elected statewide in Maine, which has otherwise trended Democratic in gubernatorial and presidential contests. This makes her political survival in a blue-leaning state particularly notable.

Collins vs. Ohio's Senators: A Policy Snapshot

What Collins' career most clearly illustrates is how much power seniority buys in Washington — and what Ohio stands to gain or lose depending on whether its own senators accumulate it. When Collins took the Appropriations gavel in 2025, she gained direct influence over Great Lakes funding, transportation grants, rural broadband, and veterans programs that benefit states like Ohio as much as Maine.

For Northeast Ohio, the practical question isn't whether you agree with Collins' every vote — it's what it means when the senator controlling federal spending has a 28-year track record of bipartisan dealmaking. Federal dollars for Cleveland's infrastructure, Lake Erie cleanup, and healthcare systems are negotiated in rooms Collins now chairs.

Collins' Voting Record: The Moments That Defined Her

Kavanaugh Confirmation (2018): Collins' floor speech announcing her support for Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination was one of the most-watched Senate speeches in recent memory. She acknowledged the concerns raised by Christine Blasey Ford while concluding the evidence did not meet the standard for disqualification. The vote galvanized both her supporters and critics.

Second Impeachment Trial (2021): Collins was one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict Donald Trump following the January 6 Capitol attack. She argued the evidence supported the charge of incitement. The vote drew significant blowback from Maine Republicans but did not cost her her seat.

Intelligence Reform (2004): Collins co-authored the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act following the 9/11 Commission report. The bill created the Director of National Intelligence position and restructured the U.S. intelligence community — considered her most significant legislative achievement.

Patient Freedom Act of 2017: Collins introduced legislation designed to provide states with flexibility in implementing healthcare coverage requirements — a Republican alternative to the ACA framework that reflected her discomfort with full repeal.

Bipartisan Infrastructure: Collins was among the Republican senators who helped negotiate and pass the bipartisan infrastructure law in 2021, which delivered significant funding to states including Ohio for roads, bridges, and broadband.

Collins' story is ultimately a case study in what it looks like to survive as a moderate in an era of political polarization. She has won six Senate elections in a state that has grown increasingly Democratic at the presidential level — a feat she accomplishes by running as Susan Collins, not as a party proxy.

For Cleveland voters watching Ohio's own senators find their footing in Washington, Collins offers a reference point: seniority matters, committee chairs matter, and the willingness to be a swing vote — frustrating as it is to both parties — can translate into real leverage when it's your state's projects on the line.

Know Before You Vote: Ohio's Senate Seats

• Ohio Special Senate Election: Ohio voters will weigh in on Sen. Jon Husted's appointed seat in November 2026. Check your registration status now.
• Track Senate Appropriations Decisions: Collins' committee controls federal spending that flows to Ohio. See what's in the current appropriations bills.
• Contact Ohio's U.S. Senators: Sen. Jon Husted and Sen. Bernie Moreno represent Cuyahoga County in Washington. Make your voice heard.

Sources & References

• Primary source: en.wikipedia.org
• U.S. Senate — Official biography and committee assignments for Sen. Susan Collins
• Senate Appropriations Committee — Committee jurisdiction, membership, and current appropriations legislation
• GovTrack.us — Susan Collins voting record, party alignment scores, and bill sponsorship history
• U.S. Congress — IRTPA — Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 — Collins as co-author
• Ohio Secretary of State — Ohio voter registration and upcoming election dates including 2026 special Senate election