Sen. Susan Collins, a moderate Republican from Maine, has become a fixture on Capitol Hill, in her nearly 30 years in office. Collins is a lifelong Republican, but has at times bucked her party and shown a willingness to work with Democrats.
“I come to Washington not as an enemy of government,” she said in her first speech on the Senate floor in 1997. “But as one committed to improving it.”
Just over 28 years later, Collins has risen to the powerful position of chair for the Senate Appropriations Committee, which will make pivotal spending decisions in the coming months. Collins is the first Republican woman to hold the powerful position. She’s also the first Mainer to chair the committee in 92 years.
On Friday, Collins sat down with Spectrum News to discuss her priorities, her relationship with President Donald Trump and the reasons she’s opposed to Pete Hegseth's selection for defense secretary.
“It’s been a long climb up the ladder of seniority,” Collins said from her new ornate office on the first floor of the Capitol, where the Appropriations Committee meets.
Collins has been reelected four times, despite representing a state that hasn’t gone for a Republican in a presidential election since 1988. Her moderate brand of conservatism has allowed her to hold on to power in what has become a blue state.
In the nearly three decades she’s served on Capitol Hill, Collins has seen eight Senate majority leaders and five presidents come to Washington.
“Washington has become more partisan over the years ... ," she said. “I think we need to look for more common ground.”
Over the years, Collins has bucked her party, as well as its leader, Trump. In 2017, she came out against a bill to partially repeal the Affordable Care Act. In 2020, she voted against Trump’s pick for the Supreme Court, Justice Amy Coney Barrett.
This term, Collins is crossing Trump yet again by opposing his pick for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth. Collins was one of two Republicans to vote against Hegseth in a preliminary vote Thursday.
“This is an enormous job, perhaps the most important Cabinet job," Collins said. "And I did not find that Mr. Hegseth had the experience and perspective that was needed.”
The former Fox News host and Army National Guard veteran has faced accusations of sexual misconduct and excessive drinking, which he has denied. He has also been criticized for lacking leadership experience of a major bureaucracy like the Defense Department.
Collins said that she spoke with Trump after his inauguration and hopes to work closely with his administration on appropriations responsibilities. That’s despite their past differences.
Following the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, Collins was one of seven Republicans who voted to convict Donald Trump during his second impeachment trial.
“We’re not always going to agree on issues,” she said. “I don’t agree with the president’s pardon of violent individuals who were involved in the riot on Jan. 6, 2021, and actually assaulted police officers.”
Collins also expressed concerns with Trump’s plans for wide-scale tariffs, including a threatened 25% tariff against Canada, which is Maine’s biggest trading partner.
“I’m trying to get the administration to think more thoroughly about the ramifications,” she said.
As the chair of Appropriations Committee, Collins said she had four big priorities:
Bio-Medical Research: “Biomedical research has always been a passion of mine. If we could, for example, come up with funding that helps to produce a cure to Alzheimer’s Disease, think about what a difference it would make to families all over this country.”
Defense Spending: “I believe in Ronald Reagan’s "peace through strength." Matters a great deal to me. It also supports thousands of good jobs in our state.”
Rural Development: “That means workforce training. It means education. It means child care.”
Infrastructure: “This is an issue I’ve worked on for years whether it’s improving our roads, bridges, seaports, airports. But also expanding access to broadband to everywhere in the country is a real priority of mine.”