WASHINGTON, D.C. (WGAN) Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins has hit a career milestone that even drew praise from Democrat Chuck Schumer: 8,000 consecutive votes in the U.S. Senate.
According to Politico, Senator Collins hasn’t missed a single vote since 1997, the year she took office.
Majority Leader Chuck Schumer acknowledged the milestone, saying “I join in extending a warm congratulations to Senator Collins on this terrific achievement and thank her for her many years of public service to her state and country.”
Former Sen. William Proxmire of Wisconsin holds the all-time record, casting 10,252 consecutive votes.
Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, who’s served in the chamber since 1981, had cast 8,927 votes in a row before the pandemic broke that streak.
In 2019, when she reached 7,000 consecutive votes, Collins remarked: “My vote record was inspired by the legendary Maine Senator Margaret Chase Smith, who did not miss a vote for 13 years until surgery forced her to do so.”
