SENATOR COLLINS BEGINS 15TH YEAR IN SENATE HAVING NEVER MISSED A ROLL CALL VOTE

U.S. Senator Susan Collins begins the 112th Congress today as the longest, currently-serving, member to have never missed a roll call vote.  On December 22nd, Senator Collins cast her 4,563rd consecutive roll call vote, continuing her perfect voting record in the U.S. Senate.  Senator Collins has voted in every single roll call vote that has occurred in the Senate since she was sworn into office in January of 1997.    "I take the responsibility that has been granted to me by the people of Maine very seriously," said Senator Collins.  "It is my honor and privilege to represent our State in Washington, D.C.  I continue to be inspired by former Senator Margaret Chase Smith who worked so hard, and never missed a vote in 13 years before surgery forced her to miss her first vote."   Coincidentally, today marks the end of another record set by former Senator Margaret Chase Smith.  Today, when Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) is sworn into her fifth term, she becomes the longest-serving female Senator in American history.  Senator Mikulski, today, begins her 25th year in the U.S. Senate.  Senator Smith represented Maine in the Senate for 24 years and, until today, was the longest serving female U.S. Senator.   ###