Susan Collins

White House Defunds Council of Inspectors General, Disabling Federal Oversight

| Importance: 10/10

The Office of Management and Budget withheld congressionally approved funding for the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE), effectively disabling oversight of 72 federal watchdogs. The defunding caused at least 15 government oversight websites to go dark, removing …

Office of Management and Budget Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency White House Susan Collins Chuck Grassley institutional-capture systematic-corruption accountability-dismantling executive-overreach
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Pete Hegseth confirmed as Defense Secretary in historic VP tiebreaker vote

| Importance: 9/10

Pete Hegseth was confirmed as Defense Secretary in a historic 51-50 Senate vote, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote. Three key Republican senators - Mitch McConnell, Lisa Murkowski, and Susan Collins - voted against confirmation. Hegseth’s confirmation was controversial …

Pete Hegseth JD Vance U.S. Senate Mitch McConnell Lisa Murkowski +2 more pete-hegseth defense-secretary confirmation jd-vance tiebreaker-vote +3 more
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Senate Acquits Trump 57-43 Despite Bipartisan Majority Finding Him Guilty

| Importance: 10/10

On February 13, 2021, the Senate voted 57-43 to acquit former President Donald Trump on the charge of incitement of insurrection, with the vote falling ten short of the two-thirds majority (67 votes) required for conviction. Despite the acquittal, the vote represented the most bipartisan …

Donald Trump Mitt Romney Richard Burr Bill Cassidy Susan Collins +3 more Impeachment Senate Trial Constitutional Crisis Republican Party Acquittal
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Senate Confirms Amy Coney Barrett 52-48 Eight Days Before Election, Creating 6-3 Conservative Supermajority

| Importance: 10/10

On October 26, 2020, the Senate confirmed Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court by a vote of 52-48, installing her on the bench just eight days before the November 3 presidential election and while millions of Americans had already cast their ballots. Barrett’s confirmation created a 6-3 …

Amy Coney Barrett Mitch McConnell Donald Trump Susan Collins Lisa Murkowski +1 more Supreme Court Judicial Appointments Hypocrisy Institutional Corruption Abortion Rights
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Senate Votes 51-49 to Block Witnesses in Impeachment Trial, Ensuring Trump Acquittal

| Importance: 10/10

The Senate voted 51-49 on January 31, 2020 to block witness testimony and document production in President Trump’s impeachment trial, making it the first Senate impeachment trial in American history conducted without witnesses or new evidence. Only two Republicans—Mitt Romney of Utah and Susan …

Mitch McConnell Mitt Romney Susan Collins Senate Republicans Donald Trump First Impeachment Senate Trial Cover-up Republican Complicity Ukraine
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Senate Confirms Kavanaugh 50-48 Despite Sexual Assault Allegations and Severely Limited FBI Investigation

| Importance: 9/10

On October 6, 2018, the Senate confirmed Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court by a vote of 50-48, making him the first justice in modern history confirmed with credible sexual assault allegations pending and despite obvious temperament problems that raised serious questions about his fitness for the …

Brett Kavanaugh Susan Collins Joe Manchin Lisa Murkowski Christine Blasey Ford +1 more Supreme Court Sexual Assault Judicial Appointments Accountability Crisis FBI
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Betsy DeVos Confirmed as Education Secretary in Historic VP Tie-Breaking Vote - First Ever for Cabinet Nominee

| Importance: 8/10

Vice President Mike Pence cast a historic tie-breaking vote on February 7, 2017, to confirm Betsy DeVos as Education Secretary—the first time in American history that a vice president’s tie-breaking power was used to confirm a Cabinet nominee. The Senate vote split exactly 50-50, with two …

Betsy DeVos Mike Pence Susan Collins Lisa Murkowski Donald Trump cabinet-corruption education-privatization conflicts-of-interest senate-confirmation political-donations
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