Sen. Collins casts 5,000th vote

{mosads}The vote was on a motion to table a tax-deduction amendment on the Smalll Business Jobs and Tax Relief Act (S. 2237).

Both Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) praised Collins after the vote.

“Sen. Collins is actually in quite elite company. Recently she passed Sen. [Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.)] and is now third all time behind Sen. Chuck Grassley and the late Bill Proxmire from Wisconsin,” McConnell said. “So on behalf of the entire Senate I want to congratulate Sen. Collins on this great achievement.”

Reid came to the floor after McConnell to praise Collins.

“This is a remarkable accomplishment,” Reid said. “And I hope I don’t get her in trouble with her colleagues, but I really like her. I appreciate her ability to work with us — with everybody. She is somebody who you never has to guess where she stands on an issue and I admire and appreciate her so much for that.”

Collins did not speak about her milestone vote.