Top 75 Quotes & Sayings by Susan Collins

I think this is a part of John McCain that a lot of people don't know about, is that he took younger senators under his wing. And, in my case, I - he taught me so much about national security and foreign policy, even when we didn't always agree. He took me four times with him to Iraq and Afghanistan.

We can never fully repay the debt of our proud nation to those who have laid down their lives for our country. The best we can do is honor their memory, ensure that their sacrifice is not in vain, and help provide for their families.

It's always hard not to be a member of the team. There's lots of pressure to do that.

I will not be voting for Donald Trump for president. This is not a decision I make lightly, for I am a lifelong Republican. But Donald Trump does not reflect historical Republican values nor the inclusive approach to governing that is critical to healing the divisions in our country.

What I find is with all due deference to - deference to our male colleagues, that women's styles tend to be more collaborative.

I do not believe that the top rate should be lowered for individuals who are making more than $1 million a year. I don't think there's any need to eliminate the estate tax.

Like the canary in the coal mine, the climate changes already evident in the Arctic are a call to action.

There aren't that many fields where you can really affect people's lives.

Taking the time to read to children is not only a worthwhile investment but also a wonderful experience. I have visited 119 schools in Maine, and these visits are among the most rewarding experiences in my career in public service.

Predictions of a disappearing political center are a warning of a bleak future that we can avoid only by adhering to our nation's founding principles.

Our society needs to become less fragmented and more open to alternative viewpoints.

I concluded that Donald Trump lacked the temperament, the judgment and the self-discipline to heal the divisions in our country - which are very real - and to be commander in chief.

I have never endorsed Roy Moore. Just the fact that he was forced off the state supreme court is enough for me.

I want to help the middle class.

These are challenging times at home and around the world. We will have to work together in a bipartisan spirit and with our international partners if we are going to achieve progress and peace now and for future generations.

Donald Trump, in my judgment, would make a perilous world even more dangerous. I worry that his tendency to lash out and his ill-informed comments would cause dangerous events to escalate and possibly spin out of control at a time when our world is beset with conflicts.

It is reckless for a presidential candidate to publicly raise doubts about honoring treaty commitments with our allies.

I revere the history of my party, most particularly the value it has always placed on the worth and dignity of the individual, and I will continue to work across the country for Republican candidates.

I don't think that any campaign is ennobled by people trading insults.

We do need to strengthen our security at the border.

The Medicaid program has been on the books for more than 50 years. The Graham-Cassidy bill proposes a dramatic, sweeping change in the way that program would be allocated and administered. And a program which does need reform, but we need careful reform. And I don't think this bill does that.

I do not want to impose additional taxes on the employers at a time when our economy is very fragile and we want to encourage them to hire.

It is incumbent upon us to respond to the unique needs of military women and ensure they receive proper care during the first year following childbirth.

We need a massive investment in infrastructure in this country.

I think judges have to have the ability to put aside their personal views and rule on the facts of the case with fidelity to the law and the Constitution.

Well, first let me say that I think health care reform is important. It has to be a priority. And our system is broken. The Finance Committee bill is the best effort yet, due in large measure to the efforts of my colleague, Olympia Snowe, but it's not there yet. It falls short.

Soaring prescription drug costs have placed a tremendous strain on family budgets. They have also imposed a heavy burden on employers - both public and private - who are struggling to provide affordable health insurance coverage to their workers.

What Americans want is more affordable health care.

My conclusion about Mr. Trump's unsuitability for office is based on his disregard for the precept of treating others with respect, an idea that should transcend politics. Instead, he opts to mock the vulnerable and inflame prejudices by attacking ethnic and religious minorities.

What we've been hearing over and over again is that the reason Republicans are opposed to the surtax is because of the concern of its impact on job creation. Well, if you carve out employers, you take away that argument.

I've learned to never rule anything in or out.

I'm pleased the administration is endorsing the need for legislation dealing with the chemical sector. In the past, the administration's position has been ambiguous.

John McCain felt very strongly about virtually every issue that he tackled, but it was never based in partisanship. He didn't try to score partisan points as he worked on issues. He would work with anyone who wanted to accomplish the goal that he shared.

We need to heal this country.

We must always remember that it is when passions are most inflamed that fairness is most in jeopardy.

I don't want to shut down government.

As America is growing older, there are more and more families caring for older parents and grandparents, and it's extremely expensive.

On the Medicare/paygo spending cuts, I strongly oppose that and have asked what is the plan to avert that. Senator McConnell assured me that will not be allowed to happen.

I am a congenital optimist.

I always look for judges who respect precedent.

In light of the attacks on mass transit systems in other countries, shouldn't we be beefing up?... Clearly more could be done.

I've seen the impact of poorly negotiated trade agreements on manufacturing in Maine.

I had a very long discussion with Justice Gorsuch in my office, and he pointed out to me that he is a co-author of a whole book on precedent. So, someone who devotes that much time to writing a book on precedent, I think, understands how important a principle that is in our judicial system.

We can lift standards of living for working families in this country. We can help small businesses create jobs. And we can have a beneficial impact on the economy as a whole if we do tax reform right.

It is important that we enact immigration reform.

I know that my voice and my vote matter and that I can help shape the outcome of events that I care deeply about.

I have, year after year, been named the most bipartisan member of the whole United States Senate. I have proved my independence.

The most precious contribution we can make here on Earth is to create the lives we want to be living, communicating in all ways, to everyone around us, that success is really possible.

Loving isn't liking and it takes liking to live together.

If you don't know what you want, you'll probably get what somebody else wants.

Getting a project started is like moving a ship. It takes a lot of energy to build up momentum.

In a world that is changing as rapidly as this one, we need to think differently about leadership. Leading is not done by those few in high places, but by parents and teachers and managers and those governing -- all working together to create the world that we want.

The road to success is a zigzag, first pointing this way and then that. If we start with high intention, then magic and coincidence will guide us there despite our lack of knowledge about what lies ahead.

Leaders are visionaries. They see the outcome. Leaders are communicators. They tell us what they're seeing. They hold the dream, letting us feel that it's possible. Our minds open up to what they show us could be. We dream with them. We get excited with them, drawing on all our abilities to create the future.

Taking the time to read to children is not only a worthwhile investment but also a wonderful experience. I have visited 119 schools in Maine, and these visits are among the most rewarding experiences in my career in public service

We must pay close attention to the signals our body sends - the aches and pains, digestions and indigestions, increased energies and exhaustions. Our body sends us signals about the correct 'spelling' of our lives. These sensations are the sum of complex inner computations that we must learn to interpret.

Success is completion. Success is being able to complete what we set out to do - each individual action, each specific step, each desired experience whether a big project or a very small errand.

Many communities throughout the nation still do not have the communications infrastructure in place for first responders to communicate with one another during an emergency.

Leaders are like gardeners ... As leaders we are not only responsible for harvesting our own success but for cultivating the success of the next generation.

I kept hoping that Donald Trump, once he won the primary, would change. I hoped that we would see a new Donald Trump, one who put forth thoughtful policy positions, stopped denigrating people, and had a more positive vision for America. Regrettably, I have concluded that there is not going to be a new Donald Trump, that he's incapable of saying he's sorry, of changing, of learning, of growing.