Olympia Snowe 375219 225168864 2008-07-12T07:05:01Z Betternow 7438359 {{Infobox Senator | name=Olympia Snowe | image name=Olympia Snowe, official photo 2.JPG | jr/sr=Senior Senator | state=[[Maine]] | party=[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] | alongside=Susan Collins | term_start=[[January 4]], [[1995]] | preceded=[[George J. Mitchell]] | succeeded= | state2=[[Maine]] | district2=[[Maine's 2nd congressional district|2nd]] | term_start2=[[January 3]], [[1979]] | term_end2=[[January 3]], [[1995]] | preceded2=[[William Cohen]] | succeeded2=[[John Baldacci]] | date of birth={{birth date and age|1947|02|21}} | place of birth=[[Augusta, Maine|Augusta]], [[Maine]] | dead=alive | date of death= | place of death= | spouse=(1) Peter Snowe (deceased)<br>(2) [[John R. McKernan, Jr.]] | alma_mater=[[University of Maine]] | religion=[[Greek Orthodox]]}} '''Olympia Jean Bouchles Snowe''' (born [[February 21]], [[1947]]) is the senior [[United States Senate|United States Senator]] from [[Maine]]. A moderate Republican, Snowe has become widely known for her ability to influence close votes and Senatorial [[filibuster (legislative tactic)|filibusters]], making her among the most influential U.S. Senators. <ref name="natjourncentrists">{{cite news | title =The Centrists| pages =33| publisher =National Journal| date =2007-03-03| url =http://nationaljournal.com/voteratings/pdf/06centrists.pdf| accessdate = 2007-04-06 }}</ref> In 2006, she was named one of "America's Top Ten Senators" by ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' Magazine.<ref name="timecaretaker">{{cite news | title =Olympia J. Snowe: The Caretaker| publisher =Time| date =2006-04-14| url =http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1183967,00.html| accessdate = 2007-04-07 }}</ref> ''[[Congressional Quarterly]]'' noted that her presence at the negotiating table in the 107th Congress was "nearly a necessity." Her political popularity in her home state is the highest of any current U.S. Senator; as of [[November 22]], [[2006]], she enjoyed a 79 percent approval rating in her home state of Maine.<ref name="approvalratings">{{cite web| title =Approval Ratings for all 100 U.S. Senators| publisher =Survey USA| date =2006-11-22| url =http://www.surveyusa.com/50State2006/Net100USSenatorApproval061122.htm| accessdate = 2007-04-07 }}</ref> ==Early life== Snowe was born '''Olympia Jean Bouchles''' in [[Augusta, Maine]], the daughter of Georgia Goranites and George John Bouchles. Her father emigrated to the United States from [[Sparta, Greece]].<ref name="battleancestry">{{cite web| last =Battle| first =Robert| title =Ancestries of United States Senators: Olympia Snowe| publisher =self-published| url =http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~battle/senators/snowe.htm| accessdate = 2007-04-07 }}</ref> She is a member of the [[Greek Orthodox Church]].<ref name="realwomansissue">{{cite news | last =Broder| first =David S.| title =A Real Woman's Issue| publisher =Washington Post| date =1997-06-08| url =http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-725599.html| accessdate = 2007-04-07 }}</ref><ref name="hellenicnews">{{cite web| title =Archbishop Demetrios and Other Religious Leaders Testify on Capitol Hill| publisher =Hellenic News| date =2005-03-16| url =http://www.hellenicnews.com/readnews.html?newsid=3239&lang=US| accessdate = 2007-04-07 }}</ref> Snowe's early life contained much tragedy; her mother died of breast cancer when she was eight, and her father died of heart disease barely a year later. Orphaned, she was moved to [[Auburn, Maine]], to be raised by her aunt and uncle, a barber and a textile mill worker respectively, along with their five other children. Her brother John was raised separately, by other family members. Within a few years, illness would also claim her uncle's life. Following her mother's death, Snowe was sent to St. Basil's Academy in [[Garrison, New York]], where she remained from the third grade to the ninth. Returning to Auburn, she attended Edward Little High School, before entering the [[University of Maine]] in Orono, Maine in 1969, where she earned a degree in political science. Snowe later received an honorary degree from [[Bates College]] in 1998, and another from the [[University of Delaware]] in 2008. Shortly after graduation, Bouchles married her fiancée, Republican state legislator Peter Snowe. ==Career in politics== [[Image:SenSnowe-1997.jpg|Snowe in the [[Maine Senate]], 1977|thumb|left]]Snowe entered politics and rose quickly, winning a seat on the Board of Voter Registration and working for [[Congressman]] (later [[U.S. Senator]] and [[U.S. Secretary of Defense]]) [[William Cohen]]. Tragedy struck Snowe again in 1973, when her husband was killed in an automobile accident. At the urging of family, friends, neighbors and local leaders, Snowe ran for her husband's [[Auburn, Maine|Auburn]]-based seat in the [[Maine House of Representatives]] at the age of 26 and won. She was re-elected to the House in 1974, and, in 1976, won election to the [[Maine Senate]], representing [[Androscoggin County, Maine|Androscoggin County]]. That same year, she was a delegate to both the state and national Republican conventions. Snowe was elected to the [[U.S. House of Representatives]] in 1978, and represented Maine's 2nd Congressional District from 1979 to 1995. The district takes in most of the northern two-thirds of the state, including [[Bangor, Maine|Bangor]] and her hometown of Auburn. She served as a member of the Budget and International Relations Committees. Snowe married [[John R. McKernan, Jr.|John "Jock" McKernan]], then-[[List of Governors of Maine|Governor]] of Maine, in February 1989. Snowe and McKernan had served together in the [[United States House of Representatives]] from 1983 to 1986. Snowe was First Lady of Maine from 1989 to 1995, while also a U.S. Representative. ==Senate career== In [[1994]], when [[Senate Majority Leader]] [[George J. Mitchell]] declined to run for reelection, Snowe immediately declared her candidacy for the seat. The [[United States Democratic Party|Democratic]] nominee was her House colleague, 1st District Congressman [[Thomas Andrews (politician)|Tom Andrews]]. Snowe defeated Andrews 60%-36%, carrying every county in the state. Snowe was part of the Republican sweeping elections of 1994, where the Republican party would capture the House and Senate for the first time since 1954. Snowe was easily reelected in 2000 over State Senate President Mark Lawrence, increasing her winning margin to 69%-31%. Snowe was an important voice during the Senate's 1999 [[impeachment|impeachment trial]] of then-President [[Bill Clinton]]. She and fellow Maine Senator [[Susan Collins]] sponsored a motion that would have allowed the Senate to vote separately on the charges and the remedy — a "finding of fact" resolution. When the motion failed, Snowe and Collins voted to acquit, arguing that Clinton's perjury did not warrant his removal from office. Her moderate views have drawn attacks from [[conservatism|conservative]] Republicans; the [[Club for Growth]] and [[Concerned Women for America]] label her a [[RINO|"Republican in Name Only" ("RINO")]].{{Fact|date=July 2007}} The [[American Conservative Union]] assessed Snowe's lifetime Senate voting record as the second least conservative Republican in the chamber, behind only [[Arlen Specter]]. [[Americans for Democratic Action]] assessed Snowe's 2007 voting record, in a tie with Specter, as the most liberal Republican in the chamber. In February 2006, TheWhiteHouseProject.org named Olympia Snowe one of its "8 in '08", a group of eight female politicians who could possibly run and/or be elected president in 2008.<ref name="whitehouseprojectpr">{{cite press release| title =8 for ’08 | publisher =The White House Project| date =2006-02-16| url =http://www.thewhitehouseproject.org/newsroom/releases/2006/PressRelease021606.php| accessdate = 2007-04-07 }}</ref> In April 2006, Snowe was selected by ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' as one of "America's 10 Best Senators."<ref name="timetenbest">{{cite news | last =Calabresi| first =Massimo| coauthors =Perry Bacon Jr.| title =America's 10 Best Senators| publisher =Time| date =2006-04-16| url =http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1184052,00.html| accessdate = 2007-04-07 }}</ref> She was the only woman so recognized. ''Time'' praised Snowe for her sensitivity to her constituents, also noting that: "Because of her centrist views and eagerness to get beyond partisan point scoring, Maine Republican Olympia Snowe is in the center of every policy debate in Washington." ===A woman of firsts=== Snowe is the fourth woman to serve on the [[Senate Armed Services Committee]] and the first to chair its seapower subcommittee, which oversees the [[United States Navy|Navy]] and [[United States Marine Corps|Marine Corps]]. In 2001, Snowe became the first Republican woman to secure a full-term seat on the [[Senate Finance Committee]]. Snowe was the youngest Republican woman ever elected to the [[United States House of Representatives]]; she is also the first woman to have served in both houses of a state legislature and both houses of the U.S. Congress as well as the first Greek-American congresswoman. With her 1989 marriage to McKernan, she became the first person to simultaneously be a member of Congress and First Lady of a state. She has never lost an election in 35 years as an elected official, and in the 2006 midterm senatorial elections, Snowe won with a reported 73.99% of votes. Seven months ahead of the election, she had already raised $2.1 million.<ref name="roadlesstaken">{{cite news | last =Bell| first =Tom| title =Snowe aims for GOP road less taken| pages =B1| publisher =Portland Press Herald| date =2006-04-14| url =http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=ME&p_theme=me&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=110FF3BD46DCD600&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM| accessdate = 2007-04-07 }}</ref> ===Gang of 14=== [[Image:Alito.jpg|thumb|Snowe meets with U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge [[Samuel Alito]].]] On [[May 23]], [[2005]], Snowe was one of fourteen moderate senators, known as the [[Gang of 14]], to forge a compromise on the Democrats' use of the [[filibuster]] on judicial nominees. This action both curtailed the Republican leadership's attempt to implement the so-called "[[nuclear option]]", and broke Democratic opposition to three nominees brought to the Senate floor. The compromise precludes further filibusters and the implementation of the nuclear option for as long as the Gang of 14 holds together. Under the agreement, the Democrats retain the power to filibuster a Bush judicial nominee only in an "extraordinary circumstance", and the three most conservative Bush [[appellate court]] nominees, ([[Janice Rogers Brown]], [[Priscilla Owen]] and [[William H. Pryor, Jr.|William Pryor]]), receive an up-or-down simple majority vote by the full Senate. This deal has been strongly criticized by both Democratic and Republican partisans, but the compromise did shift the center of gravity in the Senate at the time towards moderates like Snowe.{{Fact|date=July 2007}} The Gang played an important role in the confirmation of Chief Justice [[John Roberts]] and Associate Justice [[Samuel Alito]], as they asserted that neither met the 'extraordinary circumstances' provision outlined in their agreement. Snowe ultimately voted for both Roberts and Alito. ===Committee assignments=== *Committee on Finance **Subcommittee on Health Care **Subcommittee on International Trade and Global Competitiveness **Subcommittee on Taxation, IRS Oversight, and Long-term Growth *Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship (Ranking Member) *Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation **Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security **Subcommittee on Interstate Commerce, Trade, and Tourism **Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard (Ranking Member) *Select Committee on Intelligence ===2006 re-election campaign=== {{main|Maine United States Senate election, 2006}} Snowe was re-elected to a third term in 2006. In the November 2006 election, Senator Snowe was faced by Democratic candidate [[Jean Hay Bright]], and Independent candidate [[Bill Slavick]]. In August 2006 she was polling at 68% vs 20% for Bright;<ref name="rasmussen">{{cite news | title =Maine Senate: Snowe Holding On to Massive Lead | work =opinion poll| publisher =Rasmussen Reports| date =2006-08-21| url =http://www.rasmussenreports.com/2006/State%20Polls/August%202006/MaineSenate.htm| accessdate = 2007-04-07 }}</ref> in the election she won by an even wider margin. Snowe, garnering 74% of the votes, won by the second-largest margin (after [[Richard Lugar]] of Indiana, who didn't have a Democratic opponent) of any U.S. Senate candidate in the country. ==Political views== {{Unreferenced|date=October 2006}} [[Image:80403BNAS Maine heros.jpg|thumb|Snowe meets with sailors returning from [[Iraq]], at Maine's [[Naval Air Station Brunswick]].]] Snowe is a self-described political moderate, whose independence in the Senate often marks her for complaints from more conservative groups, especially over her support for legalized [[abortion]] and [[gay rights]]. She takes more moderate views on the death penalty and guns. Snowe holds conservative views on other social issues like drug policy, travel to Cuba, and censorship issues like government regulation of the media and prohibiting flag-burning. In fiscal matters and on defense, Snowe is also generally moderate to conservative. She has been long-regarded as a hawk on foreign affairs, supporting both President Clinton's involvement in [[Kosovo]] and President [[George W. Bush]]'s invasions in [[Afghanistan]] and [[Iraq]], however she recently has criticized the administration's involvement in Iraq. On [[fiscal]] matters, she worked with Democrats to reduce the scale of the Bush [[tax cuts]] but supported the broad principle of cutting taxes as economic stimulus, and tends to side with conservative Republicans in increasing federal spending and the national debt. She ultimately joined fellow Republicans, Sen. [[Lincoln Chafee]] and Sen. [[John McCain]] in voting against the tax cut bill of 2003. In 1992 she was the only [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] in Congress to vote for Tax Fairness and Economic Growth Act which provided for some tax refunds to average taxpayers while also increasing non-corporate capital gains tax rates among other provisions. It was vetoed by President Bush. Snowe voted against [[NAFTA]], [[CAFTA]], and most free trade measures. She is a strong supporter of environmental protections. Both Snowe and fellow Maine Senator [[Susan Collins]] were reluctant converts to limited gun control following the [[Columbine High School shooting]] in 1999. Snowe lists her top legislative priorities as assisting the growth of small business, prescription drug coverage, and student loan and child care funding. In the 109th Congress, Snowe worked to ensure passage of a genetic non-discrimination act, which she had previously worked to pass for nearly eight years; opposed cutting loans through the [[Small Business Administration]]; offered legislation aimed at reducing the price of prescription drugs and insurance costs for small businesses; and became a leading voice among Congressional Republicans expressing concerns over President Bush's plans for the privatization of [[Social Security (United States)|Social Security]]. [[Image:Collladna.jpg|thumb|With fellow Maine Senator [[Susan Collins]]]] Snowe is a member of The [[Republican Main Street Partnership]] and supports [[stem cell research]]. She is also a member of [[Republicans for Environmental Protection]], the Republican Majority for Choice, [[Republicans for Choice]] and [[The Wish List (political organization)|The Wish List]] (Women In the Senate and House), a group of pro-choice Republican women. Snowe has endorsed Republican candidate [[John McCain]] for the president of the United States.<ref name="johnmccainendorsement">{{cite news | title =Endorsement of John McCain| publisher =Youtube| date =2007-2-02| url =http://youtube.com/watch?v=45YN1I89vx0| accessdate = 2007-04-06 }}</ref> ==Electoral history== {{start box}} |- |colspan=12 |<center>'''[[United States Senate|U.S. Senate]]''' (General Election)</center> |- !Year !Candidate !Party !Votes !Pct !Change !Opponent !Party !Votes !Pct''' |- |[[United States Senate elections, 1994|1994]] |bgcolor=#FFB3B3 |Olympia Snowe |bgcolor=#FFB3B3 |[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] |bgcolor=#FFB3B3 |308,244 |bgcolor=#FFB3B3 |60% |bgcolor=#FFB3B3 |+41%<sup>1</sup> |bgcolor=#B3D9FF |Tom Andrews |bgcolor=#B3D9FF |[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] |bgcolor=#B3D9FF |186,042 |bgcolor=#B3D9FF |36% |- |[[United States Senate elections, 2000|2000]] |bgcolor=#FFB3B3 |Olympia Snowe (inc.) |bgcolor=#FFB3B3 |[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] |bgcolor=#FFB3B3 |437,689 |bgcolor=#FFB3B3 |69% |bgcolor=#FFB3B3 |+9% |bgcolor=#B3D9FF |Mark W. Lawrence |bgcolor=#B3D9FF |[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] |bgcolor=#B3D9FF |197,183 |bgcolor=#B3D9FF |31% |- |[[United States Senate elections, 2006|2006]] |bgcolor=#FFB3B3 |Olympia Snowe (inc.) |bgcolor=#FFB3B3 |[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] |bgcolor=#FFB3B3 |390,056 |bgcolor=#FFB3B3 |74% |bgcolor=#FFB3B3 |+5% |bgcolor=#B3D9FF |Jean Hay Bright |bgcolor=#B3D9FF |[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] |bgcolor=#B3D9FF |107,961 |bgcolor=#B3D9FF |21% |- {{end box}} <sup>1</sup> Change from 1988 Republican candidate [[Jasper S. Wyman]], who was challenging [[George J. Mitchell|George Mitchell]] ==See also== *[[Women in the United States Senate]] ==References== {{reflist}} ==Further reading== ''Nine & Counting: The Women of the Senate'', Boxer, Collins, Snowe ''et al'', ISBN 0-06-095706-9. ==External links== *[http://snowe.senate.gov/ U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe page at United States Senate Official Web Site]. {{CongLinks | congbio = s000663 | fec = S4ME00055 | opensecrets = N00000480 | votesmart = H1630103 | ontheissuespath = Senate/Olympia_Snowe.htm }} *[http://herndon1.sdrdc.com/cgi-bin/can_detail/S4ME00055 U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe campaign finance reports and data at Federal Election Commission]. *[http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/s/olympia_j_snowe/index.html U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe collected news and commentary at ''New York Times'' site]. *[http://ontheissues.org/senate/Olympia_Snowe.htm U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe voting record at "On the Issues"]. *[http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Olympia_Snowe U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe profile at SourceWatch Congresspedia]. *[http://www.senate.gov/src/television/index.cfm?fuseaction=getSenator&senator=20 U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe video clips from the Senate Republican Conference]. *[http://www.senate.gov/src/radio/index.cfm?fuseaction=getSenator&senator=20 U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe audio clips from the Senate Republican Conference]. *[http://www.olympiasnowe.com/ U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe Official Campaign Site]. {{s-start}} {{s-par|us-hs}} {{USRepSuccessionBox | before=[[William Cohen]] | state=Maine | district=2 | years=1979 – 1995 | after=[[John Baldacci]]}} {{s-par|us-sen}} {{U.S. Senator box | before=[[George J. Mitchell]] | state=Maine | class=1 | start=1995 | alongside=[[William Cohen]], [[Susan Collins]]}} {{s-off|us}} {{s-bef|before=[[John Kerry]]}} {{s-ttl|title=Chairman of the [[United States Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship|Senate Small Business Committee]]|years=2003 – 2007}} {{s-aft|after=[[John Kerry]]}} {{end}} {{USSenME}} {{ME-FedRep}} {{U.S. Senate Small Business Committee Chairs}} {{Current U.S. Senators}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Snowe, Olympia}} [[Category:1947 births]] [[Category:Current members of the United States Senate]] [[Category:Spouses of members of the United States House of Representatives]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:American Eastern Orthodox Christians]] [[Category:Greek Orthodox Christians]] [[Category:Greek American politicians]] [[Category:Maine State Senators]] [[Category:Republican Party (United States) politicians]] [[Category:Members of the Maine House of Representatives]] [[Category:Members of the United States House of Representatives from Maine]] [[Category:People from Augusta, Maine]] [[Category:People from Falmouth, Maine]] [[Category:Spouses of United States state governors]] [[Category:United States Senators from Maine]] [[Category:Female United States Senators]] [[Category:University of Maine alumni]] [[Category:Bates College alumni]] [[Category:Female members of the United States House of Representatives]] [[de:Olympia Snowe]] [[fr:Olympia Snowe]] [[it:Olympia Snowe]] [[nl:Olympia Snowe]] [[ja:オリンピア・スノー]] [[pl:Olympia Snowe]] [[simple:Olympia Snowe]] [[fi:Olympia Snowe]] [[sv:Olympia Snowe]]