Sen. Susan Collins casts milestone 7,000th consecutive vote

June 18 (UPI) -- Sen. Susan Collins cast her milestone 7,000th consecutive vote in the Senate on Tuesday, citing Maine's "very strong work ethic."

The Republican hasn't missed a single vote since she took office in 1997 despite some health troubles and family emergencies.

"Maine people have a very strong work ethic, and it is a great honor to represent them in the U.S. Senate," Collins tweeted. "I have worked to bring their values to Washington by never missing a single vote. I'm touched that my colleagues celebrated my 7,000th consecutive roll call vote today."

Collins has gone to some lengths to ensure she's never missed a vote. In 2008, she broke her ankle in a rush to get to the Senate floor after markup on legislation took too long in the Dirksen Senate Office Building. She made it just in time.

She broke her other ankle in December 2016 after falling on some ice in Maine.

"I realize that I've been fortunate," she told Roll Call. "One Christmastime I had to get surgery on a badly broken ankle, but we were out of session, so I didn't miss any votes."

She's had some help from her colleagues in the Senate, who agreed not to hold a vote in March 2018 while she attended her father's funeral.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, holds the longest active consecutive vote record, and former Sen. William Proxmire, D-Wis., holds the longest record in history with more than 10,200 votes.