Olympia Jean Bouchles Snowe (born February 21, 1947 in Augusta, Maine) is a Republican politician and the senior United States Senator from Maine. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (759x952, 134 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Olympia Snowe ... Official language(s) None (English de facto) Capital Augusta Largest city Portland Area  Ranked 39th  - Total 33,414 sq mi (86,542 km²)  - Width 210 miles (338 km)  - Length 320 miles (515 km)  - % water 13. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... George John Mitchell, GBE (born August 20, 1933 in Waterville, Maine) is Chairman of the Walt Disney Company. ... February 21 is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... Nickname: Motto: Official website: www. ... Official language(s) None (English de facto) Capital Augusta Largest city Portland Area  Ranked 39th  - Total 33,414 sq mi (86,542 km²)  - Width 210 miles (338 km)  - Length 320 miles (515 km)  - % water 13. ... GOP redirects here. ... John Rettie Jock McKernan, Jr. ... Greek Orthodox Church can refer to any of several hierarchical churches within the larger group of mutually recognizing Eastern Orthodox churches: the Orthodox Church of Constantinople, headed by the Patriarch of Constantinople, who is also the first among equals of the Eastern Orthodox Communion. ... February 21 is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... Nickname: Motto: Official website: www. ... The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party, although one early citation described it as the Gallant Old Party) [1], is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... Seal of the U.S. Senate The United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress, the other being the House of Representatives. ... Official language(s) None (English de facto) Capital Augusta Largest city Portland Area  Ranked 39th  - Total 33,414 sq mi (86,542 km²)  - Width 210 miles (338 km)  - Length 320 miles (515 km)  - % water 13. ...

A moderate Republican, Snowe has become widely known for her ability to influence close votes and Senatorial filibusters, making her among the most influential of U.S. Senators. A filibuster is a process, typically an extremely long speech, that is used primarily to stall the legislative process and thus derail a particular piece of legislation, rather than to make a particular point in the content of the diversion per se. ...

In 2006, she was named one of "America's Top Ten Senators" by Time magazine [1]. 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 [2]. (Clockwise from upper left) Notable Time magazine covers from the dates May 7, 1945; July 25, 1969; December 31, 1999; September 14, 2001; and April 21, 2003. ... Congressional Quarterly (CQ) produces a number of publications that report primarily on the United States Congress. ...

Early life

Snowe was born Olympia Jean Bouchles, the daughter of George and Georgia Goranites Bouchles. Her father emigrated to the United States from Sparta, Greece. She is a member of the Greek Orthodox Church. Olympia Jean Bouchles Snowe (born February 21, 1947 in Augusta, Maine) is a Republican politician and the senior United States senator from Maine. ... Greek Orthodox Church can refer to any of several hierarchical churches within the larger group of mutually recognizing Eastern Orthodox churches. ...

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. Location in Androscoggin County, Maine Coordinates: Counties Androscoggin County Area    - City {{{area_total}}} km²  - Land 59. ...

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. Shortly after graduation, Bouchles married her fiancé, Republican state legislator Peter Snowe. Faces of mother and child; detail of sculpture at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Female mallard duck and ducklings A mother is the biological or social female parent of a child. ... Garrison is a town in New York. ... The University of Maine, established in 1865, is the flagship university of the University of Maine System. ... For other uses, see Bates (disambiguation), Bates (surname) Bates College is a private liberal arts college, founded in 1855 by abolitionists, located in Lewiston, Maine, in the United States. ...

Career in politics

Snowe in the Maine Senate, 1977

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 his 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. That same year, she was a delegate to both the state and national Republican conventions. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (500x640, 57 KB) http://snowe. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (500x640, 57 KB) http://snowe. ... The debating chamber of the Maine Senate in the State House in Augusta The Maine Senate is the upper house of the Maine Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maine. ... A Congressman or Congresswoman (generically, Congressperson) is a politician who is a member of a Congress. ... The United States Senate is the upper house of the U.S. Congress, smaller than the United States House of Representatives. ... The United States Secretary of Defense is the head of the United States Department of Defense, concerned with the armed services and The Secretary is a member of the Presidents Cabinet. ... William Sebastian Cohen (1940- ) is an author and American politician from the U.S. state of Maine. ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ... Location in Androscoggin County, Maine Coordinates: Counties Androscoggin County Area    - City {{{area_total}}} km²  - Land 59. ... The debating chamber of the Maine House of Representatives inside the State House The Maine House of Representatives is the lower house of the Maine Legislature. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ... The debating chamber of the Maine Senate in the State House in Augusta The Maine Senate is the upper house of the Maine Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maine. ... Androscoggin County is a county located in the state of Maine. ...

Snowe was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1978, and represented Maine's 2nd Congressional District from 1979-1995. The district includes Bangor and her hometown of Auburn. She served as a member of the Budget and International Relations Committees. The House of Representatives is the larger of two houses that make up the U.S. Congress, the other being the United States Senate. ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... This page refers to the year 1979. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the Maine, USA city of Bangor. ...

Snowe married John McKernan, then-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 1989-1995, while also a U.S. Representative. John Rettie Jock McKernan, Jr. ... This is a list of Governors of Maine since statehood in 1820. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Seal of the House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives (or simply the House) is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress, the other being the Senate. ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In 1994, when Senate Majority Leader George J. Mitchell declined to run for reelection, Snowe immediately declared her candidacy for the seat. The Democratic nominee was her House colleague, 1st District Congressman 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%. 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... The Senate Majority Leader is a member of the United States Senate who is elected by his or her party conference to serve as the chief Senate spokesman for his or her party and to manage and schedule the legislative and executive business of the Senate. ... George John Mitchell, GBE (born August 20, 1933 in Waterville, Maine) is Chairman of the Walt Disney Company. ... The Democratic Party is one of two major political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. ... Thomas Hiram Andrews, b. ... This article is about the year 2000. ...

Snowe was an important voice during the Senate's 1999 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. Depiction of the impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson, then President of the United States, in 1868. ... William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ... Susan Collins smashes champagne over the bow of a ship in a traditional ceremony With fellow Maine Senator Olympia Snowe Susan Margaret Collins (born December 7, 1952 in Caribou, Maine) is an American politician, the junior U.S. Senator from Maine and a Republican. ...

Her moderate views have drawn attacks from conservative Republicans; the Club for Growth and Concerned Women for America label her a "Republican in Name Only" ("RINO"). Conservatism is a political philosophy that generally favors free markets, traditional values and strong foreign defense. ... The Club for Growth is a Reaganite section 527 political organization and an affiliated political action committee that raise money for candidates who support a pro-tax cut and limited government agenda. ... Concerned Women for America is a conservative Christian group that is active in politics in the United States. ... RINO stands for Republican In Name Only, a disparaging term for a member of the United States Republican Party whose words and actions are thought to be too fiscally or socially moderate or liberal. ...

U.S. President George W. Bush has given Snowe the nickname "The Big O". [3] George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ...

In February 2006, TheWhiteHouseProject.org[4] 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.

In April 2006, Snowe was selected by Time as one of "America's 10 Best Senators." 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." 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... (Clockwise from upper left) Notable Time magazine covers from the dates May 7, 1945; July 25, 1969; December 31, 1999; September 14, 2001; and April 21, 2003. ...

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 Navy and Marine Corps. In 2001, Snowe became the first Republican woman to secure a full-term seat on the Senate Finance Committee. The Committee on Armed Services is a committee of the United States Senate empowered with legislative oversight of the nations military, including the Department of Defense, military research and development, nuclear energy (as pertaining to national security), benefits for members of the military, the Selective Service System and other... USN redirects here. ... The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the U.S. military responsible for providing power projection from the sea,[1] utilizing the mobility of the U.S. Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces to global crises. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... The U.S. Senate Committee on Finance (or, less formally, Senate Finance Committee) is a standing committee of the United States Senate. ...

Snowe was the youngest Republican woman ever elected to the United States House of Representatives; she is also the only woman to have served in both houses of a state legislature and both houses of the U.S. Congress. Finally, she is the first Greek-American congresswoman. With her 1989 marriage to Maine Governor John 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, and in the 2006 Mid-term senatorial elections, Snowe won with a reported 73.99% of votes. 7 months ahead of the election, she had already raised $2.1 million. [5] A grassroots campaign has emerged to convince Snowe to seek the Republican nomination for the Presidency in the 2008 Presidential election. Seal of the House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives (or simply the House) is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress, the other being the Senate. ... John Rettie Jock McKernan, Jr. ... A grassroots political movement is one driven by the constituents of a community. ... The presidential seal was used by President Hayes in 1880 and last modified in 1959 by adding the 50th star for Hawaii. ... Presidential electoral votes by state The U.S. presidential election of 2008 is scheduled to occur on November 4, 2008. ...

Political views

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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. On other social issues like drug policy, travel to Cuba, and censorship issues like government regulation of the media and prohibiting flag-burning, Snowe is quite conservative. In fiscal matters and on defense, Snowe is also generally 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 interventions 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. She joined fellow Republicans, Sen. Lincoln Chafee and Sen. John McCain in voting against the tax cut bill of 2003. She 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. Although she is pro-choice, she has expressed opposition to partial-birth abortion; however, she voted against the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act because she felt it did not include the necessary exemptions. Image File history File links Information_icon. ... Image File history File links 80403BNAS_Maine_heros. ... Image File history File links 80403BNAS_Maine_heros. ... Naval Air Station Brunswick is a United States Navy airfield in Brunswick, Maine—the only one in New England. ... The gay rights movement is a collection of loosely aligned civil rights groups, human rights groups, support groups and political activists seeking acceptance, tolerance and equality for non-heterosexual, (homosexual, bisexual), and transgender people - despite the fact that it is typically referred to as the gay rights movement, members also... For other uses of the name Kosovo, see Kosovo (disambiguation). ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... Fiscal municipality in Huesca, Spain The term fiscal refers to government debt, expenditures and revenues, or to finance (particularly financial revenue) in general. ... A tax cut is a reduction in the rate of tax charged by a government, for example on personal or corporate income. ... Lincoln Davenport Chafee (IPA pronunciation: , [CHAY-fee]) (born March 26, 1953) is a Republican United States Senator from Rhode Island. ... John Sidney McCain III (born August 29, 1936) is the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona, having served since 1987. ... Susan Collins smashes champagne over the bow of a ship in a traditional ceremony With fellow Maine Senator Olympia Snowe Susan Margaret Collins (born December 7, 1952 in Caribou, Maine) is an American politician, the junior U.S. Senator from Maine and a Republican. ... The Columbine High School massacre occurred on April 20, 1999 at Columbine High School in Jefferson County near Littleton, Colorado, United States. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Pro-choice activists on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court, to rally for abortion rights on the anniversary of Roe v. ... Partial-birth abortion (PBA) is a non-medical term used to refer to some late-term abortion procedures. ... It has been suggested that Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 1995 be merged into this article or section. ...

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. The Small Business Administration, or SBA, is a United States Government agency that provides support to small businesses. ... Social Security, in the United States, refers to the Federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) program. ...

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 (Women In the Senate and House), a group of Pro-Choice Republican Women. The Republican Main Street Partnership is a group of social liberals and moderates in the United States Republican Party. ... Mouse embryonic stem cells. ... Republicans for Environmental Protection (or REP America), is a national organization of Republican voters formed in 1995 with the stated purpose of educating and advocating environmental issues and supporting efforts to conserve natural resources and protect human and environmental health. ... Republicans for Choice, an organization based in the Washington, DC area (Headquarters: 2760 Eisenhower Ave, Suite #260, Alexandria, Virginia 22314) is a political action committee (PAC) composed of members of the United States Republican Party who support legalized abortion. ... The Wish List is an organization whose acronym for Women In the Senate and House. ...

Gang of 14

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 Democrat 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. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1600x1043, 383 KB) http://snowe. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1600x1043, 383 KB) http://snowe. ... Samuel Anthony Alito, Jr. ... The Gang of 14 (sometimes called the Mod Squad, with mod standing for moderate) was a term coined to describe the bipartisan group of moderate Senators who successfully negotiated a compromise to avoid the deployment of the so-called nuclear option over the organized use of the filibuster by Senate... In a legislature or other decision making body, a filibuster is an attempt to extend debate upon a proposal in order to delay or completely prevent a vote on its passage. ... The expression nuclear option, as used in American politics circa 2005, is a catchphrase referring to a political maneuver that would allow the US Senate majority (currently Republicans hold 55 of 100 seats) to prevent the minority party (currently Democrats) from filibustering judicial nominees, making it easier for the President...

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 Pryor), receive an up-or-down simple majority vote by the full Senate. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Appeal. ... The Honorable Janice Rogers Brown Janice Rogers Brown (born May 11, 1949 in Greenville, Alabama) is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. ... Priscilla Owen (born in Palacios, Texas, October 4, 1954) is a judge in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. ... William Holcombe Pryor, Jr. ...

This deal has been strongly criticized by both Democratic and Republican partisans but, for the time being, the forging of this compromise has radically changed the center of gravity in the Senate towards moderates like Snowe. 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. John Glover Roberts Jr. ... Samuel Anthony Alito, Jr. ...

Committee assignments

In the 109th Congress, Sen. Snowe is Chair of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee. She is the first woman to hold the position. She also serves on the Committee on Finance; Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation and the Select Committee On Intelligence. The U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship is a standing committee of the United States Senate. ... The U.S. Senate Committee on Finance (or, less formally, Senate Finance Committee) is a standing committee of the United States Senate. ... The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is a standing committee of the United States Senate in charge of all senate matters related to the following subjects: Coast Guard Coastal zone management Communications Highway safety Inland waterways, except construction Interstate commerce Marine and ocean navigation, safety, and transportation Marine... The United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is dedicated to overseeing the American Intelligence Community—the agencies and bureaus of the U.S. federal government who provide information and analysis for leaders of the executive and legislative branches. ...

2006 re-election campaign

Main article: 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^[1]; 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. The 2006 U.S. Senate election for the state of Maine will be held November 7, 2006. ... Jean Hay Bright Jean Hay Bright is a Maine politician. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... Richard Green Dick Lugar (born April 4, 1932) is the senior United States Senator from Indiana. ...

Electoral History

¹ Change from 1988 Republican candidate Jasper S. Wyman, who was challenging George Mitchell Seal of the U.S. Senate The United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress, the other being the House of Representatives. ...  Republican holds  Republican pickups  Democratic holds  Democratic pickups The U.S. Senate election, 1994 was an election in which the Republican Party was able to take control of the Senate from the Democrats by mobilizing voters discontented with congressional incumbents and the early presidency of Bill Clinton. ... GOP redirects here. ... The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States; the other being the Republican Party. ...  Republican holds  Republican pickups  Democratic holds  Democratic pickups The U.S. Senate election, 2000 was an election for United States Senate which coincided with the election of George W. Bush as president. ... GOP redirects here. ... The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States; the other being the Republican Party. ...  Republican hold  Democratic hold  Democratic pickup  Independent hold  Independent pickup New Senate composition, according to CNN results:  Two Republicans Two Democrats One Democrat, one Republican One Democrat, one independent Elections for the United States Senate were held on November 7, 2006, with 33 of the 100 seats in the United... GOP redirects here. ... The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States; the other being the Republican Party. ... There have been several well-known people named George Mitchell, including: George Mitchell (musician) George J. Mitchell (politician) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

See also

• Women in the United States Senate

There have been 35 women in the United States Senate since the establishment of that body in 1789, meaning that out of the 1,884 Americans who have served in the United States Senate since that time, 1. ...

References

Further reading

Nine & Counting: The Women of the Senate, Boxer, Collins, Snowe et al, ISBN 0-06-095706-9.

External links

• Official website.
• Official Campaign Website 2006.
• Video clips from the Senate Republican Conference.
• Audio clips from the Senate Republican Conference.
• Answers to Project Vote Smart's On the Issues questions.
• Olympia Snowe 2008 (a site to draft Snowe for President in 2008).
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post