Augusta, Maine – Last week, Susan Collins received the Bryce Harlow Award at Washington, D.C.’s “Lobbyist Prom” – an annual gala backed by corporate lobbyists and Big Pharma.
Highlights:
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Collins thanked the crowd of lobbyists, saying it was “wonderful” to “see so many of my former staffers” in attendance. Collins’ Senate office has employed nearly 90 staffers who either previously worked as lobbyists or later became lobbyists themselves.
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Sen. Joe Manchin presented Collins with the award. In accepting it, Collins joked about cutting deals on Manchin’s boat, saying, “What Joe didn’t tell you is a lot of these agreements were worked out on his boat, his famous boat. Some called it a party boat. I called it a work boat. It was both.”
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The Bryce Harlow Award, named after one of Washington’s original “revolving door” politicians, recognizes people with deep ties to corporate lobbyists – a fitting distinction for Collins, who has taken more than $1.2 million from lobbyists during her time in the Senate.
Since 2010, Collins has failed seven times to cosponsor legislation that would impose a lifetime ban on members of Congress becoming lobbyists.
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