U.S. Senator Susan Collins of Maine has been named to Elle Magazine's 2014 list of the 10 Most Powerful Women in Washington.

Paul Morigi/Getty images
Paul Morigi/Getty images
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Elle editor-in-chief Robbie Myers appeared on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" Wednesday to officially unveil the list, calling Republican Senator Susan Collins an "interesting person…who was also really fundamental in helping break up the gridlock in Washington, D.C., around the shutdown."

In October 2013, Senator Collins organized a bipartisan group of Senators, called the "Common Sense Coalition," and developed a plan that helped lay the foundation for the compromise that reopened the government.

The list of Washington D.C’s ten most powerful women-complete with glamorous photos-appears in the April edition of Elle and also includes Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker; CNN chief Congressional correspondent  Dana Bash; former U.S. chief of protocol Capricia Marshall; D.C. police chief Cathy Lanier; Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI); Kim Kinglsey, COO of Politico; NARAL president Ilyse Hogue; Cheryl Mills, adviser to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; and Neera Tanden, President of the Center for American Progress.

Collins is a native of Caribou who began her political career working as an aide to Sen. William Cohen. She has served in the U.S. Senate since 1997.  Collins was the chair of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security from 2003-2007 and is currently the ranking member of the Senate Special Committee on Aging.

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