Maine Leaders on 911's Lasting Impact | Portland Maine News

On 9/11/01, Maine’s top leaders faced history head-on: Senator Susan Collins in D.C. and Governor Angus King in Augusta. As chaos erupted, Collins watched Capitol Police evacuate offices amid disbelief, while King, hearing the news on the radio, swiftly shut down the State House and mobilized emergency response. King later coordinated rescue efforts at Ground Zero and ramped up security across Maine after learning some attackers had ties to the state. Collins became a key architect of national counterterrorism policy, including the creation of DHS, and remains vocal about evolving threats—from Afghanistan to Africa. Both leaders, shaped by that day, now stress that vigilance must be paired with unity, recalling the powerful moment Congress sang “God Bless America” together in grief and resolve. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/ee749673d9253f2d