WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Olympia J. Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine have been awarded the “Restoring the Balance” award from the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Snowe and Collins were bestowed with the honor for their leadership and persistence in securing $20 billion in fiscal assistance for state governments under the “Jobs and Growth Tax Relief and Reconciliation Act of 2003.”

Recognized alongside the two Maine Republicans for their joint efforts on behalf of securing fiscal assistance for state governments were Sens. John Rockefeller, D-W.Va., Ben Nelson, D-Neb., and Gordon Smith, R-Ore.