Sen. Susan Collins Opens Up On D.C. Meeting With Jordon Hudson

Jordon Hudson took a trip to D.C. last month to chat with politicians about her concerns over Maine fishing laws ... and one of the officials she spoke with is now opening up on their meet-up.

Sen. Susan Collins was one who got to shake hands with Jordon and hear about her issues with East Coast fishing policies ... and during a Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport chat with a photog on Friday, she talked about their sit-down.

While she kept things brief -- she was racing to catch a flight -- she did say it was clear the 24-year-old is very passionate about the subject.

"She's the daughter of a fisherman," Collins said of Bill Belichick's girlfriend. "She cares a lot about it."

Hudson has been extremely vocal about the regulations that have been imposed on fishermen in her native state -- using her now large platform to raise awareness for how some laws can seriously impact lives.

She told People during Super Bowl week her family was actually one that was "severely altered" by "poor local and state legislation" during the early 2000s.

"A series of bills were passed by the Maine State Legislature that were detrimental to Maine's entire fishing industry and wiped out many fishing communities," she said, "ultimately resulting in the closure of my family's multi-generational fishing business."