After abortion ruling, critics renew blasts at Sen. Collins
Sen. Susan Collins is being criticized for the Supreme Court ruling allowing states to ban abortion because the moderate Republican voted to confirm two of the justices who were in the majority opinion
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sen. Susan Collins was blasted Friday for the overturning of Roe v. Wade, as opponents targeted her votes to confirm two justices to the Supreme Court who were in the majority opinion allowing states to ban abortion.
Critics of the Maine senator havenāt forgotten the key role she played in confirming Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, and she was ripped anew on social media.
Some opponents took to name-calling and attacked Collins for being naive or complicit. Others called for her resignation. University of Maine professor Amy Fried said Collins āhelped make this happen,ā and the Maine Democratic Party said part of the blame lies at Collinsā feet.
Collins was considered a crucial vote on Kavanaugh. She waited months before announcing her decision in a 45-minute floor speech. Shortly after her speech ended, Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin announced he, too, was voting for Kavanaugh.
The Senate vote was 50-48.
Mainers For Accountable Leadership, a liberal advocacy group, said Collins āmust immediately apologize to these organizations who she dismissed and demeaned in her floor speech announcing her support of Kavanaugh.ā
Rachel Irwin, who works for Building Back Together, which promotes President Joe Bidenās policy agenda, called Fridayās abortion news Collinsā ālegacy.ā
Collins, a Republican, has been a supporter of a womanās right to an abortion. She has also crossed the aisle on key issues ā including splitting with Republicans on former President Donald Trumpās ban on travel from several Muslim countries, the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, and on whether to convict Trump after his impeachment following the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.
The senator said in a statement Friday that she had received assurances from Kavanaugh and Gorsuch that Roe v. Wade was an established legal precedent.
āThrowing out a precedent overnight that the country has relied upon for half a century is not conservative,ā she said. āIt is a sudden and radical jolt to the country that will lead to political chaos, anger, and a further loss of confidence in our government.ā
Collinsā statement came moments before Biden called the ruling āa tragic error.ā She did not respond to a request for an interview Friday from The Associated Press.
The senator in her statement took aim at Gorsuch and Kavanaugh for their about-face from what they told her privately and said in their confirmation hearings.
āThis decision is inconsistent with what Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh said in their testimony and their meetings with me, where they both were insistent on the importance of supporting long-standing precedents that the country has relied upon,ā she said.
The vote to confirm Gorsuch wasn't as narrow as for Kavanaugh. Senators approved Gorsuch's nomination with a 54-45 vote.
Collins voted against the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett, saying that it was too late in Trumpās presidency and that his successor shouldāve made a nomination to fill the vacancy.
Despite the vitriol against Collins and coat hangers mailed to her office, she easily won a fifth term in 2020.
She said she supports a bipartisan bill to codify the right to an abortion. āOur goal with this legislation is to do what the court should have done ā provide the consistency in our abortion laws that Americans have relied upon for 50 years,ā she said.