Senator Susan Collins of Maine is doubling down on her controversial 2018 decision to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, even as the justice's vote to overturn Roe v. Wade has become a political liability heading into her re-election fight.
The Republican defended her confirmation vote this week, signaling she has no plans to distance herself from the choice despite its explosive aftermath. The decision to elevate Kavanaugh proved consequential when he joined the 6-3 majority that eliminated the federal constitutional right to abortion last year.
Collins' statement comes as Democrats seize on her Kavanaugh support as a rallying cry for voters angry over the abortion ruling. The senator faces a competitive re-election battle in Maine, where abortion rights have emerged as a defining issue.
Her unwillingness to express regret puts her in a precarious political position. During Kavanaugh's confirmation hearings, Collins suggested he had assured her the right to abortion was settled law. After the Dobbs decision reversed that assumption, she condemned the outcome but stopped short of saying she erred in backing his elevation to the bench.
The tension between her stated dismay at Roe's fall and her refusal to second-guess Kavanaugh's appointment underscores the bind facing moderate Republicans in swing states. Collins has long positioned herself as a dealmaker willing to break with her party, yet her votes have concrete consequences that her constituents aren't forgetting.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "Collins can't have it both ways on this one, and Maine voters know it."
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