Susan Collins says she didn't hear Brett Kavanaugh's SCOTUS abortion comments
Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh on Wednesday made statements during a SCOTUS hearing that many observers interpreted as laying the groundwork to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling that made abortion legal in the United States.
But Sen. Susan Collins, who voted for Kavanaugh's confirmation in 2018 while stating confidently that she believed he would vote to uphold Roe, told reporters on Wednesday afternoon that she hadn't bothered to watch Kavanaugh's comments.
"I did not see his questioning or hear any of the arguments," Collins told reporters, according to Huffington Post's Igor Bobic. "I hope to later tonight play them so I have first hand knowledge… but I can’t comment about what I didn’t see."
Collins added that she is "for Roe" when addressing the future of abortion rights in the United States.
READ MORE: US Supreme Court to hear challenge to Mississippi abortion law
During Kavanaugh's contentious 2018 Senate confirmation hearing, Collins claimed that Kavanaugh told her that he believed Roe v. Wade was settled precedent at this point.
However, at Wednesday's hearing, Kavanaugh repeatedly suggested he saw no issue with overturning established precedent.
"If we think that the prior precedents are seriously wrong, why then doesn’t the history of this court’s practice... tell us that the right answer is actually a return to the position of neutrality?" he asked at one point, according to Slate's Mark Joseph Stern.
IN OTHER NEWS: 'No, shame on you!' Sparks fly at Wisconsin hearing after Dem exposes Trump ties to election investigation
Leave a Comment
Related Post