Here’s what Susan Collins said about Trump’s Supreme Court pick
"I will conduct a careful, thorough vetting of the President's nominee."
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Maine Sen. Susan Collins said Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Judge Brett Kavanaugh, has an impressive background for the job. However, she added that she will review his qualifications carefully.
My statement on Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh https://t.co/R8SNnDGOXL pic.twitter.com/2O8kDjGurU
— Sen. Susan Collins (@SenatorCollins) July 10, 2018
Collins, a moderate Republican, has generally supported court nominees put forth by Republican presidents.
A Boston Globe analysis of over 500 roll-call votes made by Collins shows she has favored those candidates for judicial positions — including district court, circuit court of appeals, and the Supreme Court, among other appointments — almost 99 percent of the time.
Although Trump has said he would appoint judges to overturn the court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, Collins said on CNN Sunday she would not support a candidate who “demonstrated hostility” toward the landmark ruling.
“I would not support a nominee who demonstrated hostility to Roe v. Wade, because that would mean to me that their judicial philosophy did not include a respect for established decisions, established law,” she said.
Outgoing conservative Justice Anthony Kennedy has upheld abortion rights with liberal justices. Kavanaugh, meanwhile, has not specifically said if he would support overruling the decision, according to CNN.