Sen. Susan Collins, Maine Republican, said Sunday that she would refuse to support a Supreme Court nominee bent on overturning the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, saying such a position would violate respect for judicial precedent.
“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,” Ms. Collins said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
During a meeting Thursday, she said President Trump told her he would not ask potential nominees whether they would overturn the Roe decision legalizing abortion, despite his comments to the contrary on the 2016 campaign trail.
“The president told me in our meeting that he would not ask that question, and that is what he has most recently said on the advice of his attorney,” Ms. Collins said. “So I think what he said as a candidate may not have been informed by the legal advice that he now has, that it would be inappropriate to ask a nominee how he or she would rule on a specific issue.”
On #CNNSOTU with @jaketapper @SenatorCollins says that she would not vote for a SCOTUS nominee who “demonstrates hostility” to Roe v. Wade https://t.co/Iqmv3x91w8
— State of the Union (@CNNSotu) July 1, 2018
A moderate Republican, Ms. Collins is seen as critical in approving President Trump’s nominee to fill the seat of Justice Anthony Kennedy, who announced his retirement last week.
Mr. Trump has said he will announce his selection July 9.
Ms. Collins described the Roe decision as “a ruling that has been settled law for 45 years, and it involves a constitutional right and has been reaffirmed by the court 26 years ago.”
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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