Republican Sen. Susan Collins is slamming Alabama’s newly signed abortion ban as “extreme” and a “terrible law” that will most likely be overturned by the Supreme Court.
“I’m very much opposed to the Alabama law,” Ms. Collins told The Hill in an interview Thursday. “I think it’s completely inconsistent with Roe v. Wade and will lead to a virtual ban on abortions in Alabama, even for victims of incest and rape. And to threaten a physician who performs an abortion with up to 99 years in jail is a very extreme law.”
Republican Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed the most restrictive anti-abortion bill in the country on Wednesday, outlawing virtually all abortions in the state, including in cases of rape and incest. Potential penalties include lengthy prison sentences for abortion providers.
“The Alabama law is a terrible law — it’s very extreme — it essentially bans all abortions,” Ms. Collins told CNN on Thursday. “I can’t imagine that any justice could find that to be consistent with the previous precedents.”
Ms. Collins faced criticism last year after she voted to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. At the time, Justice Kavanaugh said that Roe v. Wade was “an important precedent of the Supreme Court,” which was the primary reason why Ms. Collins said she backed him. She told CNN that she was confident Justice Kavanaugh would not uphold Alabama’s law.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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