ICYMI: Collins “Not Sure Exactly Why” States Are Passing Anti-Choice Legislation When She Voted to Confirm Three Anti-Choice Judges in a Single Week

Senator Susan Collins said she was “not sure exactly why” states around the country are passing rigid anti-choice legislation after she voted to confirm three anti-choice judges in a single week to lifetime appointments on the federal bench. These appointments, like others Collins supported, have stacked the courts with out-of-the-mainstream, anti-choice judges, laying the foundation for this new round of uncompromising attacks on women’s health and rights.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

Maine Beacon: Collins votes to confirm three anti-choice judges, opposes one

Patrick Cochran

May 20, 2019

Key Points:

• Collins voted ‘Yea’ to uphold the nominations of Michael Park for U.S. Circuit Judge for the 2nd Circuit, Michael Truncale for U.S. District Judge for Eastern District of Texas, and Kenneth Lee for U.S. Circuit Judge for the 9th Circuit – all lifelong appointments.

• “After decades in Washington, Republican Senator Susan Collins has undone the moderate reputation she used to have by repeatedly siding with her party leaders in Washington and voting to confirm anti-choice judges to the Supreme Court and the federal bench,” the Maine Democratic Party said in a statement. “Collins has helped put two anti-choice Trump nominees on the Supreme Court, and she voted to confirm two more anti-choice federal judicial nominees just this week.”

• In 2016, Park represented the Kansas Department of Health and Environment in the state’s effort to sever Medicaid contracts with Planned Parenthood affiliates.

• In a failed run for U.S. House in 2012, Truncale campaigned on “Strong Pro-Life and Pro-Family Values” and “Fewer Governmental Regulations” while pushing to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare.

• Lee became a subject of controversy for unearthed writings he made as a student at Cornell University. In addition to homophobicexcerpts, Lee lamented the legal system’s place in rejecting anti-abortion legislation and frequently attacked feminists as hypocritical.

• With states such as Georgia and Alabama recently passing extremely restrictive abortion laws, the courts will take on a heightened role as conservatives look to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision that makes abortion constitutionally protected. Conservatives hope that the current iteration of the Supreme Court featuring Brett Kavanaugh, who Collins cast a key vote to confirm, will strike down abortion rights in the United States.

Read the full article here.

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