NARAL Pro-Choice America Issues Statement on Sen. Collins, Judge Kavanaugh

WASHINGTON, Aug. 31 -- NARAL Pro-Choice America issued the following statement by President Ilyse Hogue in response to a report that Sen. Susan M. Collins, R-Maine, pre-approved Judge Brett Kavanaugh before President Trump nominated him to the Supreme Court:

"If this report is true, it shows that Susan Collin is not listening to her constituents, as she proudly claims, rather she is working behind closed doors with Donald Trump to stack the Supreme Court with justices who will gut Roe v Wade and criminalize abortion.

"This news, if true, should shake Mainers and all people whose rights are on the line with Kavanaugh's confirmation to their core. Senator Collins must not betray her constituents and the American people to whom she promised she would not decide on Kavanaugh until she had heard from her constituents, met with him, and heard his responses at his confirmation hearing.

"Mainers did not send Susan Collins to the Senate to be a rubber stamp for Donald Trump's agenda. They sent her because they believed she would be an independent voice and listen to their concerns. Now more than ever they need that independent voice."

"Senator Collins said in an interview with the Portland Press Herald this month that, "Until I've had that opportunity to question the judge personally on a lot of important issues and then to observe his hearing, I will refrain from making a decision."

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Senator Collins' constituents in Maine do not want to see Kavanaugh confirmed and Roe ended. Mainers are bravely stepping up like never before to share why Roe is important to them and how Collins will face electoral consequences if she votes for Kavanaugh, including in a new ad from NARAL.

The vast majority of Americans do not want to see Roe ended and abortion criminalized, including a majority of Republicans. A recent CNN poll shows that Brett Kavanaugh is the least popular nominee in recent history, even less popular than failed nominee Harriet Miers. Only 28% of women believe Kavanaugh should be confirmed, meaning that 72%--an overwhelming majority--understand the damage he will do to our rights, our lives, and our fundamental freedoms.

Recent polling shows that Maine voters oppose a Supreme Court nominee who would end Roe v. Wade and that Senator Collins would face peril for voting for such a nominee. The poll, conducted by NARAL and Public Policy Polling in Maine, finds that the majority of voters, including two-thirds of independent voters, do not want to see Roe v. Wade overturned, and would oppose any nominee to the Supreme Court who would overturn it.

The poll also found that a senator who vote for such a nominee would face peril in their upcoming election. When asked whether or not they would like to see the Supreme Court completely overturn Roe v. Wade and outlaw a woman's constitutional right to have an abortion, 63% of Maine voters said they would not, compared to only 24% who would like to see the landmark decision overturned-over a 2-to-1 margin. Public support for Roe also extended across party lines, with 76% of Democrats, 69% of Independents, and 44% of Republicans in favor of protecting Roe.

A majority of voters, 62%, say they would oppose President Trump nominating someone to the Supreme Court who would vote to completely overturn Roe v. Wade--including 80% of Democrats and 67% of independents. Additionally, the majority of voters, 62%, said they would be less likely to support their Senator if they voted to confirm a candidate to the Supreme Court who would completely overturn Roe and criminalize abortion.

NARAL Pro-Choice America and its network of state affiliates are dedicated to protecting and expanding reproductive freedom for all Americans. NARAL works to guarantee that every woman has the right to make personal decisions regarding the full range of reproductive choices, including preventing unintended pregnancy, bearing healthy children, and choosing legal abortion. In recognition of its work defending our constitutional right to choose, Fortune Magazine described NARAL as "one of the top 10 advocacy groups in America."