Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said Sunday it would “not be acceptable” for President Trump’s soon-to-be-named Supreme Court nominee to want to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 landmark abortion case.
“A candidate for this important position who would overturn Roe v. Wade would not be acceptable to me because that would indicate an activist agenda that I don’t want to see a judge have,” Collins said on ABC’s “This Week.”
.@SenatorCollins, a key vote on Trump’s SCOTUS nominee: “A candidate for this important position who would overturn Roe v. Wade would not be acceptable to me because that would indicate an activist agenda that I don’t want to see a judge have” #ThisWeek https://t.co/s5XgPCmrVq pic.twitter.com/XaA98t1Dv8
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) July 1, 2018
The Maine Republican, who would serve as a key vote to confirm any of Trump’s nominees, also emphasized the importance of the potential justice’s commitment to stare decisis, the doctrine by which courts adhere to precedents.
She said that already on Trump’s shortlist of candidates that there are some individuals whom she could not support and noted that she encouraged the president to widen his search.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., who also appeared on the program Sunday, said she finds it “heartening” that Collins would not support a Supreme Court nominee who would overturn Roe v. Wade.
Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement last week, after which Trump said he had narrowed his list of 25 names to five people, including two women. He said Friday that he will announce his pick on July 9.
Trump said in an interview set to air later in the day Sunday on Fox News that he does not plan to ask his candidates to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court whether they would vote to overturn Roe v. Wade.
