Maine GOP Sen. Susan Collins said Sunday that she felt “vindicated” by Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s vote not to hear a case involving Planned Parenthood because she believes it reflected positively on his temperament.
“I was trying to speak to his temperament and his fairness and his impartiality, which I think he did demonstrate in this case,” Collins said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
Collins, a supporter of abortion rights who helped confirm Kavanaugh to the court,said previouslythat she felt “vindication” after Kavanaugh voted not to hear cases concerning state Medicaid contracts with Planned Parenthood affiliates who offer preventive care — like cancer screening and birth control — to low-income women.
Kavanaugh’s vote helped prevent the courtfrom taking up the issue, effectively handing Planned Parenthood a win by leaving two lower court opinions in place.
Collins said Sunday that Kavanaugh’s decision not to side against the group “despite the way he was treated by Planned Parenthood” showed he could be fair-minded.
“Planned Parenthood was Brett Kavanaugh’s No. 1 opponent,” Collins said. “They went after him with everything that they had, and yet when it came to this case, he was able to put that aside and rule impartially, independently.”
