Susan Collins maintains she has no regrets regarding her vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh despite the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, stated that she does not regret her 2018 vote to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, despite his role in the majority ruling that overturned the federal right to abortion. Collins noted that while she was disappointed in the decision, the state of Maine successfully expanded its abortion laws to protect patients and providers. Following the Dobbs v. Jackson ruling, Maine lawmakers and Governor Janet Mills worked to strengthen state laws, allowing for abortions after viability if deemed necessary by a physician. Data from the Guttmacher Institute shows that abortion numbers in Maine remained relatively consistent before and after the ruling. While critics and abortion providers argue that the state had to work tirelessly to mitigate the effects of the vote, Collins remains firm in her position. The administration announced that the Supreme Court's decision returned power to the states to set their own reproductive health laws.