Judges are confirmed to lifetime seats on all federal courts – those that affect the schools we attend, our privacy, whether and when to start a family, our religious freedom, access to health care and beyond. That’s why ensuring a fair and independent judiciary is essential.

Sen. Susan Collins has always been a champion of women’s rights and has made it clear she has a great deal of respect for precedent. Based on now-Justice Neil Gorsuch’s rulings during the last Supreme Court term, it is clear that promising to respect precedent is not enough. Indeed, Gorsuch’s self-proclaimed respect for precedent didn’t stop him from overturning 40 years of workers’ rights in Janus v. AFSCME.

Our president ran on the premise of overturning Roe v. Wade and used conservative interest groups to suggest potential justices who would “automatically” overturn this landmark ruling. This means that it cannot be enough for Sen. Collins to hear Brett Kavanaugh say that he respects precedent. The burden is on him to show that he does respect precedent, including Roe. So far, he hasn’t met that burden.

Women everywhere are looking to Sen. Collins for hope. She has the power to stop Majority Leader Mitch McConnell from rushing this process. The president must find a solid, consensus nominee who isn’t just a puppet to protect him from indictment, as Kavanaugh seems to be.

Patty Weber

Portland

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