Sen. Susan Collins used to be a reliable leader for women’s sexual and reproductive rights, including access to abortion. But now I am feeling betrayed. It is not just her vote on Brett Kavanaugh. She supported the nomination of Neil Gorsuch and 30-plus other anti-choice nominees to the federal court system.

She failed to predict the flood of anti-choice bills passed by state legislatures in 2019, which are racing toward the Supreme Court. She actually seemed surprised that the appointment of these judges would stimulate conservative state legislators to pass such bills.

She is associated with such people as Robert and Diana Mercer, who own Breitbart, and Leonard Leo of the Federalist Society, a group intent on stacking the courts with anti-choice judges. These judges threaten the future of Roe v. Wade.

In the past she has supported funding for Planned Parenthood. The Trump administration implemented a new gag rule to Title X that would prevent federal funding being sent to family planning centers that provide necessary health services to women and others in underserved communities. In Maine, family planning providers such as Maine Family Planning and Planned Parenthood have been forced to forgo several million dollars in federal funds over this new Trump rule, and Sen. Collins has yet to do anything at all to stop it.

Susan Collins has shown us that her party loyalty means more to her than supporting women’s sexual and reproductive rights.

Julia Kahrl

Arrowsic

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