Gideon touted his endorsements of abortion rights groups like NARAL Pro-Choice America and Planned Parenthood Action and publicly questioned whether Collins still believed Kavanaugh saw Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision in which the court ruled that the Constitution protects a pregnant woman the right to choose to abort, as “established law.”
In a video conversation with NARAL Pro-Choice America President Ilyse Hogue, Gideon said Kavanaugh “did the exact opposite of what Susan Collins professed over and over again that she was sure she would do, and that is respecting the precedent. de Roe v. Wade. “
“We are still in danger in terms of reproductive health care and access to that for all people in this country,” he added.
Louisiana law required that doctors who perform abortions have “admission privileges” at a nearby hospital. Chief Justice John Roberts sided with the four liberal judges because of Supreme Court precedent, emphasizing that Louisiana law was identical to an accreditation requirement in a Texas statute invalidated by the court ruling 2016 in the case of Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt. Kavanaugh disagreed with the other conservative judges, writing that the Supreme Court “should refer the case for a new trial and additional fact finding under appropriate legal standards.”
Collins, the last New England Republican in Congress, is seeking a fifth Senate term in a state that then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump lost in 2016 by 3 points. His moderate reputation has consistently put him in the midst of major debates in Washington. But his votes for Kavanaugh, who was confirmed with a minimum of 50 votes in the Senate, and against the Republican effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act have put him in a difficult position with both Democrats and Republicans. Collins has repeatedly declined to say whether he is endorsing Trump’s reelection offer.
He was back in the spotlight after the court’s decision. Collins campaign spokesman Kevin Kelley said the senator agreed.
“To suggest that Judge Kavanaugh’s dissent in this particular case is a vote to ban abortion is absurd and not based on fact,” Kelley said. “As Judge Gorsuch wrote, ‘Truly, Roe v. Wade is not even in question here.'”
“The bottom line is that she has always believed in a woman’s right to choose and nothing about today’s decision changes the law,” he added.
CNN’s Joan Biskupic contributed to this report.
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