Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MECASA) STATEMENT ON COLLINS' DECISION:

"It is a sad day for public confidence in our democratic institutions. Tomorrow the Senate will vote to confirm a Supreme Court Justice who only 1/3 of the American public think is telling the truth about sexual assault allegations made against him. One year after the #MeToo movement was reignited, the United States Senate has told survivors that when they say #MeToo it doesn’t matter. The Senate’s decision to confirm Judge Kavanaugh not only shows sexual assault victims that when they do come forward they won’t be believed, but that credible testimony doesn’t mean justice. This confirmation process will be held out as an example for generations to come of why survivors suffer in silence and do not report.

We are deeply disappointed in Senator Susan Collins’ decision to confirm Judge Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, despite our repeated conversations with her office about the realities of sexual violence victimization. In arguably the most important decision of her career to date, she has made the wrong decision.

We thank Senator Angus King for the leadership he has shown in his decision to vote against Judge Kavanaugh’s confirmation. We are grateful for Dr. Blasey Ford for her bravery, patriotism, and honesty. We thank her and her family for the great personal risks they all have taken despite this terrible outcome. As we continue to fight for justice for survivors, we will remain concerned about decisions Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh will make regarding women’s health, well-being, and safety for what promises to be decades on the bench.

We would like to remind survivors that support is available by calling 1-800-871-7741. Advocates are standing by to take calls. Support is free, private, and available 24/7."

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Maine Democratic Party Responds to Sen. Collins’ Support for Judge Kavanaugh’s Confirmation

Westbrook, MAINE - Maine Democratic Party Chairman Phil Bartlett issued the following statement today after Senator Susan Collins announced her support for Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the the Supreme Court:

“Maine has a rich history of Senators who have stood up for what’s right and put country over party. Unfortunately for Mainers, the example set by Margaret Chase Smith was not one that Senator Susan Collins chose to live up to today. Democrats and the many of the women members of the Senate—including Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski—did not shrink from this moment as Senator Collins has, and we thank them for standing up against this nomination.”

“Dr. Ford’s testimony was credible, concise, and compelling. She passed a polygraph test, called for an FBI investigation, and asked for witnesses to testify. While the FBI did conduct a supplemental investigation into Kavanaugh, it’s clear that it was inadequate and incomplete.

“Based on his record and views on health care, abortion, and abuse of Presidential powers, Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination should have been rejected on the merits. Now, based on the credible allegations he faces and his recent testimony, it’s become clear that he does not possess the integrity or character to be appointed to a lifetime position as a Justice on our highest court. It’s a shame Senator Collins can’t recognize that.”

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Maine People's Alliance (MPA) Statement on Collins' support of Kavanaugh

From MPA Co-Director Amy Halsted:

"Collins' support of Brett Kavanaugh is an astounding betrayal of her constituents. The legacy of moderation she has worked so hard to craft, has today disintegrated."

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Maine Faith Leaders React to Senator Collins' Announcement on Judge Kavanaugh Supreme Court Nomination

Immediately following Senator Collins' announcement expressing her intention to vote yes on the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to a lifetime seat on the Supreme Court of the United States, Maine faith leaders share their reactions:

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I am profoundly saddened by this decision and deeply concerned for the well-being of our nation. Given Judge Kavanaugh’s highly partisan and belligerent testimony and his lack of truthfulness under oath, I cannot fathom why Senator Collins feels it is acceptable to vote for his confirmation.

— Rev. Jane Field, Presbyterian, Maine Council of Churches Executive Director, Portland

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I am deeply disappointed by Senator Collins’ announcement that she will support the confirmation of Judge Kavanaugh to one of the nine seats on the Supreme Court of the United States, despite his lack of judicial temperament, his blatantly toxic partisanship, his troublesome record, his repeated falsehoods under oath, and credible accusations of sexual assault. It is simply unconscionable that a judge so bold in his efforts to mislead the Senate and the people of the United States should be confirmed to the Supreme Court. His dishonesty during the confirmation proceedings gives us no confidence that he will serve on the Court with the honesty and integrity befitting that role. The concerns we have held and expressed throughout the confirmation process will follow Judge Kavanaugh to the bench, undermining the very credibility of the Supreme Court, one of the key institutional pillars of our democracy. And this will be the defining mark of Senator Collins’ legacy: that despite Judge Kavanaugh’s complete lack of fitness for the office and despite a massive public outcry, she voted to confirm this unfit, dishonest judge to a lifetime appointment to a seat on our country’s highest court.

— Rev. Allen Ewing-Merrill, United Methodist, Convener of Moral Movement Maine, Portland

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I am deeply disappointed in Senator Collins’ decision to support Brett Kavanaugh for a lifetime appointment to the US Supreme Court. In casting this vote, Senator Collins has put a cloud over her entire legacy and she has undermined American confidence in our judicial system. Further, she has given women one more reason to be afraid to come forward to speak about their experiences of sexual abuse. A Kavanaugh seat on the Supreme Court endangers the expansion of health care coverage, the strength of environmental protection, the provision of workers’ rights, the Constitutionally protected right of women to reproductive choice. Through all of this, as a person of faith, I remain convinced that we are called to stay in the fight, to work for justice, and to do everything we can to heal our nation. We are not giving up. We are not going away. We will stay on the streets, in the corridors of power, in jail cells if we must, and on the front lines wherever God’s realm of compassion is being advanced.

— Rev. Dr. Jim Gertmenian, United Church of Christ, Cumberland Foreside

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Senator Collins, you have broken your trust the state of Maine. You chose to support a Justice for the Supreme Court who has promised retribution against those who opposed him when he said “what goes around comes around.” Justice is not a commodity to be withheld. In the biblical book of Amos we read: “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” You have withheld both justice and righteousness from our country in your support Brett Kavanaugh, who will enter the court seeking retribution. We hold you accountable for the decisions he will make.

— Rev. Sara Ewing-Merrill, United Methodist, Portland

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I am heart and soul sick by Senator Collins’ decision. I grieve for our country, for sexual abuse survivors, for our judicial system and for truth.

— Rev. Jeanette A. Good, Ph.D., United Church of Christ, Portland

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Our American legal system and Jewish tradition both stress that it is crucial to appoint impartial and fair judges. In his testimony, Judge Kavanaugh displayed blatant partisanship and has not apologized for or rescinded his statements. I am deeply troubled that Senator Collins is supporting the lifetime appointment of someone whose fairness and judicial temperament has been questioned by those across the political spectrum.

— Rabbi Erica Asch, Jewish, Hallowell

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Having heard Sen. Collins' intention to vote to confirm Mr. Kavanaugh, I am deeply saddened and fearful for the moral future of our country. It is accurate to say that the Senate vote is a landmark vote – a litmus test – for the very health of the nation. Specifically, the Senate vote was the “canary in the mine” and now the canary has died and this great nation is on a dangerous course. We have become a nation that not only allows but supports political leaders who freely use dishonesty, vulgarity, vitriol and power to further their own agendas. Mr. Kavanagh’s testimony last week showed clearly that he does not have the temperament to serve a lifetime post as Supreme Court judge. It showed that he is incapable of neutrality and objectivity and that he is willing to be dishonest in order advance in his career. I had hoped – and prayed – that Senator Collins would affirm what we all witnessed as he took the stand under oath last Thursday. I had truly hoped that Senator Collins would proudly stand in solidarity with the thousands and thousands of Mainers who have come forward to speak up for the values this country was founded on: integrity, compassion, fairness, justice, honesty. That did not happen; the voices of the people were ignored. And now, sadly, the dead canary signals another step towards the moral collapse of a great nation.

— Rev. Carolyn Lambert, United Church of Christ, Kennebunk

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The decision by Senator Susan Collins to vote in favor of Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s appointment to the Supreme Court is an abandonment of her commitment to women, the LGBTQ community, and her Maine constituents. Kavanaugh’s appointment to the Supreme Court will do no less than overturn Roe v. Wade and Obergefell v. Hodges. Worse, it will compromise the values of equality, justice, and privacy that have been hard won by Jewish social activists, rooted deeply in Jewish tradition and text. In the Tosefta, a compilation of Jewish law from the 2nd century, our sages teach, “One who is wise, humble, clear-headed, and wary of sin; whose youth was of unblemished repute; and in whom the spirit of others delights, that one may be made a judge.” It is clear from what we know of Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s record, what we saw in his testimony, that he does not pass this test. We are saddened that Senator Collins has turned a blind eye to the well-being of our country and has abandoned her commitment to us.

— Rabbi Jared H. Saks, Reform Judaism, Portland

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I am profoundly disappointed in Senator Collins as she besmirches her record and legacy by voting for Confirmation of judge Kavanaugh. She has pandered to the Senate leadership and President Trump by supporting a man who stands against all that she has claimed to represent over the years: moderation, civility, even-handedness, support for women. She has bartered her soul for a “mess of pottage.”

— Rev. Donald J. Rudalevige, United Methodist, Cape Elizabeth

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Those who voted Sen. Collins into office trusted her to speak for the silenced and stand with the vulnerable. In deciding to vote yes, she has betrayed that trust and instead chosen to align herself with the most powerful and privileged, wielding her power against the very people who needed her to fight for them.

— Rev. Dr. Jodi Hayashida, Unitarian Universalist, Auburn

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I find it unconscionable that Senator Collins voted to confirm a man whose decisions will most certainly hurt Maine people of all faiths and traditions.Even more unbelievable is that she could support a candidate for the highest court in the land that has mis-used his privilege to hurt others and lied to the panel of Senators. Senator Collins’ support of his confirmation is equally unconscionable. She has put party politics above serving both her own constituents and the people of the United States.

— Rev. Lori Whittemore, interfaith minister, Saco

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Without a doubt Senator Susan Collins has cast the legacy vote of her career by helping to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court, but this is a legacy of shame. Fair-minded, compassionate people will read her action as demonstrating blatant disrespect and disregard for the safety, well-being, and Constitutionally guaranteed rights of her constituents, especially survivors of violence and injustice and all those without power or privilege who look to the courts for equal protection under the law. Alas, Senator Collins has shown the nation and world that she is no Margaret Chase Smith.

— Rev. Dr. Marvin M. Ellison, Presbyterian Church USA, Portland

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Words cannot fully express our dismay and disappointment that so many of our Senators, including Senator Collins, have failed to answer the call of love and justice. Unitarian Universalists will continue to abide in solidarity with our sisters, nonbinary siblings, and brothers who have survived abuse and assault, and speak up for integrity, honesty, and our shared humanity. We see you; we hear you; we believe you; and this fight is not over.

— Molly Brewer, ministerial candidate, Unitarian Universalist, Portland

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I am dismayed that Senator Collins could be so deaf to the pleas of Mainers, especially the dozens of courageous women who have come forward to tell their stories. Clearly, her desire to curry favor with the leadership of her party has triumphed over her compassion for the lives of her constituents.

— Peter Wohl, Buddhist teacher, Oakland

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I am so disheartened by Senator Collins. She is perpetuating the violence, misogyny, and white supremacy embedded in the systems of this country. But the power of love and justice lives in the heart of the people. And we shall overcome.

— Rev. Christina Sillari, Unitarian Universalist, Portland

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We need the highest standards for the highest court in the land that is supposed to transcend politics. Senator Collins has again voted not for what is best for the people of Maine and our country, but what simply gets her approval by her party.

— Rev. Sam Johnson, United Methodist, Wells

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If Judge Kavanaugh is confirmed every woman and girl who fought against his confirmation should take a knee in protest.

— Rita Moran, interfaith minister, Augusta

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Planned Parenthood Condemns Collins’ Intention to Vote to Confirm Kavanaugh

WASHINGTON D.C. — Today, Sen. Susan Collins announced that she will vote to confirm Trump nominee Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court of the United States.

Since President Trump announced Brett Kavanagh as his nominee to the Supreme Court on July 9, Maine women and Planned Parenthood supporters have delivered more than 700 handwritten letters, made more than 3,300 phone calls, and held more than 20 public events to voice their opposition to Kavanaugh’s nomination.

Statement from Dawn Laguens, Executive Vice President of Planned Parenthood Action Fund:

“In the midst of a national dialogue about sexual assault, Sen. Collins sided with those who disbelieved, disrespected and even mocked survivors of sexual assault. No senator who votes to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court can count themselves as a champion of Roe v. Wade and women’s health and rights. Sen. Collins’ vote for Kavanaugh is a vote against abortion, birth control access, and survivors of sexual assault. With this vote, Sen. Collins has undermined the future of access to abortion for millions across the country. Sen. Collins had the opportunity to represent the lived experience of tens of millions of women in this country — to be a voice of independence and to protect our constitutional rights. She chose the opposite. Women will not forget.”

Statement from Meagan Gallagher, President & CEO, Planned Parenthood Maine Action Fund:

“Sen. Collins made a choice today to side with Mitch McConnell and President Trump over Maine people, and we are heartbroken. Thousands of Maine women came forward, often for the first time, to share their personal stories. They were courageous. Their experiences laid bare the stakes for our country and made it clear that Brett Kavanaugh should not be allowed to serve on the Supreme Court. While Sen. Collins may have turned a deaf ear, we won’t. We will redouble our efforts to ensure the people of Maine have access to the care they can count on from Planned Parenthood, and we will work every day to elect people who will listen to us and fight for us. We won’t stop.”

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Maine Womens Lobby:

"Like you, we're gutted and we're angry.

We stand in solidarity with everyone who has felt the deep pain, anger and sadness of the past week. We stand beside and believe survivors of sexual violence. This is a sad and deeply disappointing day for women in Maine and across America.

Let us find strength in one another and in our ability to survive. The highlight of our week--perhaps our year to date--was gathering in a room with 400 friends last night to celebrate our 40th anniversary. The love and joy we felt while gathered with you will help carry us through this dark moment.

Because let's be clear: we are not giving up, and we're not going away. Ever. In fact, if the last two weeks have shown us anything, it's that we need to redouble our commitment to fighting for women and girls."