Kavanaugh Tells Sen. Collins That Roe Is ‘Settled’ Law, But Critics Say He Still Could Vote To Change It
Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader, said in his meeting with Brett Kavanaugh, the Supreme Court nominee, that Kavanaugh refused to say whether Roe v. Wade had been settled correctly. "That should send shivers down the spine" of people who support the right to abortion, the New York senator said.
The Washington Post:
Sen. Susan Collins Says Kavanaugh Sees Roe V. Wade As ‘Settled Law’
A Republican senator whose vote could ensure the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Brett M. Kavanaugh offered an upbeat assessment of their meeting Tuesday, highlighting the judge’s statement that the Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion is “settled law.” Sen. Susan Collins (Maine), a centrist who supports abortion rights, appeared to be leaning toward backing President Trump’s nominee after a one-on-one session that lasted more than two hours. Collins said she would announce her decision after confirmation hearings next month. (Viebeck and Pogrund, 8/21)
The New York Times:
Roe Is ‘Settled Law,’ Kavanaugh Tells Collins. Democrats Aren’t Moved.
Democrats immediately pounced on the “settled law” construction, saying it is a standard phrase employed to duck the real question: whether Roe was correctly decided. “Let’s be clear; this is not as simple as Judge Kavanaugh saying that Roe is settled law,” Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the minority leader, told reporters. “Everything the Supreme Court decides is settled law until it unsettles it. Saying a case is settled law is not the same thing as saying a case was correctly decided.” (Stolberg, 8/21)
NPR:
Collins Says Supreme Court Nominee Kavanaugh Called Roe V. Wade 'Settled Law'
That assurance, made during a Tuesday morning meeting in the Maine senator's office that lasted more than two hours, likely goes a long way toward securing a key vote for Kavanaugh's confirmation. Collins supports abortion rights and made sure to point out she viewed the 1973 decision as "settled law" in her initial reaction to the news that abortion rights swing vote Anthony Kennedy was retiring from the Supreme Court. (Detrow, 8/21)