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)
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)
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)
Politico:
Schumer After Meeting With Kavanaugh: Roe V. Wade Is In Jeopardy
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said he left his 90-minute meeting with Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh convinced that the conservative jurist could vote to overturn Roe v. Wade if confirmed. Schumer (D-N.Y.) was one of five Democrats who met privately with Kavanaugh on Tuesday afternoon. ... “I asked him if he agreed that Roe v. Wade and Casey v. Planned Parenthood were correctly decided,” Schumer told reporters. “He would not say yes. That should send shivers down the spine of any American who believes in reproductive freedom for women.” (McCaskill, 8/21)
The Wall Street Journal:
Kavanaugh Says Roe V. Wade Is ‘Settled Law,’ GOP Senator Says
Judge Kavanaugh’s comments, as reported by Ms. Collins, echo how other Republican nominees have handled the issue of abortion during confirmation battles. Chief Justice John Roberts said at his 2005 confirmation hearing that Roe v. Wade was precedent and “it is not enough that you may think the prior decision was wrongly decided” to reopen a case. ... Judge Kavanaugh’s record on abortion has been under scrutiny on Capitol Hill. As a judge on the influential U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, Judge Kavanaugh has had no choice but to follow law as settled by the Supreme Court, as lower courts are required to do. At times his opinions suggest that is the only reason he has done so. (Andrews and Tau, 8/21)
Politico:
Collins: Kavanaugh Sees Roe V. Wade As 'Settled Law'
Collins said she also spoke to Kavanaugh “at length” about Garza v. Hargan, the only abortion case Kavanaugh has rendered a decision on. “We talked about whether he considered Roe to be settled law,” Collins told reporters. ... Collins and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who will meet with Kavanaugh later this week, are viewed as possible swing votes on Kavanaugh’s confirmation. Both moderate Republicans are sympathetic to abortion rights. (McCaskill, 8/21)
The Hill:
Collins: Kavanaugh Considers Roe V. Wade 'Settled Law'
Collins is one of the final GOP lawmakers to meet with President Trump’s Supreme Court pick and is widely considered to be a potential swing vote because she’s broken with her party on issues related to health care and abortion. (Carney, 8/21)
Kaiser Health News:
Battle Lines Drawn As Abortion-Rights Activists Leave Their Mark Outside Clinics
Abortion-rights activists in California and beyond have launched or stepped up information campaigns in response to a June U.S. Supreme Court ruling that crisis pregnancy centers cannot be required to tell women about the availability of publicly funded family planning services, including contraception and abortion. Through sidewalk drawings, bus-shelter ads and pop-up messages on mobile devices, these activists seek to spread the word themselves about such services, especially to young, low-income women. They aim to warn them about what they see as incomplete or false information provided by the centers, which are typically affiliated with Christian organizations and seek to persuade women to continue their pregnancies. (Ibarra, 8/22)
