Collins has voted to put more than 100 Trump judges on the bench
Published in Maine Beacon
Apart from Kacsmaryk, Collins has voted against three other Trump nominees, all this spring. In March, she voted against Chad Readler, who has argued to strike down the Affordable Care Act, including its protections for people with pre-existing conditions. And in May, she opposed Wendy Vitter, a vocal opponent of women’s reproductive rights, and Howard Nielson, an opponent of marriage equality.
As with Kacsmaryk, Collins was the only Republican to vote against each nominee — and each was confirmed in spite of her opposition. Readler now sits on the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals; Vitter on the Eastern District Court of Louisiana; and Nielson on the District Court of Utah.
Until Readler, Collins hadn’t cast a single vote against a Trump judicial nominee.
Daniel Goldberg, legal director at the Alliance for Justice, a coalition of progressive advocacy groups, said Collins, who faces what is expected to be a tough bid for a fifth term next year, is coming under political pressure in Maine. But, he added, a few “isolated votes can’t hide the fact that she’s been a rubber stamp for Trump’s judicial nominees.”
Marge Baker, executive vice president at People for the American Way, agreed. “She’s obviously taking heat for her vote on Kavanaugh,” she said. “She’s trying to clean up her act, but it’s not good enough.”