Senator Collins Meets with Judge Brett Kavanaugh

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Susan Collins met privately today with Judge Brett Kavanaugh, the President’s nominee to the Supreme Court of the United States, for more than two hours in her Washington office.

Following their meeting, Senator Collins released this statement:

“In a more than two-hour meeting in my office today, Judge Kavanaugh and I had a productive, informative discussion about a wide range of issues, including: his judicial philosophy, his respect for precedent, and the importance of an independent judiciary.  We also discussed Roe v. Wade, the role of the Special Counsel, executive power, the 2nd Amendment, the Affordable Care Act and protections for those with pre-existing conditions, as well as the circumstances surrounding his nomination. 

“I specifically asked Judge Kavanaugh if he had made any commitments or pledges to the Federalist Society, or the White House, about how he would decide any legal issues.  He unequivocally assured me that he had not made any such commitments and he expressed his deep respect for the independence of the judiciary.  I also was pleased to learn that Judge Kavanaugh believes, as I do, that Article III of the Constitution was intended to include the concept of precedent and that he sees precedent as much more than simply a matter of practice and tradition.  In addition, he expressed agreement with Chief Justice Roberts’ confirmation hearing statement that Roe is settled precedent and entitled to respect under principles of stare decisis.

“I look forward to Judge Kavanaugh’s public hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on September 4th.  As has been my practice, I will continue to review Judge Kavanaugh’s record and will closely follow the hearings before reaching a decision on whether to support the nomination.”

Judge Kavanaugh is the seventh Supreme Court nominee that Senator Collins has considered during her service in the Senate.