Senator Angus King explains his "vote no" on Judge Kavanaugh SCOTUS nomination

Senator Angus King said late Tuesday that he will not vote to confirm U.S. Supreme Court justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

https://www.pressherald.com/2018/09/12/king-says-hell-vote-no-on-kavanaugh-confirmation/

Senator Angus King an Independent from Maine will vote "no", against the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh

Columnist Bill Nemitz called on Senator Susan Collins to stand up to right wing extemism and vote "no" on the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. A majority of Maine citizens agree with Sentor King and with Bill Nemitz.

King, an independent from Maine, said in a statement that his decision followed careful deliberation and a thorough review of Kavanaugh’s record, or at least what was made available to him. The statement said the senator also took into account “the opinions of thousands of Maine people who have written and called into his office or approached the senator personally.”

“I consider the vote the Senate is about to take on Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court to be among the most important my colleagues and I will ever face,” King said in a statement. 

“Unlike most of our decisions, which can be amended, repealed, or otherwise corrected over time, this is a one-time vote on a lifetime appointment which will likely profoundly affect our country for the foreseeable future. There are no do-overs or second chances on this one; each of us, including the people of Maine, will have to live with the consequences of this vote for years to come.

“After this intensive process, I have determined that I cannot support this nomination.”

King’s decision is not seen as a surprise – he also voted against Justice Neil Gorsuch last year – but it underscores how close the vote is expected to be. If Democrats unite in opposition, Kavanaugh’s nomination could be derailed by just two Republican votes.

That could put the spotlight fully on Maine’s other senator, Susan Collins, a Republican who has faced mounting pressure from some to buck her party and reject Kavanaugh, President Trump’s nominee to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy.

King’s statement said he made several attempts to privately meet with Kavanaugh over the past two months. He listed five reasons why he couldn’t support his nomination.

The first was what King termed Kavanaugh’s “overly rigid judicial philosophy,” which he believes could allow states greater leeway in eroding personal liberty protections outlined in prior court cases, including Roe v. Wade.

Senator King cited the lack of transparency with regard to Judge Kavanaugh’s record and his refusal to answer important questions during his hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee as factors in his decision.

Republican Senator Susan Collins, who is considered a critical vote on Kavanaugh's nomination, has yet to announce how she will vote.

Read Senator King's statement below:

"I consider the vote the Senate is about to take on Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court to be among the most important my colleagues and I will ever face. Unlike most of our decisions, which can be amended, repealed, or otherwise corrected over time, this is a one-time vote on a lifetime appointment which will likely profoundly affect our country for the foreseeable future. There are no do-overs or second chances on this one; each of us, including the people of Maine, will have to live with the consequences of this vote for years to come.

"I have spent a great deal of time and energy on this decision; I have read many of his opinions, attended a substantial portion of his recent hearing (even though I am not a member of the Judiciary Committee), read every article on his background I can find, talked to my colleagues (in both parties), and listened to the views of thousands of Maine people, both in communications to my office and direct conversations over the past two months."

"After this intensive process, I have determined that I cannot support this nomination; here’s why:

"1. There is too much is at stake. In the near future, the Supreme Court will face cases involving reproductive and other privacy-related rights, health care (including the future of the Affordable Care Act), environmental protection, voting rights, campaign finance, and consumer protection, among others. And in connection with all these issues, Judge Kavanaugh’s record indicates that he subscribes to an overly rigid judicial philosophy (as demonstrated by his longtime membership in the Federalist Society) which would allow the states great leeway in narrowing the personal liberty protections afforded by a long line of Supreme Court cases, including Roe v. Wade. (He may not vote directly to repeal Roe – though I think his record indicates that he will – but he will almost certainly vote to whittle away its protections, leaving not much more than a hollow shell.) 

Additionally, according to this philosophy, he appears ready to narrow and restrict the powers of the national government to secure voting rights, control partisan gerrymandering, reform campaign finance, promote greater access to healthcare, or protect the environment. 

For example, Kavanaugh has ruled that the EPA cannot limit air pollution crossing state lines, a decision with a profoundly negative impact upon Maine given our geographic location at the end of the nation’s tailpipe.