U.S. Sen. Susan Collins defended herself against Planned Parenthood’s “outrageous” claims Sunday after she voted to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court.
A target of Planned Parenthood and other pro-abortion groups, the pro-abortion Maine Republican ignored the abortion lobby’s pressure and voted to confirm Kavanaugh on Saturday. Afterward, Planned Parenthood accused Collins of siding “with those who disbelieved, disrespected, and even mocked survivors” of sexual assault.
The Washington Times reports Collins responded by slamming the abortion chain for making false and “outrageous” claims against her. Though a Republican, Collins is pro-abortion and often votes against key pro-life legislation.
“First of all, I have never disregarded, disrespected or mocked survivors. That is just plain untrue,” Collins told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday.
Hinting at a partisan agenda, Collins said Planned Parenthood did not support “pro-choice” justices nominated by Republicans either.
“I would note that Planned Parenthood opposed three pro-choice justices just because they were nominated by Republican presidents: David Souter, Sandra Day O’Connor and Justice [Anthony] Kennedy,” Collins said. “They said the same thing, women will die. This is just outrageous.”
“Women will die” if Roe v. Wade is overturned is a favorite talking point of the abortion lobby, but there is little evidence of its truth. Even if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe, abortions would still be legal in most states.
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Government statistics also do not provide evidence of massive maternal deaths from back alley abortions. The number of women dying from abortions right before and after Roe are similar, according to Centers for Disease Control reports from the 1970s.
A 1972 CDC report noted 39 maternal deaths from abortions in the United States, the year prior to Roe. CDC reports indicate women still die from legal, supposedly “safe” abortions. As of 2008, the CDC reported more than 400 women died from legal abortions in the United States, including 12 that year.
Unfortunately, Collins also told CNN that she has not changed her mind about Planned Parenthood’s taxpayer funding. She repeatedly has supported giving hundreds of millions of tax dollars to the abortion giant every year.
“I worked to preserve funding for Planned Parenthood over and over again and I’m going to continue to do so,” Collins told CNN.
The abortion chain, NARAL and other pro-abortion groups have lobbied Collins incessantly on Kavanaugh, and some abortion activists even threatened violence against her and her staff ahead of the vote.
Pro-abortion groups have labeled Kavanaugh a “serious threat” to “women’s right” to abortion, while national pro-life leaders have expressed high hopes for Kavanaugh and the future of unborn babies’ rights. Planned Parenthood spent at least six figures on ads opposing his nomination.
Kavanaugh served on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for D.C. for more than a decade, where he wrote decisions protecting religious liberty and enforcing restrictions on abortion. Pro-life leaders believe he will do the same on the U.S. Supreme Court.
