Collins and Murkowski promise 'careful' vetting of Kavanaugh

All eyes are on Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), considered by many as the key swing votes when it comes to the confirmation of President Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Judge Brett Kavanaugh.

Both women are moderates who support abortion rights. Collins, who has said she won't support a nominee hostile to Roe v. Wade, released a statement saying Kavanaugh has "impressive credentials and extensive experience, having served more than a decade on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals." Collins promised to conduct a "careful, thorough vetting" of Kavanaugh, "as I have done with with the five previous Supreme Court justices whom I have considered. I look forward to Judge Kavanaugh's public hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee and to questioning him in a meeting in my office."

Murkowski said she also looks forward to meeting with Kavanaugh, and intends to review his "decisions on the bench and writings off the bench, and pay careful attention to his responses to questions posed by my colleagues on the Senate Judiciary Committee." She will consider the American Bar Association's rating of Kavanaugh, her own review of his record, and "the views of Alaskans in determining whether or not to support him."

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