Senator Susan Collins (R) is a Disappointment to Women of Maine.

This morning at a press conference Eliza Townsend, executive director of the Maine Women’s Lobby, delivered the following message in Augusta:

“We have gathered here today to say that we believe Dr. Christine B. Ford in her description of a sexual assault by Brett Kavanaugh and his accomplice Mark Judge.  As the #MeToo movement has demonstrated this experience is all too common.  Sexual assault is the most under reported crime in the United States.

Sexual violence must never be excused or explained away.  If we are to change our culture, we must believe who come forward and treat them not only with dignity and respect, but with action.

The United States Senate must not move forward in confirming Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court of the United States.  While there are many reasons to oppose Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination, committing a sexual assault so horrible it caused a young women’s imminent fear of death and subsequent trauma lasting for decades clearly renders him unqualified to be a United States Supreme Court Justice. Dr. Ford has experienced a lifetime of trauma from his acts, Kavanaugh shouldn’t be rewarded with a lifetime appointment to our nation’s highest court.

Sadly, too many members of the United States Senate have learned nothing from the #MeToo movement.  Over the last few years, hundreds of thousands of women across the country have come forward to share their own painful and traumatic experiences, illustrating how depressingly common they are.  Yet, over the past few days numerous senators, including Bob Corker, Lindsay Graham, Chuck Grassley, Dean Heller, John Kennedy, Mitch McConnell, Chris McDaniel and Thomas Tills, have shown him to be wildly out of touch with the experiences of American women. Senator Orrin Hatch, who treated Anita Hill with contempt 27 years ago has learned nothing in the intervening decades and appears prepared to repeat this disgraceful performance.

We are deeply, profoundly disappointed by Senator Susan Collins (R) remarks since Dr. Ford came forward.  Her call Tuesday for Dr. Ford to be cross-examined by Brett Kavanaugh’s attorney and her insistence that a hearing take place on an artificial timetable is a fundamental misunderstanding of the situation.

Dr. Ford is not on trial.  She is a victim who bravely came forward, despite knowing that her life would be thrown into chaos……..

We call on Senator Collins to demonstrate to  the women in Maine and across America, through her leadership, that she believes women will not tolerate sexual assault.  The Senator is perhaps the single most powerful women in the Senate today.  She could, if she chose, see to it that Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination did not more forward and it is the outcome that I am hoping for……….” concluded Ms. Townsend.