June 29, 2018

Pro-Choicers Are Sending Coat Hangers to Sen. Susan Collins

The Maine Republican reportedly won’t weigh Supreme Court nominees’ position on Roe v. Wade.

Mother Jones; Getty Images

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With President Donald Trump poised to nominate a new Supreme Court justice in the wake of Justice Anthony Kennedy’s retirement, all eyes are on senators such as Maine’s Sen. Susan Collins, who is considered a critical vote in the confirmation process. Today, the moderate Republican came under fire after an article in Maine’s Portland Press Herald reported that she “won’t factor a nominee’s support for the landmark abortion-rights ruling of Roe v. Wade into her confirmation decision.” Collins’ spokeswoman Annie Clark told the paper that “Senator Collins does not apply ideological litmus tests to nominees.” 

Some have interpreted Collins’ noncommittal stance as a potential threat to Roe v. Wade, which experts believe a more conservative Supreme Court lineup could overturn. In response, Twitter users have posted photos showing they’re sending metal coat hangers—a symbol of the pro-choice movement that evokes the dangers of illegal abortions—to Collins’ offices in Washington, DC, and Maine. More have started using the hashtag #HangersForCollins.

Some of their tweets:

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The December 31 deadline is closing in fast. To reach our $400,000 goal, we need readers who’ve never given before to join the ranks of MoJo donors. And we need our steadfast supporters to give again today—any amount.

Managing an independent, nonprofit newsroom is staggeringly hard. There’s no cushion in our budget—no backup revenue, no corporate safety net. We can’t afford to fall short, and we can’t rely on corporations or deep-pocketed interests to fund the fierce, investigative journalism Mother Jones exists to do.

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