WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement on the President’s nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court:

“It’s troubling that the President’s search for a potential Supreme Court Justice seemed to start and end with a list of names supplied by an outside group,” said Senator King. “Tonight’s selection of Judge Brett Kavanaugh, who was included on this list, seems to be the culmination of a process that further erodes traditional norms. This is one of the most consequential decisions any Senator will make, and in evaluating Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination, I will thoroughly and thoughtfully research his positions, record, and judicial temperament – but I will do so with some skepticism, because the President has made clear, both on the campaign trail and after being sworn in, the type of Supreme Court Justice he would seek to nominate with regard to important issues like a woman’s right to choose, the Affordable Care Act and the limits of executive power. I am inclined to take him at his word that he would find a nominee who meets his criteria – but his standards and mine are vastly different on these topics. I’ve voted against ideologically extreme judges who do not reflect Maine’s values a number of times before, and, if my research indicates that Judge Kavanaugh is another such nominee, I will not hesitate to do so again.”