With Roe in the balance, two Republicans hold high court in their hands

Since then, Justice Gorsuch has emerged as a consistent vote within the Conservative block of the High Court.

To say that tensions are high in the Senate around Supreme Court candidates would be a euphemism. 2016's injuries remain raw and open. Democrats are still angry that Republicans, led by Mr. McConnell, are blocking President Barack Obama's candidate, Judge Merrick B. Garland of the Federal Court of Appeal, by refusing him an audition – and giving Mr. Trump the opportunity to summon Judge Gorsuch

Ms.. Murkowski took the leadership role then. But Ms. Collins broke ranks and asked Judge Garland to have an audience – a time she recalled Thursday. "This is not a pleasant situation," she said, referring to the Kennedy vacancy. "But it's not strange to me." (She also said that Judge Garland called her after the presidential election to thank her.)

Neither Ms. Murkowski nor Ms. Collins will be re-elected this year, which gives them a freedom in the way they vote. Yet, they are likely to cope with pressure at home. Eliza Townsend, executive director of the Maine Women's Lobby, a women's rights group, said her organization intended to intensify her contacts with Ms. Collins

"people Maine understand that this is for all the balls ". "It's a critical and critical moment."

million. Murkowski and Ms. Collins have long been independent personalities in the Senate. In 2010, when Ms. Murkowski came forward for reelection, she lost in a primary to a Republican Tea Party. Instead of fainting, she launched a writing campaign – posing a challenge to voters who needed to know how to spell "Murkowski" – and won. Victory actually released party constraints

. Collins has a reputation for working on the other side of the aisle. In 2013, she led an effort among Senate women, including Ms. Murkowski, to end the government's closure this year. As co-chair of a bipartisan group called the Common Sense Coalition, she helped negotiate the end of this year's closure as well. Just last week, she helped two ideological opponents, Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, and Senator Dianne Feinstein, Democrat of California, to work on immigration legislation

. the choice of the president.