Susan Collins: “We cannot forget... how many adversaries we have and Iran is certainly among them.”

I find this deeply troubling. Reports that women and people of color are disproportionately fired or sidelined create the impression that their service is not valued.

“I believe that all of us must avoid that kind of dangerous and disturbing rhetoric, because it could in fact trigger violence,” Collins added.

“It’s appalling to me that some of the rhetoric is coming from public officials on both sides of the aisle who should know better than to levy personal and political attacks against the judiciary and the court specifically,” Collins said.

It would undermine the goal of awarding funds based on scientific merit and value, rather than political ideology.