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Article snippet: The high-stakes abortion battle looming over MORE of Alaska. The two women are viewed as potential swing votes because they’ve made a series of high-profile breaks with their party over healthcare -- voting against an ObamaCare repeal measure, a bill allowing states to deny Planned Parenthood federal family planning funding and legislation that would have banned abortion after 20 weeks. For Democrats to be able to sink Trump’s nominee — a major win in an election year — they’ll need to win over at least one GOP senator. Republicans nixed the 60-vote filibuster for Supreme Court nominees, meaning they can be confirmed with a simple majority. With a 51-seat majority and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) absent, Republicans have to keep their caucus united or pick up red state Democrats if they want to get Trump’s pick confirmed. Collins and Murkowski are already facing mounting pressure from both sides. So far, they have stopped short of taking firm positions on whether they would oppose a nominee viewed as anti-abortion or likely to overturn or chip away at Roe v. Wade. Justice Anthony Kennedy’s announcement on Wednesday that he'll retire after 30 years on the bench roiled Washington and sparked questions and concerns about the future of Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 case that established a right to abortion. Kennedy was the fifth vote in a 1992 case upholding that decision. And Democrats are seizing on the issue, which could help energize their voters heading into the... Link to the full article to read more