WASHINGTON Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said Friday she plans to support Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh , paving the way for his confirmation.

Collins announced her decision at the end of blistering 45-minute speech in which she defended Kavanaughs judicial record, criticized his opponents, and laid to waste Christine Blasey Fords claim that he sexually assaulted her.

I believe that [Ford] is a survivor of sexual assault and that this trauma has upended her life, Collins said, before offering a series of criticisms of Fords allegations. I do not believe that these charges can fairly prevent Judge Kavanaugh from serving on the court.

The long-awaited announcement comes as a blow to Democrats and womens groups who view the appellate court judge as a serious threat to the Affordable Care Act and reproductive rights, which Collins claims to support.

Womens groups also hoped Collins would have voted to reject Kavanaughs nomination based on the allegations of sexual assault that were leveled against him late in the confirmation process. Last month, the Maine lawmaker called for a pause in the process to hear from Ford, the woman who accused Kavanaugh of groping her in high school when they were both teens. The FBI conducted a limited investigation of the allegation, but the report proved inconclusive.