WASHINGTON D.C. (NEWS CENTER Maine) -- As soon as Sen. Susan Collins started reading her statement on Kavanaugh, Portland resident Amanda Doamaral's heart sank.
She and two other women from Maine sat together at a table in Sen. Angus King's office in Washington D.C.
"It feels like home here," said Heather Everly of Lewiston. "Being around all those other people or in Senator Collins office -- it's just too hostile."
Sen. King opened his doors to the dozens of Mainers who made the trip down to D.C. in an attempt to sway Collins away from a vote for Kavanaugh, or to talk with him about their concerns. A gesture that didn't go unnoticed.
"We won't forget his kindness through all of this," Everly said.
The longer Collins spoke, the more reality set in for the women. "How can she do this," said Nicole Palmer of Bowdoin. "And who is she talking to? Because it isn't her constituents."
The three continued to watch, at times tears would begin welling in their eyes. All three women are survivors of sexual abuse. To them, they say this decision goes much deeper than a simple yes or no.
"She's telling every survivor out there that they don't matter," Palmer said. "That if you're young and did something you didn't mean to -- that's ok."
Palmer and Doamaral had created their own shirts using electrical tape to create the words 'Maine Is Here' on them. They hadn't planned on staying an extra night and they had to get creative. As Collins went on in her speech, the pair started to tear the letters off their shirt and created a new word. By the end, their shirts read 'Maine Is Furious'.
"She ignored us," Palmer said. "She ignored Maine."
