Roberts Confirmed to Lifetime Appointment as Chief Justice
Abortion Rights Case on Court Docket This FallSt. Paul, MN – After several days of debate, the U.S. Senate has voted to confirm John Roberts to a lifetime appointment as Chief Justice of the United States. Tim Stanley, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota, said that during his confirmation hearings Roberts either evaded questions on women’s reproductive freedom or provided responses similar to those from anti-choice Justice Clarence Thomas during his senate hearings in 1991. “Some senators said that replacing William Rehnquist with Roberts would not cause a major ideological shift in the direction of the Court,” said Stanley. “This is not the case with O’Connor’s seat. President Bush has an even greater obligation to nominate an individual who reflects O’Connor’s moderate mold—and protect the fundamental freedoms that Americans value.” “President Bush promised his right-wing base he would nominate justices in the mold of the two most anti-choice justices the High Court has ever seen: Scalia and Thomas. Pro-Choice Minnesotans wait with apprehension to see exactly how close to this mold John Roberts will be, and to see how much further President Bush will push the Court toward an anti-choice majority. “ Roberts will have an early opportunity to shape the interpretation of the constitutional right to safe and legal abortion. On November 30, 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments for Ayotte v. Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, a lawsuit brought by Planned Parenthood against the state of New Hampshire seeking to prohibit the state from enforcing a recently enacted parental notification law. The outcome of this case – particularly if it is decided after Justice O’Connor has left the Court – could affect virtually every abortion-related case and statute in the country. Contact: Tim Stanley, 651-602-7655
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