NARAL PCO warns that Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers must demonstrate support for fundamental American freedoms before appointment to court.
(Portland, OR) – Michele Stranger-Hunter, director of NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon, said that Oregonians expect Harriet Miers, President Bush’s second nominee for the Supreme Court, to demonstrate that she shares retiring Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s commitment to fundamental freedoms, such as the right to privacy as guaranteed by Roe v. Wade.
“The burden is on the Bush administration and Harriet Miers to prove to the American people that she will respect and protect our fundamental freedoms, including a woman’s right to choose. Miers does not appear to have a public record to assure America’s pro-choice majority that she is a moderate in the tradition of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, who was the critical swing vote that protected women’s reproductive health and freedom.”
Of particular concern is Miers’ tenure with the Texas State Bar. The American Bar Association’s (ABA’s) House of Delegates, its policymaking body, adopted a pro-choice policy at an ABA convention in 1992. Miers, who was the president of the Texas State Bar during part of this period, tried unsuccessfully to force an unprecedented organization-wide vote on the matter. She exhorted, “We can do what is politically popular in this body or we can do what is right.” After her efforts failed, Miers lamented, “What we have is a playing field coated with butter, and I have a feeling it’s not tipped in my direction.”
“The president has known Miers for many years, so it’s incumbent upon his administration and this nominee to share with the American public her views on critical issues, including the right to privacy,” said Ms. Stranger-Hunter. “As the Court prepares to hear two cases affecting women’s reproductive rights this fall, the public does not want President Bush to replace Justice O’Connor with someone who would roll back protections for women’s health. With so much at stake, the burden of proof is on Miers and the Bush administration to provide evidence that she will continue the O’Connor tradition of independence, moderation, and reason.”
Ms. Stranger-Hunter states: “I speak for NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon’s thousands of members in urging our Senators to demand that the Bush administration and Harriet Miers approach the nomination and confirmation process with complete clarity and directness as we move forward with the replacement of Sandra Day O’Connor. She is the swing vote who puts reason before ideology and defends women’s reproductive freedom. This nomination is of vital importance to Oregonians, who overwhelmingly respect the right to privacy and reproductive choice.”
NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon will continue to communicate with our Senators on this issue until the new, full Supreme Court has been confirmed.
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