Author Letter to Judiciary Committee Urging Opposition to Confirmation
Washington, DC: Rep. Louise M. Slaughter (D-NY-28), Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee, joined Representative Hilda Solis (D-CA-32) and 20 other Democratic Women Members of the U.S. House of Representatives in issuing a letter urging members of the Senate Judiciary Committee to oppose the confirmation of Judge Samuel A. Alito, Jr. to the U.S. Supreme Court.
“The Senate has an obligation to defend the tremendous strides our society has made on behalf of women’s rights and civil rights,” Rep. Slaughter said. “To confirm a judge who espouses radical ideas would not only be an abandonment of the legacy of Justice O’Connor – it would be an abandonment of many of the most fundamental principals that define us as a country.”
“Judge Alito has shown through his writings and rulings that his views on women’s rights are at odds with a majority of mainstream American values,” Rep. Solis said. “We have come too far in the fight for equality to settle for a Supreme Court Justice whose single vote could roll back decades of progress for women. To protect the rights that women have fought for and earned, I urge the Senate to oppose Judge Alito’s nomination.”
Excerpts from the letter follow:
“We fear our work, and the contributions of our colleagues who served before us, will be dismantled with the confirmation of Judge Samuel Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court,” the letter reads. “We believe that Judge Alito poses a direct threat to the rights of women in America.”
“Judge Alito has a long record of extreme views on women’s reproductive health, sexual and workplace discrimination, the Family Medical Leave Act and civil rights,” the text continues. “Rather than offering a balanced successor to the moderate views of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and the majority of this nation, Judge Alito’s nomination radically tips the scales of justice against women.”
The complete text of the letter can be found below:
January 9, 2006
The Honorable Arlen Specter
Chairman
Senate Committee on the Judiciary
224 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Patrick J. Leahy
Ranking Member
Senate Committee on the Judiciary
152 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Chairman Specter and Ranking Member Leahy:
As women Members of Congress who work hard to enact legislation and promote policies that protect women and ensure equality within our society, we fear our work, and the contributions of our colleagues who served before us, will be dismantled with the confirmation of Judge Samuel Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court.
We believe that Judge Alito poses a direct threat to the rights of women in America. As the attached memorandum details, Judge Alito has a long record of extreme views on women’s reproductive health, sexual and workplace discrimination, the Family Medical Leave Act and civil rights. He has worked to thwart established precedent and has affiliated himself with radical organizations that have actively sought to keep women and minorities from advancing educationally and economically.
Under the scrutiny of the nomination process, it is not surprising that Judge Alito now disavows his positions on issues important to women and families in order to secure confirmation votes. But his record speaks to his true views and it speaks loudly. Rather than offering a balanced successor to the moderate views of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and the majority of this nation, Judge Alito’s nomination radically tips the scales of justice against women.
As guardians of the Constitution, Supreme Court Justices play a key role in protecting and ensuring our liberties. They are given life tenures and are expected to stay above the political fray so their decisions will be fair and unbiased. They must judge cases with impartiality and open mindedness, and they must respect settled law.
You have a responsibility to ensure that the highest court is not stacked against the hard fought rights that protect women across the country. When you consider the nomination of Judge Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court, we hope you will reflect on the milestones in women’s rights and determine that America cannot afford to abandon these fundamental protections. We encourage you to review the attached memorandum which details many of the disturbing examples of Judge Alito’s extreme views on women’s rights in the law. We urge you to consider that this lifetime appointment will have detrimental consequences for American women, and oppose the confirmation of Judge Alito as the next U.S. Supreme Court Justice.
Sincerely,
Hon. Louise M. Slaughter (NY)
Hon. Hilda L. Solis (CA)
Hon. Tammy Baldwin (WI)
Hon. Corrine Brown (FL)
Hon. Lois Capps (CA)
Hon. Rosa DeLauro (CT)
Hon. Jane Harman (CA)
Hon. Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX)
Hon. Barbara Lee (CA)
Hon. Carolyn Maloney (NY)
Hon. Doris O. Matsui (CA)
Hon. Betty McCollum (MN)
Hon. Juanita Millender-McDonald (CA)
Hon. Gwen S. Moore (WI)
Hon. Grace Napolitano (CA)
Hon. Jan Schakowsky (IL)
Hon. Linda T. Sánchez (CA)
Hon. Ellen O. Tauscher (CA)
Hon. Nydia Velázquez (NY)
Hon. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL)
Hon. Diane E. Watson (CA)
Hon. Lynn Woolsey (CA)