At a press conference this morning on Capitol Hill, our own Marcia Greenberger, along with the heads of other leading civil rights and women’s rights groups, announced that based on the available record the National Women's Law Center opposes the nomination of John Roberts to a lifetime seat on the Supreme Court, and unveiled our detailed report, The Record of John Roberts on Critical Legal Rights for Women.
The Center came to that decision after reviewing the extensive record available so far, and concluding that it reflects an approach to the law that would narrow and weaken core constitutional and statutory protections that have allowed women to advance in education and in the workplace and helped improve women’s overall lives.
As Marcia said, “On too many occasions and in too many ways, John Roberts has closed his eyes to the devastating consequences to women of his legal arguments, and he has simply disregarded contrary judicial precedents. Had his views prevailed, core protections for women would be undermined.”
In our report, we outline how John Roberts aggressively sought to undermine established legal protections in three areas of the law central to women’s rights: constitutional and statutory protections against sex discrimination; the constitutional right to privacy, including the right to choose; and Congress’s power to pass laws and protect the public welfare along with citizens’ access to federal courts to enforce their rights.
“Make no mistake. Women across the country rely on these protections and would suffer serious setbacks if they were limited and weakened in the ways John Roberts has pressed throughout his career,” said Nancy Duff Campbell, Co-President of the National Women’s Law Center. “The Senate should not confirm John Roberts on this record.”
You can go here to read our report. Here is a news story about this morning's press conference. Check back soon for more information about the Roberts record and how you can get involved.
