In the midst of the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, this weekend also brought many developments related to judicial nominations. On Saturday evening, Chief Justice Rehnquist passed away after 33 years on the Supreme Court. As NWLC Co-Presidents Marcia Greenberger and Duffy Campbell said in a statement in reaction to the sad news, “Our thoughts and sympathies are with the family, friends and colleagues of Chief Justice Rehnquist, whose passing marks the end of an era. Chief Justice Rehnquist’s steadfast commitment to public service and unwavering dedication to an independent judiciary are important legacies for our nation.”
Yesterday morning President Bush, facing the first dual vacancies on the Supreme Court since 1971, named John Roberts, previously the nominee to replace Associate Justice O’Connor, to replace Chief Justice Rehnquist. (For an explanation of why it was necessary for the President to re-nominate Judge Roberts for the Chief position, see this helpful post on the Supreme Court Nominations blog.) In light of the changed nomination and Chief Justice Rehnquist’s funeral, Roberts’s nomination hearings, which were to start today, have been postponed until later this week or next week.
At a time of such historic change, it is vital that the Senate not lose sight of its important duty to carefully examine the record of Roberts, who if confirmed as Chief Justice would lead the Supreme Court for decades. As Marcia Greenberger said:
John Roberts’s nomination as Chief Justice demands a new and more searching level of scrutiny. Given the important responsibilities of the Chief Justice, it is critical that John Roberts’s complete record is made available so the U.S. Senate and the American people can make a fully informed judgment. The stakes have been raised, and much lies in the balance. Laws that protect women’s constitutional rights to equal protection in employment, education, health, safety and welfare are on the line, as is a woman’s right to choose. We must not allow these core rights to be eroded.
For more information on the role of the Chief Justice, see this NWLC fact sheet.
