NARAL PRO-CHOICE WASHINGTON: SENATE MUST OPPOSE JOHN ROBERTS?NOMINATION FOR CHIEF JUSTICE
Seattle, WA —Today NARAL Pro-Choice Washington, the states leading advocate for personal privacy and a woman’s right to choose, delivered petitions signed by 9,402 Washingtonians to the state offices of Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, asking them to oppose John Roberts’s nomination for Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
Karen Cooper, Executive Director of NARAL Pro-Choice Washington said, “What we know about John Roberts paints a disturbing picture of the kind of Chief Justice he would be. The thousands of Washingtonians who signed the petitions we delivered today want our senators to stand up for freedom and personal responsibility by voting no on John Roberts' nomination.
“Senators Murray and Cantwell are strong pro-choice advocates in the United States Senate," Cooper said. “We are asking them to speak up for Washingtonians who care about personal freedom and the right to privacy by voting no on the Roberts nomination," she added.
“The decisions Roberts could make as Chief Justice would have a lasting, devastating impact on the health of women for years to come," said Cooper. “I have young granddaughters, the decisions John Roberts makes as Chief Justice will likely affect them throughout their reproductive lives," Cooper concluded.
If confirmed, John Roberts would lead the Court as it hears its first case on the constitutional right to choose in five years, Ayotte v. Planned Parenthood of Northern New England. With this case, the Court could eliminate the constitutional requirement that laws restricting abortion access must include exceptions to protect women’s health, a requirement that was upheld by a 5-4 vote five years ago. This means Roberts could play a decisive role in a critical case affecting women’s health within his first 60 days on the bench.
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