RMC Opposes Judge Alito for Supreme Court
http://www.gopchoice.org/index.aspThe Republican Majority for Choice (RMC) regrettably announces its opposition to the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court.
RMC is an organization whose core mission is to protect the right to choose as outlined in Roe v. Wade and to represent the millions of Republicans who strongly support this right. After much research and analysis of Mr. Alito’s own record and statements on this issue of individual freedom it is clear that he is an advocate for further restricting this right.
Judge Alito seems by all measures to be an experienced and capable jurist, but one who is out of step with mainstream Americans on the issue of abortion and maintaining the legal right to choose.
There is no crystal ball to predict how a Justice Alito would rule in future cases; therefore we have closely monitored the confirmation hearings with the hope that Judge Alito would offer some clarifying statements that would allay our concerns about his record. Instead, he side-stepped the issue of whether or not the right to privacy in the Constitution extends to reproductive choice. He avoided answering whether Roe was settled law and existing precedent required a health exception to statutes limiting a woman’s access to abortion.
Without such assurances, we can only calculate his judicial philosophy on reproductive rights through the prism of his past actions and statements. As the replacement for the architect of the “undue burden” standard, the stakes are too high for RMC to support an appointee who outlined a blueprint to dismantle that very standard.
The reality is that Judge Alito would not have to vote to overrule Roe in order to be the architect of the denial of a woman's right to choose. He could give lip service to respecting Roe while upholding the numerous legislative efforts to chip away at reproductive freedom. The cumulative result is that Roe v. Wade and its progeny are rendered meaningless.
But Judge Alito’s position on choice, however, is not the only disappointment surrounding his nomination. The selection of Judge Alito sends a very clear message from the Bush Administration and the Republican leadership in Congress that they are willing to continue steering the party into a marginalized corner that puts it at odds with most voters.
Sadly, we have come to a point at which average Republicans are beginning to abandon the GOP policy and candidates. We have seen this in the public outcry concerning President Bush’s opposition to stem cell research; we saw it last November in the Virginia gubernatorial race, and we will see it again this year if Republican candidates continue to promote extremist views. We pledge to continue our mission to promote common sense solutions to help lessen the incidence of abortion while ensuring that women and families maintain the safe and legal right to choose. We will no longer stand by while women’s rights are used as a political soapbox for either party.
Members of RMC:
Senator Lincoln Chafee (RI)
Senator Susan Collins (ME)
Senator Olympia Snowe (ME)
Senator Arlen Specter (PA)
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