National
NOW applauds the Senate Judiciary Committee's rejection of Priscilla Owen, a
right-wing ideologue nominated to the Court of Appeals by the Bush
administration. We share Senator Dianne Feinstein's regret in opposing the
elevation of a woman to a position of power that is too often denied to women
because of the glass ceiling; but in this case, one woman's advancement would
have threatened the advancement of all women's rights.
If
confirmed, Owen would have served for a lifetime on a court that is already
dominated by conservatives hostile to women's rights and civil rights. Her
judicial record has made it abundantly clear that, if elevated to the U.S.
Court of Appeals, she would have worked to curtail the reproductive rights of
all women, especially young women, and limit the rights of consumers and
employees.
"NOW thanks those Senators who voted to reject this nomination and asks President Bush to reconsider his decision to persist in bringing extreme right-wing ideologues to the Senate for confirmation," said NOW President Kim Gandy.
