Senate Democrat Boxer May Filibuster John Roberts Over Abortion

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Aug 11, 2005   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Senate Democrat Boxer May Filibuster John Roberts Over Abortion Email this article
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
August 11, 2005

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — Pro-abrotion Sen. Barbara Boxer of California says she will filibuster the nomination of John Roberts to the Supreme Court if he does not say he is in favor of upholding the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized unlimited abortions. Roberts is expected to be asked about Roe during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings September 6.

Boxer said that she will both vote against Roberts and bring Senate activity to a halt if she doesn’t get satisfactory answers to her questions about Roberts’ abortion views.

"I need to know exactly where he will stand, and I need to know if he will fight to protect and defend the rights and freedoms of the American people," Boxer told reporters at a pro-abortion rally at Golden Gate University in San Francisco.

"If I don’t believe he will [back abortion], I won’t vote for him," she added.

Boxer is interested in Roberts’ writings in legal briefs for the Bush administration in which he indicated Roe v. Wade was bad law and should be overturned.

If he declines to answer the questions, Boxer will "use all the parliamentary tools I’ve been given as a U.S. senator" including procedures that "make it difficult for other business to get done until we get the information we need.”

Boxer claimed if Roberts opposes Roe and is approved for the high court, America will go back "to the days of back-alley illegal abortions."

"We cannot go back to those dark days,’ she said. "Judge Roberts cannot duck this issue."

The comments are a repeat of those Boxer and other pro-abortion Democratic women made last month pledging to oppose Roberts if he doesn’t support abortion. nat1494.html

When asked by reporters, none of the seven Democrats said they would vote for Roberts if he said he opposed Roe. Boxer indicated it would be "impossible" for the group to vote for him.

Sean Rushton, director of the Committee for Justice, a group that backs Roberts, said the women’s views amounted to a litmus test.

"This is a single-issue litmus test that strikes at the heart of an independent judiciary," he told the Washington Times. "It proves that the Democratic Party is increasingly focused solely on the issue of abortion on demand. Their greatest fear is a nonpolitical judge who will read the law as it’s written."