Activists Mobilize at Supreme Court to Protect Women
For Immediate Release: Jan. 30, 2014
Amid Resignation Rumors, Prominent Women Leaders and Planned Parenthood Activists Promote Fair-Minded Nominees
WASHINGTON, DC — Amid swirling rumors of a resignation by Chief Justice William Rehnquist, Dr. Sarah Weddington — winning attorney in the landmark Roe v. Wade case, Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) Interim President Karen Pearl, and nine women in judges' robes called the "Roe Rangers," took to the steps of the Supreme Court today to spotlight the critical impact a new appointment to the court will have on women's health and safety.
"Planned Parenthood remains ready to activate more than a million supporters if a vacancy is announced," said PPFA Interim President Karen Pearl. "Despite no announcement of a resignation today, the court's future remains very much in doubt."
"The right to access comprehensive reproductive health care is a vital part of American freedoms," said Weddington. "There is no place on the Supreme Court for political bias that threatens our rights. Justices must be above political deals for a seat on the court. Too many have fought too hard and have come too close to lose all the progress we have made."
"President Bush must recognize that women's health and safety matter when selecting a new justice, and commit to a thorough process of debate and deliberation," Pearl added. "The women who stood before the court today represent the tip of the iceberg that is Planned Parenthood's grassroots activist and lobbying network. We intend to make our presence known during the debate over any future court nominee."