Letter from NOW President Kim Gandy to Sen. Arlen Specter on Confirmation Hearings of Supreme Court Nominee John G. Roberts

August 16, 2005

The Honorable Arlen Specter
United States Senate
Judiciary Committee
Room SD-224
Washington, DC 20510

RE: Request to testify at the Supreme Court confirmation hearings

Dear Chairman Specter:

On behalf of the half million contributing members of the National Organization for Women, I request the opportunity to testify in the confirmation hearings on the nomination of John G. Roberts to be an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. NOW's mission is to safeguard women's health, and economic, reproductive, and civil rights. After a thorough examination of the available record of the nominee, NOW has concluded that his confirmation represents a danger to many of the rights for which we have worked so hard.

In 1981, NOW testified in support of the nomination of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. We believed that her voice would be crucial in the protection of legal equality for women, and our confidence was largely borne out by her record. To confirm John G. Roberts to fill the seat she held for 24 years would jeopardize the full range of established women's rights. Through our testimony, we hope to apprise the committee of the basis of our strong opposition to this nominee. Please feel free to contact me to discuss my proposed testimony.

Sincerely,

Kim Gandy
NOW President