[News-releases] NOW Applauds Victory in First Estrada Vote,Encourages Senators to Stand Firm

NOW Press Office
202-628-8669 Rebecca Farmer, x 116
202-785-8576 (fax) 

NOW Applauds Victory in First Estrada Vote, Encourages Senators to Stand Firm

March 6, 2003

"Round one goes to the good guys," said National Organization for Women
(NOW) President Kim Gandy when the Senate refused to cut off debate on the
nomination of Miguel Estrada. "This is a stunning setback for the Bush
Administration's court packing agenda. Preventing the Republican push to
end debate on Estrada is a huge victory--for the time being. Senators will
have to face more votes, but they've paved important ground in proving that
they can--and will--stand up against the Bush juggernaut." Miguel Estrada
is a controversial nominee for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C.
Circuit, the second most powerful court in the country. He is backed by
ultraconservatives and staunchly opposed by NOW and other advocates for an
independent judiciary.

"With Republicans pledging to weary the Democrats by repeatedly bringing up
the vote on Estrada until there is a crack in their armor, we urge
filibustering senators to hold firm," said Gandy. "NOW activists in
Nebraska, Georgia, Florida and Louisiana are bitterly disappointed that
their senators (Nelson, Nelson, Miller and Breaux) were willing to support
a nominee to one of the highest courts in the country without a full
examination of his record. We praise those refusing to invoke cloture for
taking their advice and consent duties seriously and refusing to
rubber-stamp a nominee whose views on our fundamental rights are unknown."

"Civil rights organizations across the board have opposed Estrada's
nomination, largely due to his refusal to answer vital questions about his
judicial philosophy during his Judiciary Committee hearing," said Gandy.
"NOW supports and encourages a continued filibuster against his nomination."

"Across the country feminists and other activists are cheering on the
senators who have finally taken a strong stand against a Bush nominee for
the federal bench," Gandy said. "The Senate's 55 to 44 vote fell five votes
short of the 60 needed to stop debate on this stealth nominee. Now the
entire country knows that the Senate supporters of women's rights indeed
have enough votes and power to sustain a filibuster--and they're not afraid
to use it." 

###

Note: While the full Senate has focused on Estrada, Senate Judiciary
Committee Republicans ignored years of practice and committee precedent and
rammed through the nominations of Jeffrey Sutton and Deborah Cook to the
6th Circuit, Timothy Tymkovich to the 10th Circuit, Jay Bybee to the 9th
Circuit, and John Roberts to the DC Circuit. Each of these nominees has
amassed a record which demonstrates right-wing judicial activism in
opposition to our constitutional rights. Each of these judges will come
before the full Senate soon, and we remind senators that only they have the
power to halt the court packing in its tracks and demand judicial nominees
who are committed to equality and civil rights.