NOW Outraged by Bush's Underhanded Appointment of Pryor

February 20, 2004

"The National Organization for Women is appalled by George W. Bush's underhanded appointment of William Pryor to the federal appeals court," said NOW President Kim Gandy. "It is outrageous that Bush has again circumvented the legal process to appoint a right wing judicial activist during a Congressional recess. This further demonstrates his total disregard for the women of this country and democracy in general."

"NOW has actively opposed Pryor's nomination to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals based on his extremist positions on abortion, civil rights, and religion. Pryor is a threat to our judicial system and threatens the safety of women in the United States," said Gandy. "For Bush to declare this man as a 'distinguished public servant' is a slap in the face to anyone who has worked for equal rights in this country."

Pryor, the Attorney General for Alabama, maintains extremist positions on abortion, civil rights, and religion and has used the office of attorney general to promote his conservative social agenda, specifically his belief that the Christian religion and government should work hand in hand. He has consistently argued against a woman's right to choose, and has said that the Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade was "the worst abomination in the history of constitutional law." In addition, Pryor filed an amicus brief on behalf of Alabama in United States v. Morrison, challenging the constitutionality of a provision of the Violence Against Women Act. He argued that this federal expansion in civil rights protections interfered with "state's rights," and was therefore unconstitutional.

"By acting in this devious manner, Bush has once again proved that his agenda is completely out of touch with our society. His unilateral actions support a conservative agenda that threatens women and must not be tolerated any longer," said Gandy. "Now, more than ever, women's rights supporters need to be active and exercise their voices by voting Bush out of office in November."

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