WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 1995
"Yes, the ethics committee should get digging and get public, but most of all Packwood himself should get packing," said NOW President Patricia Ireland. "He has come close to doing just that once before and now he should strongly reconsider the idea. His own constituents have only gotten more vociferous in pressing for his resignation in recent months."
NOW is urging a stepped-up pace to the committee's proceedings. "We've been trying to light a fire under this watchdog committee for two-and-a-half years now," said Ireland. "The wheels of justice have been turning mighty slowly. The public deserves to know what's going on, and that means holding open hearings soon."
In the meantime, NOW says Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole should strip Packwood of his powerful role as chair of the Senate Finance Committee, from which he wields power in the ongoing welfare debate. Dole's PAC donated $10,000 to Packwood's defense.
"Given the ethics committee's confirmation that Packwood has shown such great disrespect for the law and for women, he should not be allowed to lead the charge in changing laws that impact women," said Ireland.
Packwood accuser Gena Hutton of Oregon was a speaker at NOW's April 9 Rally for Women's Lives in Washington. NOW has held protests calling for his resignation since soon after allegations by more than 29 women became public; the most recent was March 1. Ireland has helped organize fundraisers to support the Packwood accusers.