"The National Organization for Women (NOW) insists that inquiries into household workers not be limited to the women Cabinet nominees this time around," said NOW President Patricia Ireland.  "If this were Lyndon rather than Linda Chavez, would the same questions have even been raised?"

"The charge of employing an undocumented worker is an all-too-familiar line of attack against women nominees," Ireland said.  "But before Zoe Baird and Kimba Wood were knocked out of the running by nanny-gate, male nominees to Clinton's Cabinet were confirmed who also had undocumented household help or had not paid Social Security taxes for household workers."

"NOW opposes Chavez's confirmation, but we don't need to look into her kitchen to find dirt; her extremist positions on issues like sexual harassment, equal pay, affirmative action and minimum wage should keep her from serving as Secretary of Labor."

"NOW challenges the media and Senate to handle the Cabinet confirmation hearings even-handedly and ask whether the men nominated by President-elect Bush may be hiding the same infractions," Ireland said.  "A woman nominee's character, background and qualifications should not be judged any differently than those of a man."

"NOW will protest at the Presidential Inauguration on January 20, reminding Bush, Cheney and all Cabinet nominees that we won't tolerate a roll-back of our rights."

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