Women's Groups Launch Historic Effort to Block Alito

Women's Groups Launch Historic Effort to Block Alito
NOW Calls on Supporters to Join "Enraged and Engaged" Campaign

Statement of National Organization for Women President Kim Gandy

Today the National Organization for Women (NOW) is proud to join with our sisters in the Feminist Majority Foundation and the National Congress of Black Women in ramping up the nationwide effort to block the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Samuel Alito.

Replacing Sandra Day O'Connor with Samuel Alito would set women back decades — and unravel O'Connor's legacy of moderation on the Court. Alito's vote would tip the Court's balance on so many issues that he would be a human time machine — taking us back to the days

* when sexual harassment and sex discrimination were "all in a day's work" for women;
* when women were routinely excluded from law schools, medical schools and elite colleges;
* when there were no female firefighters, and no women on the police force;
* when women could be fired for becoming pregnant, or getting married;
* when employment ads were divided into "Help Wanted - Male" and "Help Wanted - Female;"
* when illegal, unsafe abortions, were the norm, and reliable birth control was outlawed as well.

We are determined not to turn back the clock.

Our campaign (http://www.now.org/defeatalito) has already inspired volunteers from across the country to join us in saving the Court and saving women's rights. We are enlisting students and community leaders from every state to join us in Washington, D.C., for all or part of the next three weeks, or to get involved in campaigns at home.

By the time Senators are ready to vote on the Alito nomination later this month, hundreds of volunteers will have worked tirelessly on Capitol Hill and thousands more in their home states, encouraging every senator, regardless of party, to take a stand for women's rights. When women know what is at stake, they are appalled. They are not willing to give up the advances of the past 40 years.

After George W. Bush caved to the extremists' vicious campaign against Harriet Miers, we expected that he would give in to their demands and name a judicial extremist of their choosing — which is exactly what he did. Miers wasn't a 100% vote for the religious and political extremists, and they demanded no less. Bush gave in to their demands, but the Senate doesn't have to go along.

That's the message from women, especially young women: This is a fight for our future, and we are ready.

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For Immediate Release
Contact: Lisa Bennett, 202-628-8669, ext. 123; cell 202-641-1906