NCJW Denounces 'Nuclear Option' to Limit Senate Debate on Court Nominees
March 30, 2005, Washington, DC - The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) today denounced proposals to limit debate on the floor of Senate when considering nominees to lifetime seats on the federal bench. NCJW President Phyllis Snyder released the following statement:
"The National Council of Jewish Women is deeply concerned by efforts to eliminate the filibuster and bypass debate on judicial nominees, a tactic also called the 'nuclear option.'
"Since its inception, NCJW has fought to ensure that all voices are a part of the democratic process. The framers of the Constitution envisioned a government that valued dissent and would not be swayed by majority tyranny. The nuclear option strikes at the very foundation of our democratic society. Our democracy derives its strength not simply from majority rule, but from its defense of the rights of political, ethnic, religious, and racial minorities to dissent and to have an impact on the political process.
"However, the goals of this proposal go far beyond an esoteric debate on procedure. It is intended to further an agenda aiming to confirm extreme right wing nominees to our federal courts, including in the near future, the Supreme Court, and in the process to overturn our fundamental right to reproductive freedom. The Senate's energies would be better spent working for compromise and consensus to strengthen our tradition of a truly independent judiciary rather than eliminating a rule that could protect us from the dire consequences of conservative court-packing."
NCJW is a volunteer organization, inspired by Jewish values, that works to improve the quality of life for women, children, and families and to ensure individual rights and freedoms for all through its network of 90,000 members, supporters, and volunteers nationwide. It has launched BenchMark: NCJW's Campaign to Save Roe, a national effort to educate and mobilize NCJW members, the Jewish community, and friends and allies everywhere to promote a federal bench with judges that support fundamental freedoms, including a woman's right to choose.
Contact:
Debbie Mirman Stillman
202 296 2588; debbie@ncjwdc.org