NCJW Lauds Defeat of Anti-Abortion Bill, Looks to Next Round

October 5, 2006, Washington, DC -- The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) has applauded the defeat of the so-called Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act, a bill that attempted to extend the reach of state laws over young women seeking abortions. NCJW President Phyllis Snyder released the following statement, noting that as the next round in the fight to preserve abortion rights moves to the Supreme Court, the outcome is by no means certain:

"The defeat of the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act in the Senate last Friday is a victory for reproductive freedom. While targeting young women -- the most vulnerable among us -- this attempt to extend the jurisdiction of the most restrictive state laws to territory beyond that state's borders has ominous implications for us all.

"NCJW worked hard to defeat this bill, organizing a coalition of pro-choice Jewish organizations to make a joint appeal to Congress against passage. We are gratified that our unified effort helped contribute to the demise of this dangerous bill, whose purpose was not to help minors or parent-child communications, but rather to create more rigid barriers to young women's access to reproductive health services.

"The focus for reproductive rights now moves to the Supreme Court. This fall in Gonzales v. Carhart and Gonzales v. Planned Parenthood, the court will take up the constitutionality of the first-ever federal abortion procedure ban -- the so-called Partial Birth Abortion Act. The fact that the court has decided to revisit this issue only six years after overturning a nearly identical law raises alarm. The court's newest members, Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito have clear records of hostility to reproductive rights -- records that led NCJW to oppose their confirmations. We can only hope that they will be fair and independent and respect recent precedent -- the lives and health of all women hang in the balance."

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.

Contact:
Vanessa Schnaidt
212 645 4048 x179; vschnaidt@ncjw.org