Issues New Report on Nominee’s Record

Washington – People For the American Way President Ralph G. Neas today announced that the organization will oppose the confirmation of John Roberts to the Supreme Court, and released a new, 50-page report on Roberts’ record as a top legal and political strategist in two presidential administrations and as a federal judge.

“Our review of John Roberts’ record and the tens of thousands of pages of documents released by the Administration show that confirming John Roberts would endanger much of the progress made by the nation in civil rights over the past half-century,” said Neas. “If John Roberts replaces Sandra Day O’Connor the balance of the court will shift to the right for decades to come, imperiling Americans’ constitutional rights and liberties.”

“In memo after memo, Roberts demonstrated hostility to the laws and remedies that protect the fundamental rights and liberties of all Americans. Time after time during his service in the Reagan administration, when issues of justice and equality came before him, John Roberts devoted himself to finding problems with solutions, not finding solutions to problems,” Neas continued. “John Roberts was no mere foot soldier carrying out the policies of the administration he served. He was a key advisor to the Attorney General and the White House counsel.”

Commenting on Roberts’ record in both the Reagan Administration and the first Bush Administration, Neas said, “The fundamental rights and liberties of Americans are too precious to entrust to someone who spent more than a decade trying to narrow them.”

The PFAW report outlines concerns about the Roberts nomination in a number of critical areas, including voting rights; equal opportunity for women, minorities, older Americans and persons with disabilities; access to justice; privacy; reproductive choice; executive and congressional power; and separation of church and state.