February 28, 2006: Supreme Court Ruling Could Place Women’s Health in Jeopardy
The Supreme Court has issued a ruling that could contribute to the difficulty women face in obtaining reproductive health services. The Court ruled 8-0 in Scheidler v. National Organization for Women (NOW) and Operation Rescue v. NOW to end the federal protection of abortion clinics nationwide from violence by anti-abortion extremists.

In its decision, the Court stated that federal laws cannot be used to ban protestors. However, this case was never about protests, pickets, or the right to free speech. Brought under the Racketeer-Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, the case was about protecting abortion clinics and doctors from attacks by anti-abortion extremists who engaged in a pattern of racketeering by interfering with abortion clinic operations through arson, bombings, violent blockades, death threats, and murder.

NLIRH fears that anti-abortion extremists will take the Court’s ruling as a signal to once again engage in violence in order to further their agenda. These scare tactics will prevent women from making their own reproductive choices and will terrorize abortion providers into closing their clinic doors. The nationwide injunction had decreased violence at women’s health clinics for two decades. The Supreme Court’s decision ignores the twenty-year pattern of violence aimed at women’s health clinics and abortion providers nationwide.

February 21, 2006: Supreme Court Decides to Review the Federal Abortion Ban
To our disappointment, the Supreme Court decided that it will review the constitutionality of the Federal Abortion Ban. Signed by President Bush in 2003, the Ban would prevent doctors from performing some of the safest and most common abortion procedures as early as 12 weeks of pregnancy. Courts in California, Nebraska, and New York have declared this law unconstitutional because it lacks a health exception to protect the health of the mother. The Bush administration has pressed the Court to overturn the lower courts’ decisions, which have prevented the Ban from going into effect. The government is arguing that a so-called “partial-birth abortion” is never medically necessary to protect a woman’s health. In reality, the Ban is so vague that doctors may be criminalized for aborting a fetus as early as 12 weeks of pregnancy. Furthermore, this case presents a direct threat to the precedent that abortion restrictions may not endanger a woman’s health, and it could prevent women with medical emergencies from receiving the safest abortion possible.

The Supreme Court had previously issued a 5-4 decision in Stenberg v. Carhart (2000), declaring a similar ban at the state level unconstitutional. Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, who was the tie-breaking vote, retired last month. Therefore, the outcome of the current case will be determined by the two conservative judges that President Bush has appointed to life-long positions on the Court. Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Alito join the other three conservative justices on the Court. Justice Samuel Alito, who could cast the tie-breaking vote, has already stated that the Constitution does not protect a woman's right to an abortion!

NLIRH is deeply concerned that the Court’s decision to review the Federal Abortion Ban will re-write history, at the expense of women’s health and safety. Justices Roberts and Alito may not vote to protect women’s health, which will jeopardize Latinas’ ability to access safe abortions for generations to come.

February 2, 2006: Senate Votes to Confirm Alito
The National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health is extremely disappointed that the Senate voted 52-48 to confirm Samuel Alito as the 110th Justice of the United States Supreme Court on Tuesday, January 31, 2006. Samuel Alito’s confirmation puts women’s rights, individual liberties, and reproductive freedoms in grave jeopardy. NLIRH fought hard up until the final vote to prevent Samuel Alito from being confirmed as a Supreme Court Justice. Thank you for all your hard work in making Latinas for Justice a worthwhile campaign!

It is important to let the senators who fought Alito know that you appreciate their efforts to stand up for our rights. When the next fight comes, these senators will be in a stronger position to lead if they're confident that they will have our support. It is also important to let senators who voted to confirm Alito know that you will remember their votes when they are up for reelection. Please click here to see how senators voted - call and let them hear your appreciation or disappointment!
[Read our full statement on Alito's confirmation ]

Additional Latinas for Justice Resources
[Bilingual Primer on the Supreme Court! English Spanish ]
[Background on Samuel Alito ]
[Confirmation Questions for Alito ]
[FAQ: Two Vacancies on Supreme Court ]
[FAQ: Supreme Court Basics ]