EXTENSIONS of REMARKS September 17, 1981 EXTENSIONS of REMARKS NATIONAL PRO-LIFE POLITICAL Riously Alienated Major Portions of the Know That She and Mrs
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21108 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS September 17, 1981 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS NATIONAL PRO-LIFE POLITICAL riously alienated major portions of the know that she and Mrs. O'Connor had long ACTION COMMITTEE-A STUDY "social issues conservatives" who comprised been in heated opposition on these very IN INTEGRITY the pro-life/pro-family coalition that helped votes. elect him last November. Those same voters The question looms large over Mrs. are intently watching these hearings, and O'Connor's qualifications to sit as a member HON. LARRY McDONALD will long remember and note well the final of the Supreme Court: Did she deliberately OF GEORGIA "ayes" and "nays" as the full Senate deter seek to mislead investigators for the Justice IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES mines Judge O'Connor's qualifications to sit Department and/or the President as to the with the Court. As voters they perceive the Thursday, September 17, 1981 facts of her legislative record on this vital members of the House and Senate not as issue; did she give false or selective informa • Mr. McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, on party functionaries, but as their representa tion in an attempt to portray her clearly September 11, 1981, Rev. Charles tives first of all; just as they also perceive pro-abortion legislative record as something Fiore, O.P., testified before the Judici-. party platforms and election pledges not as else? ary Committee of the U.S. Senate in "litmus tests," but as implied contracts to be And if she did, what does that say about opposition to the nomination of Judge fulfilled by those elected. her ambition to accede to the high Court I say these things at the outset, not be . and her moral strengths once part of it? Sandra Day O'Connor to the U.S. Su cause they have bearing on Mrs. O'Connor's preme Court. Father Fiore is chair What price glory? qualifications, but because they have very I raise these blunt and impolite questions man of the National Pro-Life Political much to do with the larger processes of rep because the matter of the right to life of Action Committee <PAC>, a role that resentative government, which are also at the unborn is fundamental and critical to he and his Washington representative, stake in these hearings. the health of our society. "The right to Peter Gemma, have filled with integri The facts of Judge O'Connor's legislative and judicial careers are matters of public life," as also the rights to "liberty and the ty and honor. record, even though it appears that the Ad pursuit of happiness" are not "minor" or pe I have been, and will continue to be, ministration paid scant attention to them ripheral issues in our political process. Nor privileged to serve on that organiza when evaluating her qualifications for the are they "private" any more than homicide tion's advisory board. It was not too Supreme Court, even as late as the now-in is a "private" act if the unborn are human, long ago that this organization faced a famous Starr Justice Department memoran as indeed every medico-scientific test af storm of protest because they had tar dum hurriedly complied a day or so before firms. the nomination was made. Because of the complicated and sensitive geted proabortion advocates for issues involved, at the very least we expect defeat, irregardless of political party Briefly, as they pertain to the abortion issue, the facts are: you to fully explore her philosophy and affiliation. The heat was on in the 1. As a State Senator in 1970, Mrs. O'Con opinions on this issue of life versus death. If kitchen, but this organization stuck to nor twice voted for HB 20, to repeal Arizo this judge be not guilty of the pro-abortion its guns. My own position with regard na's existing abortion statutes-three years charge, let her proclaim her innocense to this "storm" could only be, both as before the U.S. Supreme Court legalized loudly and clearly. Indeed, if she has a physician and a Member of this abortion-on-demand, throughout the nine changed her views, National Pro-Life PAC body, that where the murder of the months of pregnancy, in all 50 states. would be first in line to reconsider our oppo unborn is concerned-it is just that 2. In 1973, Senator O'Connor co-sponsored sition to this nomination. murder-and politics goes out the a so-called "family planning" Act <SB 1190) As Professor William Bentley Ball, former which would ·have allowed abortions for Chairman of the Federal Bar Association's window. minors without the consent of parents or Committee on Constitutional Law, and one Although Judge O'Connor will prob guardians. The bill was considered by all ob who has argued a number of religious liber ably be confirmed, the National Pro servers in Arizona to be an abortion meas ty cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, re Life PAC once again took the position ure, and the Arizona Republic (3/5/73) edi cently wrote apropos of Mrs. O'Connor's of honor and integrity. That is why, torialized, "The bill appears gratuitous nomination: for all to know, that I take this oppor unless energetic promotion of abortion is "Some zealous supporters of the O'Connor tunity to share Father Fiore's testimo the eventual goal." nomination • • • have made the astonishing ny with my colleagues. Testimony fol 3. In 1974, Senator O'Connor voted statement that, on the Supreme Court of the against a bill <HCM 2002) to "memorialize" United States, ideology doesn't count. They lows: Congress on behalf of passage of a Human say ... that it would be of no significance TESTIMONY OF THE REV. CHARLES FIORE, Life Amendment to the Constitution pro that a candidate would have an actual and O.P., CHAIRMAN, NATIONAL PRo-LIFE PoLIT tecting the unborn. proved record of having voted or acted on ICAL ACTION COMMITTEE 4. In 1974, she voted against an amend behal!. of racism or anti-Semitism or any Mr. Chairman and Members of the Com ment to a University of Arizona funding bill other philosophic point of view profoundly mittee: I thank you for this opportunity to that prohibited use of tax-funds for abor opposed by million of Americans. These con appear before you as founder and Chairman tions at University hospital, because Mrs. cerns are not dispelled by a recital that the of the National Pro-Life Political Action O'Connor claimed it was "non germane" candidate is 'personally' opposed to such a Committee, and on behalf of tens of thou and thus violated the state constitution. point of view. Why the qualifying adverb? sands of our supporters in all states and However, the bill passed with the amend Does that not imply that, while the candi right-to-lifers everywhere, who oppose the ment, and its constitutionality was upheld date may harbor private disgust over cer nomination of Judge Sandra Day O'Connor by the State Supreme Court. tain practices, he or she does not intend to to the U.S. Supreme Court. It seems rather peculiar to us that Mrs. forgo support of those practices? Mrs. O'Connor's nomination by President O'Connor, in discussing her legislative "Philosophy is everything in dealing with Reagan has been the occasion of virtually record on abortion with Mr. Starr of the the spacious provisions of the First Amend unanimous disappointment on the part of Justice Department, could not remember ment, the due process clauses, equal protec rank-and-file pro-lifers, because it repre her position on the first three votes, since tion, and much else in the Constitution. It is sents a breach of the 1980 Republican Plat they all represented dramatic departures perfect nonsense to praise a candidate as a form on which he ran <and which he more from the existing laws and aroused national 'strict constructionist' when, in these vital than once privately and publicly affirmed as media attention. Yet she was apparently areas of the Constitution, there is really very a candidate), and on the basis of which he able to recall the far less significant fourth little language to 'strictly' construe • • • convinced millions of blue-collar, tradition vote and her precise reason for it. Stranger "It is likewise meaningless to advance a ally Democratic voters-ethnic Catholics still, was her attempt in the Starr memoran given candidate as a 'conservative' <or as a and fundamentalist-evangelical Protes dum to portray herself as a friend and inti 'liberal'>. In the matter of Mrs. O'Connor, tants-to switch parties and vote for him. mate of Dr. Carolyn Gerster, M.D., Phoenix, the label 'conservative' has unfortunately As a result, in the first six months of his titular head of the state right-to-life organi been so employed as to obfuscate a very real incumbency, President Reagan may have se- zation, when Dr. Gerster says it was well- issue. The scenario goes like this: e This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by the Member on the floor. September 17, 1981 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 21109 "Comment: 'Mrs. O'Connor is said to be leading information on. these very issues as ment, the due process clauses, equal protec pro-abortion. ' they arise in her record, to an investigator tion, and much else in the Consititution. It Response: 'Really? But she is a staunch for the Attorney General of the United is peJ:fect nonsense to praise a candidate as conservative.' States, at a time when she knew full well a "strict constructionist" when, in these "Just as meaningful would be: - that she was being considered among the fi- vital areas of the Constitution, there is Comment: 'John Smith is said to be a-:~' nalists for this nomination.