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NARAL Pro-Choice America Begins Campaign To Block Confirmation of Antiabortion Judicial Nominee Holmes
(Kaisernetwork www.kaisernetwork.org) NARAL Pro-Choice America has begun a national campaign to block the confirmation of James Leon Holmes, whom President Bush nominated in 2003 to serve on the federal bench for the Eastern District of Arkansas, the Associated Press reports (Jefferson [1], Associated Press, 5/27). Holmes was one of 25 nominees for whom Senate Democrats have agreed to hold floor votes as part of a deal with Bush, who in exchange has agreed not to make any recess appointments of judges. Some senators have criticized Holmes for his antiabortion views, and he is considered to be the only seriously controversial member of the list of 25 nominees. Although Holmes was recommended as a judicial nominee by former Sen. Tim Hutchinson (R-Ark.) and was endorsed by Sens. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) and Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), the Senate hearing on his nomination became contentious when Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) began reading a 1980 letter to the editor written by Holmes. In it, Holmes wrote that abortion should not be available to rape survivors because "conceptions from rape occur with the same frequency as snow in Miami." Holmes subsequently apologized for the statement. As a result of last week's deal, Holmes' nomination was sent to the Senate floor without approval from the Senate Judiciary Committee (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 5/19).
NARAL Efforts
NARAL Pro-Choice America last week issued an online alert calling for the 600,000 participants in the groups' Choice Action Network to ask their U.S. senators to oppose Holmes' confirmation, the Associated Press reports. CAN members already have sent 40,000 letters to lawmakers, NARAL Pro-Choice America spokesperson Evelyn Becker said, according to the Associated Press. She added that Holmes is "vehemently antichoice, [and our] job is to protect the right to choose." NARAL Pro-Choice America Interim President Elizabeth Cavendish said that Holmes is "one of Bush's worst picks" for the bench, adding that the group will "be doing everything in its power in the coming weeks to ensure that he does not achieve frightening power over women's lives" (Jefferson [1], Associated Press, 5/27).
Making an 'Example'?
Arkansas Right to Life Executive Director Rose Mimms said that NARAL Pro-Choice America is trying to "make an example" out of Holmes, the Associated Press reports. Mimms said that ARL, and its parent organization National Right to Life, have generated a "massive outpouring of letters, phone calls and e-mails to the U.S. Senate" in support of Holmes. She "denounced" NARAL Pro-Choice America's campaign, saying, "If [Holmes] were up for the Supreme Court, I could understand the fervor that they've undertaken to block his confirmation." Holmes on Thursday declined to comment on the confirmation process or the focus on abortion rights, according to the Associated Press (Jefferson [2], Associated Press, 5/27).
Source: Kaisernetwork
Publish Date: May 28, 2004
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