A new poll found that the majority of Americans not only want to know Supreme Court nominee John Roberts’ position on abortion but also want him to support a woman’s right to legal abortion. According to a recent poll by the Washington Post and ABC News, 64 percent of Americans said that before the Senate votes on his nomination, Roberts should publicly state his position on abortion. Sixty-five percent said that they want Roberts to favor upholding Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in the US. The poll further showed that 61 percent of Americans want Roberts to respond to questions about how he would have ruled on past Supreme Court cases.
As Deputy Solicitor General, Roberts argued against Roe v. Wade, and also argued on behalf of Operation Rescue, an extreme anti-abortion group in Bray v. Alexandria. In private practice, Roberts has argued against affirmative action for minorities. The Feminist Majority, the National Organization for Women, NARAL Pro-Choice America, and the National Abortion Federation, among others, have all opposed Roberts’ nomination.
“Everything we know about Judge Roberts’ record thus far indicates that he will be a solid vote against women’s rights and Roe v. Wade,” said Eleanor Smeal, President of the Feminist Majority. “If he is to be confirmed by senators who support women’s rights, he must say where he stands on Roe and the right to privacy.”
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