34 Reproductive Justice organizations and allies call on Senate Judiciary Committee to oppose the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 6, 2018
Contact: Loretta Kane (917-410-7242 or loretta@caminopr.com)

WASHINGTON- Today, In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum and the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health led the submission of a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee demanding that they oppose the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court. (Please see attached letter.)

Over 30 reproductive justice organizations and allies who joined an amicus brief in Azar v. Garza, the D.C. Circuit Court case regarding a young immigrant woman’s access to abortion care, signed the letter. The letter outlines how Judge Kavanaugh’s dissent in the case demonstrates his complete disregard for the rights of immigrant women, their families and their agency.

“Women of color and immigrant women understand that our rights and our lives are at stake with this nomination,” said Marcella Howell, executive director of In Our Own Voice. ‘We demand that the Senate Judiciary Committee stop their kangaroo-court nomination process to take the time to fully review and expose Kavanaugh’s record of attacking basic human rights – especially the rights of immigrant women and all women of color.”

“Brett Kavanaugh will keep trying to convince the American public that he supports women, but his dissent in the Jane Doe case is enough to prove the exact opposite-that he is a threat to reproductive justice and the rights of women of color. Our bodies and our rights are literally at stake, and a confirmation vote for Kavanaugh would be a slap in the face to women of color, immigrants, and workers everywhere,” said Sung Yeon Choimorrow, executive director of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum. “Asian American and Pacific Islander women stand strong against Kavanaugh and firmly oppose his nomination. We will not be silenced.”

“For Latinas, women of color, immigrants, and LGBTQ individuals who already face significant barriers to their legal right to abortion, access to contraception, and affordable health care services, Kavanaugh’s nomination is a pressing threat to our health and safety. In addition, Kavanaugh’s dissenting opinion in the case of Jane Doe makes it clear that he is willing to strip immigrant women from their right to make decisions about her
health, family, and future with self-determination. We demand that the Senate Judiciary Committee fully vet his complete record and ultimately reject Kavanaugh’s nomination. Our rights to health, dignity, and justice and the well-being of our families and communities for generations to come hang in the balance,” said Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, executive director of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health (NLIRH).