NEW Planned Parenthood Video: The Real “Ginsburg Standard”
For Immediate Release: Sept. 4, 2018 (Updated: Sept. 4, 2018, noon)
“We know that Kavanaugh will go to great lengths to avoid giving a clear answer on Roe v. Wade-- because we know the American people won’t like what he has to say.”
Washington, DC — During today’s opening statements, conservatives have done everything they can to frame Kavanaugh as a “moderate.” No matter how hard they try, Kavanaugh’s record speaks for itself. That is why Kavanaugh is the most unpopular Supreme Court nominee in decades. One of conservatives’ tactics to normalize Kavanaugh is to promote a false “Ginsburg standard” by wrongly suggesting that Justice Ginsburg set a precedent for Supreme Court nominees to duck questions aboutRoe v. Wade. A new video from Planned Parenthood debunks this lie — Ginsburg answered questions on abortion and affirmatively declared the constitutional right to safe, legal abortion in her confirmation hearing. That is the real Ginsburg Standard — Kavanaugh should be held to it and should give clear answers on Roe and the constitutional right to abortion.
Justice Ginsburg: “The argument was it's her right to decide either way, her right to decide whether or not to bear a child. . . But you asked me about my thinking about equal protection versus individual autonomy, and my answer to you is it's both. This is something central to a woman's life, to her dignity. It's a decision that she must make for herself. And when Government controls that decision for her, she's being treated as less than a fully adult human responsible for her own choices.”
Statement from Dawn Laguens, Executive Vice President of Planned Parenthood Action Fund
“We know that Kavanaugh will go to great lengths to avoid giving a clear answer onRoe v. Wade — because we know the American people won’t like what he has to say. Justice Ginsburg affirmatively declared that she believes the Constitution protects the right of all people to make personal decisions about their bodies — including the right to safe, legal abortion. Full stop. Brett Kavanaugh cannot hide behind the hollow words of “respecting precedent,” “settled law,” or “stare decisis.” Unless Brett Kavanaugh affirmatively declares that the Constitution protects individual liberty and the rights of all people to make personal decisions about their bodies and personal relationships, the Senate should not confirm him.”
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Planned Parenthood Action Fund is an independent, nonpartisan, not-for-profit membership organization formed as the advocacy and political arm of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. The Action Fund engages in educational and electoral activity, including grassroots organizing, legislative advocacy, and voter education.