Word: ashcroft
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...past several weeks, every pro-choice group in the country, including NOW and NARAL, has joined forces in hopes of defeating Ashcroft's nomination for the post of U.S. attorney general - where he would be responsible for enforcing abortion laws and protecting abortion clinics. Nobody, on the other hand, seems particularly concerned with Thompson's nomination, although as head of HHS, he would exercise significant control over health care policy - and the dissemination of often controversial health-related information...
...Ashcroft is widely expected to win confirmation, but the extended three-day hearing facilitated a vociferous opposition to his nomination, both in and outside the hearing room. Tensions rose as lobbyists like NARAL's Kate Michelman took the stand Thursday to rail against Ashcroft, painting his confirmation as the proverbial nail in the coffin of women's reproductive rights...
...Others stood close by to defend Ashcroft's record and dismiss apocalyptic visions of burning abortion clinics. "John has made it very clear in the past that he believes that violence in front of abortion clinics is absolutely wrong, and that's the law and should be enforced," Senator Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), told CNN last week. Ashcroft insisted he will not allow his personal beliefs to influence the way he defends existing laws. "Roe v. Wade is the law of the land," he told the senators. "I know the difference between enforcement and enactment...
...Wisconsin, Thompson approved bills restricting access to abortion and family planning services, including a 24-hour mandatory waiting period for women seeking abortions, a parental consent law, and a ban on certain abortion procedures that was eventually reversed by the U.S. Supreme Court. But Thompson has been quieter than Ashcroft about his opposition to abortion. That reticence continues today; if Thompson is looking for a fight from his Senate panel, he's doing it quietly. When asked during his hearings whether he would seek to repeal FDA approval of the controversial "abortion pill," RU-486, Thompson replied...
...Opposing Ashcroft means instant community, support...