SCHAKOWSKY STATEMENT ON THE NOMINATION OF JUDGE ALITO TO THE SUPREME COURT

OCTOBER 31, 2005

SCHAKOWSKY STATEMENT ON THE NOMINATION OF JUDGE ALITO TO THE SUPREME COURT

WASHINGTON, DC - "President Bush has nominated a man to the Supreme Court to satisfy the far right-wing organizations that doomed the nomination of Harriet Miers. Rather than picking a conservative judge whose values are consistent with those of most Americans, President Bush has nominated a judge whose rulings have been out of the mainstream on a woman's right to choose, workers' rights and civil rights, and the separation of church and state. He has demonstrated an extremely restrictive view of where the powers of the federal government begin and end. It's now up to the Senate to raise the necessary questions about Judge Alito's long paper trail of rulings that have threatened the rights of all Americans - particularly women and minorities. And it is up to Judge Alito and the Administration to prove he is worthy of confirmation to the Supreme Court."