NARAL Statement On William Barr’s Nomination Hearings
For Immediate Release: January 15, 2019
In response to the Senate hearings on Donald Trump’s nomination of William Barr as Attorney General, NARAL Pro-Choice America Vice President of Communications and Strategic Research Adrienne Kimmell issued the following statement:
“William Barr’s nomination is just one part of the Trump administration’s larger plan to use the Department of Justice to criminalize women and take away our most fundamental rights and freedoms. Barr’s troubling views on presidential power and the possibility that he could let this reckless President go unchecked raises severe concerns, along with the fact that he has made no secret of his disdain for abortion rights and the legal precedents that have affirmed them. No matter how he tries to distance himself from his previous extreme statements – or dodge questions to avoid accountability later on – his views on reproductive freedom are dangerous and out-of-step with what the majority of Americans believe.
“In a time when Roe v. Wade hangs in the balance and women live in fear of abortion being criminalized, Americans are looking at their Senators to reject Barr and prevent him from securing a position as our nation’s most powerful law enforcement official.”
During Senate confirmation hearings when he was first appointed Attorney General by George H.W. Bush, William Barr said Roe v. Wade was wrongly decided and should be overturned. Barr has also expressed skepticism about the right to privacy, and stated that he does not believe it “extends to abortion.”
NARAL Pro-Choice America and its network of state affiliates are dedicated to protecting and expanding reproductive freedom for all Americans. NARAL works to guarantee that every woman has the right to make personal decisions regarding the full range of reproductive choices, including preventing unintended pregnancy, bearing healthy children, and choosing legal abortion. In recognition of its work defending our constitutional right to choose, Fortune Magazine described NARAL as “one of the top 10 advocacy groups in America.”