For Immediate Release: Thursday, March 25, 2021
Contact: [email protected]­­

Washington, DC — Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted on the confirmation of Vanita Gupta, President Joe Biden’s nominee for associate attorney general of the United States.

NARAL Pro-Choice America President Ilyse Hogue released the following statement in response:

“Today’s Senate Judiciary Committee vote on associate attorney general nominee Vanita Gupta made one thing clear—despite Gupta’s undeniable qualifications, Republican Senators and right-wing extremists continue to spread disinformation about her record and wage bad-faith attacks rooted in sexism and racism to try to tank her confirmation.

After four years of the Trump administration wielding the Justice Department to roll back people’s fundamental rights, and as state lawmakers ramp up their quest to criminalize abortion, Gupta’s leadership and commitment to fighting for reproductive freedom will help usher in a welcome new era of justice and equity. The full Senate must confirm her without delay.”

The attacks against Vanita Gupta are part of a larger racist and sexist campaign by Republican politicians to derail the confirmation of Biden’s nominees of color—especially women of color. Many of these nominees, including Gupta, have faced unwarranted criticism that completely ignores their extensive qualifications.

Gupta played a critical role in fighting for fundamental freedoms as president of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. In her past role as director of the Department of Justice’s Office on Civil Rights, Gupta led the charge on a range of major cases, including multiple pregnancy discrimination cases.

The Department of Justice can play a key role in protecting and advancing reproductive freedom by:

• Demonstrating a commitment to core constitutional protections, including the legal right to abortion
• Combating violence and discrimination against reproductive healthcare providers, patients, and staff
• Enforcing federal civil rights and nondiscrimination laws that have a serious impact on the lives and legal rights of women, people with low incomes, people of color, LGBTQ individuals, young people, immigrants, indigenous people, and other marginalized people
• Enforcing federal laws that have a significant impact on reproductive and civil rights, including Title VII, Title IX, the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, and the Affordable Care Act

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For over 50 years, NARAL Pro-Choice America and its network of state affiliates and chapters have fought to protect and advance reproductive freedom—including access to abortion, contraception, and paid family leave—for every body. NARAL is powered by its more than 2.5 million members from every state and congressional district in the country, representing the 7 in 10 Americans who believe every person should have the freedom to make the best decision for themselves about if, when, and how to raise a family.