Statement from NOW President Toni Van Pelt:

08.21.2019

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Donald Trump’s nomination of anti-abortion lawyer Sarah Pitlyk to a federal judgeship in St. Louis is another brick in his judicial wall around abortion.  He is packing the federal bench with young, ultraconservative zealots who are committed to weakening or reversing abortion rights. 

Sarah Pitlyk is the special counsel to the Thomas More Society, an anti-gay and anti-Muslim group started by Domino’s Pizza founder Thomas Monaghan that is known for bringing an unsuccessful lawsuit against Planned Parenthood to “require it to declare a link between abortion and breast cancer,” and a failed defense of a Pennsylvania school district’s argument that “federal law recommended that students learn alternatives to evolution such as the teaching of intelligent design.” 

Now, Donald Trump wants to elevate that twisted reasoning to the federal bench.  He’s picked not only someone in the mold of Brett Kavanaugh, but an anti-abortion zealot who clerked for Brett Kavanaugh when he was an appeals court judge. 

Sarah Pitlyk will go from being one of the most prominent lawyers in the anti-abortion ranks to one of the most powerful anti-abortion judges in the country if the Senate approves this nomination.  NOW calls on the Senate to reject Sarah Pitlyk and stand up to Donald Trump’s anti-abortion court packing scheme. 

Contact

Kimberly Hayes, Press Secretary, press@now.org, 202-570-4745

Statement from NOW President Toni Van Pelt:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals must stop the Trump Administration from building chains around Planned Parenthood.  They want to padlock the truth about reproductive health care from people who are without insurance or who struggle to make ends meet by imposing a politically contrived gag rule on providers like Planned Parenthood.

Donald Trump is a misogynist bully, and he wants his government to reflect his image.  That’s why he’s directed HHS to force Title X grantees to withhold information about abortion care and give patients information about prenatal care instead. 

Conservatives love to malign the “nanny state,” but this is just one example of how Donald Trump is turning government into a bad babysitter.  They want to take away our choices and punish us out of malice—but we won’t let them treat us this way. 

NOW stands in solidarity with Planned Parenthood in opposing the gag rule. We call on the Senate to advance a spending bill that incorporates protective language around Title X. We must ensure millions of people can continue to access these vital health care services. 

Contact

Kimberly Hayes, Press Secretary, press@now.org, 202-570-4745

WASHINGTON, D.C. — There’s the bottom of the barrel, and then there’s Steve King. 

The Congressman from Iowa, who defended white supremacy, has now come out with a defense of rape and incest.   

It’s beyond obvious that Steve King has to resign his seat in politics, apologize to the people of Iowa and find something to do that doesn’t involve thinking, talking or being with other people. 

But Steve King isn’t the only Republican who repeats—or retweets—offensive, ignorant sexist and racist views.  His idiotic statements are part of a spectrum of intolerance, hate speech and bigotry that the House Republican Conference enables through its silence. This language damages the work being done to change our culture to one that respects women as equals and listens to their truths, their stories, their bodies. 

NOW calls on House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to require House Republicans to attend gender and racial bias training conducted by independent experts and trainers.  

NOW would be happy to provide some recommendations.   

Contact

Kimberly Hayes, Press Secretary, press@now.org, 202-570-4745