Barrett Says She Signed Ad Decrying ‘Infamous’ Roe v. Wade
Barrett Says She Signed Ad Decrying Roe v. Wade as ‘Infamous’
(Bloomberg) -- Amy Coney Barrett put her name on a newspaper ad that decried the “infamous” 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling and said abortions had killed “55 million unborn children” over four decades, according to a new disclosure by the U.S. Supreme Court nominee.
The 2013 advertisement appeared in the University of Notre Dame’s student newspaper and was sponsored by a faculty group to which Barrett belonged as a law professor, she said in a letter to senators released late Friday.
“In the 40 years since the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, over 55 million unborn children have been killed by abortions,” the ad said. “We faculty and staff at the University of Notre Dame reaffirm our full support for our university’s commitment to the right to life, we renew our call for the unborn to be protected in law and welcomed in life, and we voice our love and support for the mothers that bear them.”
A separate anti-abortion ad came to light last week and drew protests from Democrats because Barrett hadn’t disclosed it on her own. That 2006 ad said those signing it “oppose abortion on demand and defend the right to life from fertilization to natural death.” On a separate page, the ad called for “an end to the barbaric legacy of Roe v. Wade.”
Barrett also told senators about two abortion-related presentations to student groups she hadn’t included when she submitted her required paperwork to the Senate Judiciary Committee last month. The 2013 talks, titled “The Supreme Court’s Abortion Jurisprudence” and “Being a Woman After Roe,” were disclosed earlier Friday by CNN.
Judicial nominees are required to fill out a questionnaire that asks for published writings and statements. The questionnaire doesn’t specifically mention advertisements that list the nominee’s name.
Barrett’s views on abortion are under scrutiny because of the possibility she might tip the court’s balance toward rolling back or even overturning Roe. As a federal appeals court judge, Barrett hasn’t directly ruled on abortion rights, but in several cases she indicated support for tougher restrictions on the procedure. Her Senate confirmation hearing is set to start Monday.
President Donald Trump and Senate Republicans want to get her confirmed before the Nov. 3 election.
©2020 Bloomberg L.P.