WASHINGTON, Feb. 13, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/
-- Americans United for Life President and CEO Dr.
Charmaine Yoest called news of the
passing of Justice Antonin Scalia "a
tragic loss for our country. Americans mourn the passing of a man
with deep integrity and unparalleled intellectual force, who valued
the Constitution over the whims of popular culture."
She continued: "Known for his great wit and wisdom, Justice Scalia continually reminded us that the
rule of law and protections enshrined in the Constitution are
essential. His contribution to our country has been immeasurable.
His respect for life in law, calling himself a 'textualist,'
allowed him to decide on the tough cases more easily: he once
said to reporters, 'Abortion? Absolutely easy. Nobody ever thought
the Constitution prevented restrictions on abortion.'"
Yoest added, "His loss is tragic, and we hope that when it comes
time for the Senate to vote on his replacement, that a worthy
successor who can pick up his banner can be found after the
election."
Justice Antonin Scalia was a
long-standing and consistent voice on the Court for allowing the
American people, through the democratic process, to protect human
beings from abortion or assisted suicide. He was one of the
strongest critics on the Court of the 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade,
as unconstitutional and illegitimate. And he voted with the
majority of the Court in 1997 against a constitutional right to
assisted suicide. In both cases, he affirmed that the
Constitution leaves these issues to the people to formulate public
policies through their elected representatives.
AUL's leadership on pro-life law and policy and its reputation
as a thoughtful pro-life advocate has been recognized four times by
members of the Senate Judiciary Committee when AUL was asked to
address pro-life concerns in confirmation hearings for Supreme
Court nominees. AUL leaders testified during confirmation
hearings for Justice Ruth Bader
Ginsburg and Justice Stephen
Breyer. Recently, AUL's current President and CEO Dr.
Charmaine Yoest testified during the
confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. AUL has also given Congressional
testimony before both the House of Representatives and the Senate
regarding federal legislation.
For interviews, e-mail: press@aul.org
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SOURCE Americans United for Life