NCJW Praises Supreme Court Decision
in “Partial Birth Abortion” Case

June 28, 2000, Washington, DC --  NCJW President Jan Schneiderman applauded the Supreme Court’s decision in Stenberg v. Carhart striking down Nebraska’s so-called “partial birth abortion” ban:

“The Court's decision in Stenberg is a great victory for women and for individual liberty. By reaffirming the critical and basic protection of a woman’s right to choose, established in 1973 in Roe v. Wade and reiterated in Planned Parenthood of Southeastern PA. v. Casey in 1992, the Court upheld the right of every woman to make the difficult and personal decision to terminate a pregnancy without undue interference by politicians.

As written, the Nebraska law undermined every woman’s constitutionally guaranteed individual liberty to make her own medical decisions, often in consultation with her clergy, family, and physician. NCJW is pleased that the Supreme Court exposed the Nebraska law for what it is: a political vehicle by legislators to interfere with the reproductive freedom of women.

NCJW has been particularly concerned about such abortion bans because they interfere with the rights and ability of women to practice their religious beliefs regarding reproductive rights. Women must be respected as moral decision makers, able to make choices based on their diverse religious beliefs and traditions, as well as their own consciences.

The Nebraska law and its clones are not about abortion procedures – they are the cornerstone of a new strategy to overturn Roe v. Wade by chipping away at reproductive rights from every angle. Abortion opponents know they cannot win by direct attacks on the right to choose, so they have engaged in a campaign of subterfuge. Fortunately, the Court saw through this strategy, and labeled it unconstitutional.

This narrow 5-4 decision reminds us that we must remain ever vigilant on all fronts to ensure that this fundamental right is protected. NCJW and its grassroots volunteers across the nation will continue our long-standing commitment to provide the leadership, advocacy and education needed to ensure the protection of every female's right to reproductive choice.”

NCJW is a volunteer organization, inspired by Jewish values, that works to improve the quality of life for women, children and families and to ensure individual rights and freedoms through research, education and community service programs initiated by its network of 90,000 volunteers, supporters and members nationwide.

Contact Information:

Emily Felt
(202) 296-2588; emily@ncjwdc.org