WASHINGTON , June 12, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The National Review’s Bryon York referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee nomination hearings for William H. Pryor Jr as “one of the most extraordinary Judiciary Committee sessions in recent memory”.
The Alabama attorney general, who has been nominated to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, has been unusually honest in standing by controversial comments he was noted to have made in the past, especially against abortion and the Roe V Wade decision. The Washington Times reports that Pryor told the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday that abortion is “murder” and that the court case legalizing it is “the worst abomination in the history of constitutional law”. When asked if he stood by that comment Pryor responded “I stand by that comment. I believe that not only is [Roe] unsupported by the text and structure of the Constitution, but it has led to a morally wrong result. It has led to the slaughter of millions of innocent unborn children. That’s my personal belief.” National Review’s York also noted that on Roe, Pryor was known to have said that the Supreme Court had created “out of thin air a constitutional right to murder an unborn child.” And then there was the remark that he “will never forget January 22, 1973 [the day of the Roe decision], the day seven members of our highest Court ripped up the Constitution.” Pryor again declined to modify or take back his past comments and told the Committee, “I believe that abortion is the taking of human life…I believe that abortion is morally wrong.”
Crisis magazine Deal Hudson, in his e-letter for today says of Pryor’s performance, “Whether or not they agree with him, the judiciary committee has to respect his unwavering honesty”.
See National Review https://www.nationalreview.com/york/york061203.asp The Washington Times https://washingtontimes.com/national/20030611-113019-8769r.htm