WASHINGTON — While Supreme Court nominee John G. Roberts Jr.'s views on abortion triggered intense debate on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, there is no mistaking where his wife stands: Jane Sullivan Roberts, a lawyer, is ardently against abortion.
A Roman Catholic like her husband, Jane Roberts has been deeply involved in the antiabortion movement. She provides her name, money and professional advice to a small Washington organization — Feminists for Life of America — that offers counseling and educational programs. The group has filed legal briefs before the high court challenging the constitutionality of abortion.
A spouse's views normally are not considered relevant in weighing someone's job suitability. But abortion is likely to figure prominently in the Senate debate over John Roberts' nomination. And with his position on the issue unclear, abortion rights supporters expressed concern Wednesday that his wife's views might suggest he also embraced efforts to overturn Roe vs. Wade.
"It's unclear how all this will affect her husband," said Jennifer Palmieri, a spokeswoman with the Center for American Progress, a liberal public policy group. "It's possible that he would have a different view than her. It's just that in the absence of information about this guy, people are looking at her and trying to read the tea leaves."
Asked to discuss her role with Feminists for Life, Jane Roberts said in an e-mail to the Los Angeles Times: "Thanks for your inquiry. At this time, however, I would like to decline your invitation to talk."
So, we have a Supreme Court nominee with a vague paper trail which can provide information on his thinking and views, and we have his wife who is strongly anti-abortion. According to the Times story, Jane Roberts was a volunteer member of Feminists for Life's board of directors from 1995 to 1999. She has provided legal assistance to the group and has donated from $1,000 to $2,500. This is no small-time volunteer. This lady has every intention of overturning Roe, and has used her legal knowledge and her resources to achieve this goal. And now her husband will soon become a Supreme Court Justice, possibly tipping the court's balance rightward towards overturning Roe. I can understand spouses who will have different political opinions. But when you have spouses who will devote extensive resources towards a particular political cause--and $1,000 to $2,500 is pretty extensive resources--that issue has got to be taken into consideration as to whether John Roberts is the right individual to be on this court.
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