OCR Text |
Show Hatch Comments On New High Court Member m a weekly interview with Sen. Hatch for the weekend of July Questions suggested by Utah 'SNPleit was President I L's choice for a new Supreme iff itle that made headlines, ffl has many considered in he if 5 confused over why the fcid nt would choose someone who Eavehada past voting record for r L of choice concerning jSand for the Equal Rights Amendment. HiTCH' I'm really happy that we J a President who really is trying Vive up to his campaign corn-Lents corn-Lents and promises. I think that's underfill thing and it's so unusual ack here. President Reagan said , he would try and appoint a , to the court. I think it's been 1 perdue, and to see that he has recommended a woman for the ,cancyon the Court, I think is a very i thing. Now the two problems at she seems to have are, number it she is a supporter of the Equal Ijlits Amendment. Well, so what? In lf opinion I have made the com-flts com-flts repeatedly that I believe in i rights for women, but I just lit think that we should do it -ough the means of constitutional Kndment when we already have me 60 bills on the books that give men full equal rights. And I've also fated that the court decisions will jus to reach equal rights quicker j a constitutional amendment. 11, by having an equal rights ad-Kate ad-Kate on the court, I think you'll be lie to have women's rights jittected. And for those who oppose tt Equal Rights Amendment, they sight to be happy about that because (liiik it puts the final nail in the ''A of the Equal Rights Amend-:at Amend-:at which I believe will fail by June i i art year. I don't think that's an ae. I think we ought to all be for equal rights for women, and this way it's going to be done the way President Reagan would like it -- in a legislative way rather than a constitutional con-stitutional amendment way. With regard to abortion, I chatted personally with the President on this and he indicates that abortion is personally abhorrent to the nominee, to the court, and that she personally accepts the Reagan position on abortion and that she supports the Republican platform plank on abortion including the judiciary plank. She does appear to be conservative, she does appear to be a strict constructionist. con-structionist. She has an excellent reputation on the bench and frankly, she's a woman. And like I say, it's time we had a woman on the Supreme Court bench, and I'm pleased that he has appointed somebody who has these kinds of qualifications. QUESTION: Sen. Hatch, since you are a member of the Judiciary Committee, you'll hold those confirmation con-firmation hearings. When do you think they'll be coming about? HATCH: A lot of people ask me whether we'll have these hearings between now and the August recess, and I think it's a possibility but not a probability. First of all there has to be a very searching FBI investigation, especially for this high position, really one of the highest positions in our country. Secondly, it's very difficult to start these confirmation hearings over what really amounts to another, ten, twelve, or fifteen days with all the other pressures we have on us. So I suspect that most of the hearings will be held after the recess. If we do hold the hearings, we would still have to bring up the confirmation after the recess. I look towards September when this issue will come to fruition and when she will either be confirmed or not confirmed. |