Charles Grassley says the first Supreme Court nomination he voted on as a freshman senator was that of Sandra Day O’Connor. Seated on the high court in 1981, the 75-year-old O’Connor announced her resignation today, and Senator Grassley was asked about how the court may change when a justice is chosen to take her place. Iowa’s Republican senator says whoever it is, they’re not likely to overturn Roe versus Wade, the court decision that legalized abortion. Grassley says in a court that’s more pro-life, you’re likely to see rulings that uphold state laws. He says those wouldn’t overturn Roe v. Wade but “on the fringes do things like informed consent, 24-hour waiting period, parental consent for teenagers.” Senator Grassley was asked how important it may be that O’Connor’s resignation gives President Bush the opportunity to nominate a Supreme Court justice. Grassley says it’s more significant than if Rehnquist resigned, “because O’Connor goes back and forth, more conservative than moderate, but she does vote with the moderate wing sometimes.” Grassley says he hopes the high court will get someone who’s a little more predictable and “a strict constructionist.” Iowa’s senior senator confessed he can’t name any top prospects to replace O’Connor on the bench. Unlike the usual process of speculation, when there’s usually a list of a dozen people, Grassley says “If there is a list, I have not seen it.” Iowa’s other U.S. Senator, Democrat Tom Harkin, praised O’Connor, the first woman on the court, as an independent voice “who examined issues with impartiality and thoughtfulness.” He noted she was nominated by President Reagan but approved by consensus of both parties in Washington. Senator Grassley, a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, added in a statement that he hopes any replacement nominated for Justice O’Connor “will be treated with fairness and respect, including an up-or-down vote in the senate.”
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