With a 13-5 vote today, approving John Roberts' nomination to be chief justice of the United States, members of the Senate Judiciary Committee set a course toward confirming a man whose votes could reverse years of progress for women's rights and civil rights.

As the only woman on the committee, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Calif.) carried the weight of more than half the country on her shoulders, and she did so with clear reasoning and strong commitment to preserving the rights that today's women have come to expect as their birthright. NOW applauds all of the senators who voted against Roberts in committee: Joe Biden (Del.), Dick Durbin (Ill.), Feinstein, Edward Kennedy (Mass.) and Charles Schumer (N.Y.).

At the same time, NOW members and women's rights supporters everywhere are extremely disappointed in those senators who profess to champion reproductive rights and civil rights yet voted for Roberts in the committee. Democratic Senators Russ Feingold (Wis.), Herb Kohl (Wis.) and Patrick Leahy (Vt.) — the ranking Democrat on the committee, no less — turned their backs on women and girls by endorsing the slick attorney who refused to give clear answers to key questions.

What if Roberts is confirmed? In casting his incomprehensible vote in favor of Roberts, Sen. Leahy commented that "only time will tell" whether Roberts has an ideological agenda. Indeed, I believe history will reveal that Roberts' disdain for individual rights and liberties will characterize his term as chief justice, casting a long, dark shadow upon the High Court.

Women will judge this vote harshly as we suffer its consequences in the years and decades to come. Those who lose their rights and liberties in the future, because of Roberts' leadership on the Court, will remember the senators who voted to confirm. If there are decisions that restrict and dismantle our rights, NOW members will remind Senators Leahy, Feingold and Kohl of the opportunity they had to stop an opponent of our fundamental rights from serving a lifetime as chief justice.

The fight is not over yet, of course. We will continue to press every senator-even those who have already voted on the committee-to defend our rights and liberties when the full Senate vote takes place next week. We will never give up — the stakes are too high. And we will remember each November.

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