WASHINGTON – A majority of Americans favor the confirmation of federal appeals court judge Samuel Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court, and an even larger proportion believe Alito would not vote to overturn Roe vs. Wade, the 1973 high court ruling that legalized abortion, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll released Monday.
| Confirmation hearings schedule
The schedule for Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito’s confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee. All times are Pacific Standard Time: Today 6:30 a.m.: Questioning begins with each of the committee’s 18 senators getting a 30-minute round. It will continue into the night. Wednesday 6:30 a.m.: 20-minute rounds of questioning Alito begin. 4 p.m. Questioning resumes after a dinner break. If questioning is completed, the committee will go into closed session to review Alito’s FBI background check. Thursday 6:30 a.m.: More questioning of Alito or closed session if necessary. Questioning of outside witnesses. Friday: The confirmation hearing continues, if necessary. Monday: Martin Luther King Jr. holiday; no committee meeting. Jan. 17: The committee meets; vote possible. |
The survey found that 53 percent of the public says Alito should be confirmed to serve on the court – virtually identical to the proportion that supported John Roberts’ confirmation as chief justice four months ago. One in four – 27 percent – say Alito should be rejected by the Senate. One in five Americans remain undecided about the nominee.
According to the poll, 38 percent predict Alito will vote on abortion issues in ways that do not significantly alter Roe. Another 26 percent said they expect Alito to favor greater restrictions on abortion but not to strike down the ruling.
Slightly fewer than one in five – 18 percent – say they believe he would vote to overturn the decision.
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