In a 1993 speech, U.S. Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers supported "self-determination" -- but not the concept as Indian nations know it.

According to The Washington Post, Miers spoke to a Dallas, Texas, women's group about the legal issues surrounding abortion and the separation of church and state. She suggested that the government stay out of certain matters where the science is unclear and religious views vary.

"The underlying theme in most of these cases is the insistence of more self-determination," she said. "And the more I think about these issues, the more self-determination makes sense."

"The ongoing debate continues surrounding the attempt to once again criminalize abortions or to once and for all guarantee the freedom of the individual women's [sic] right to decide for herself whether she will have an abortion," she added [PDF].

Miers speech was one of several documents that were delivered to the Senate Judiciary Committee. She is supposed to resubmit her committee questionnaire -- on which she claimed knowledge of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act and tribal sovereignty -- today because senators said it was incomplete.

A growing number of Republican senators are voicing doubts about Miers. Several are quoted by The New York Times as saying they are "uneasy" and have "concerns" about the nomination. The sentiment, along with mounting criticism by conservatives, has the White House considering that Miers make a public speech, a seemingly unprecedented move.

Get the Story:
In Speeches From 1990s, Clues About Miers Views (The Washington Post 10/26)
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New Push for Miers Is in the Works (The Washington Post 10/26)
Senators in G.O.P. Voice New Doubt on Court Choice (The New York Times 10/26)
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Miers Senate Questionnaire:
Text | PDF

Relevant Links:
Texas State Lottery - http://www.txlottery.org
Judicial Nominations, White House - http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/judicialnominees

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