This month brings an immediate call to action.

President Bush has nominated Miguel Estradato the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. This court is generally considered to be second in importance only to the Supreme Court. Pro-Choice senators may filibuster to block confirmation of Estradato.

The National Right To Life Committee highlights this information on it's site:

Miguel Estrada was nominated by President Bush nearly two years ago. The American Bar Association's review committee unanimously rated Estrada as "well qualified," but the Senate Democratic leadership blocked his confirmation until they lost their majority.

On January 30, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved the nomination on a 10-9 party-line vote. The full Senate will take up the nomination on Tuesday, February 4. Because a majority of senators would vote to confirm Estrada, pro-abortion groups are pushing for a filibuster to block confirmation.

In a January 31 e-mail alert, NARAL said that Estrada "has pointedly refused to answer the Senate's questions on his view of Roe v. Wade."

The pro-abortion group Feminist Majority said in a January 31 alert, "This is the first test of the filibuster strategy -- if we can block this vote, we will be sending a strong message to President Bush, telling him that we won’t stand by while he stacks the courts with right-wing, reactionary judges. Estrada has not demonstrated commitment to women’s rights or civil rights and has refused to answer questions about his commitment to abortion rights or basic civil rights."

If a filibuster does develop, which now seems likely, it will require 60 votes (out of 100 senators) to "invoke cloture" and end the filibuster. Such a vote could occur as early as Thursday, February 6, or at any time thereafter -- perhaps repeatedly.

There are currently 51 Senate Republicans. If all 51 Republicans vote for cloture, pro-cloture votes from nine Democrats will still be required. Therefore, Democratic senators especially -- regardless of their positions on abortion -- should be targeted for phone calls, e-mails, and faxes with messages expressing clear opposition to any filibuster against Miguel Estrada.

What can you do? E-mail your senators today. What should you say? It is suggested by NRLC that you include a message such as this:
"I urge you to support the nomination of Miguel Estrada to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. There should be no filibuster against this well-qualified nominee, but if a filibuster begins, I urge you to vote for cloture. Please write to inform me how you will vote on the Estrada nomination."

You can also call your senators. Taking the time to make a phone call tells them that you are serious about this issue.