The Senate Judiciary Committee chairman, Senator Patrick J. Leahy announced that the committee vote on the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor for the Supreme Court would be held on July 28; he expressed confidence that she would be confirmed in time for the Supreme Court’s first meeting on Sept. 9.
The public display of bipartisan support is undeniable. The most recent Republican to publicly announce her support of Sotomayor is Senator Susan Collins of Maine. Republican Senator Lindsay Graham has also decided to vote in favor of Judge Sotomayor. When explaining his decision he said, “I understand the path of least resistance for me personally would be to vote no. That is probably true anytime you are in the minority party and you lose an election, but I feel compelled to vote yes, and I feel this is the right vote for me and, quite frankly, for the country in this case.”
On the other hand, Texas Republican John Cornyn, the Senator who runs the GOP’s Senate campaign arm joined Senator John Kyl of Arizona in opposing Sotomayor. They are an example of the division arising within the Republican Party over Obama’s Supreme Court nominee. Many Republicans believe they should oppose Sotomayor in order to please their base, but are fearful of alienating their Hispanic and female constituents.
Despite the Republican Senators who have pledged to vote against Sotomayor, it is fairly certain that the New York Appeals Judge will soon be sworn in as the first Latina on the High Court.
If you would like more information on how to reach out to your Senator and encourage him or her to confirm Judge Sotomayor you can visit: www.sotomayorforjustice.com
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