WASHINGTON – In a historic bipartisan vote, the Senate today confirmed Judge Sonia Sotomayor as an associate justice to the U.S. Supreme Court (68-31). Judge Sotomayor will become the first woman justice confirmed to the high court since Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in 1993. She will also be the first Latina justice.
"Sixteen years ago, President Clinton predicted that Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg would move the court 'not left or right but forward.'i We believe those words apply equally well to Judge Sotomayor," said AAUW Executive Director Linda D. Hallman, CAE. "We hope all Americans will join us in celebrating this historic achievement for all women. Judge Sotomayor will bring welcome depth, experience, and first-rate legal knowledge to the court."
"Today is a proud day for those of us who fight for gender equity and judges who are committed to upholding the rights of all Americans," said Lisa Maatz, AAUW director of public policy and government relations. "The Senate has confirmed an extremely well qualified nominee who has amassed three decades' worth of legal experience. The Supreme Court, and our nation, will be well served as a result."
After carefully considering her 17-year record as a federal judge and closely reviewing her recent testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, AAUW last month announced its support of the confirmation of Judge Sotomayor based on her depth of legal experience, her stellar academic credentials, and her in-depth knowledge of the law. She holds the distinction of being nominated to three federal judicial positions by three different presidents representing different political parties. Further, she has been confirmed to these positions by both Democratic-led and Republican-led Senates. Such distinctions are a rarity in today’s partisan world of judicial confirmation battles.
i The Patriot-News (August 5, 1993). A New Justice for the Court. Retrieved August 6, 2009, from http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/10D8A418F10D6AC5/0D0CB60CE5C979CA
