CAP Statement on the Confirmation of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court

SOURCE: AP/J. Scott Applewhite

The Senate confirmed Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court today by a 68-31 vote.

August 6, 2009

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Today the nation celebrates another historic moment with the Senate’s endorsement of the first Latina nominated to the Supreme Court. Just as President Barack Obama’s own historic election inspired millions of young Americans to strive to follow in his footsteps, Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s life story teaches that no American should limit their aspirations. 

Sotomayor’s confirmation also affirms what was obvious the moment President Obama introduced her to the American people: Sotomayor’s brilliant intellect, compelling life story, solid credentials, extensive judicial experience, and 17-year record of fidelity to the law prepare her well for the Supreme Court.

Unfortunately, Sotomayor joins a Supreme Court dominated by deeply conservative justices hostile to the laws Congress enacted to protect Americans. These justices have consistently placed employers’ interests ahead of laws forbidding employment discrimination, ignored the plain meaning of laws protecting the environment, and repeatedly seized opportunities to immunize corporate interests from the law.  Sotomayor’s record of faithfully applying the law to all the parties who appear before her is exactly the change Americans voted for last November.

The confirmation of President Obama’s first Supreme Court nominee is a victory for all Americans who believe in equal justice under the law. She will make an outstanding justice.

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For more information on the Sotomayor confirmation hearings, see:

• Beyond Sotomayor's Confirmation
• Myth vs. Fact: Conservative Attacks on Judge Sonia Sotomayor
• Ask the Expert: A Judge with Loyalty to the Law
• Public Opinion Snapshot: Public Backs Sotomayor for the Supreme Court