Sonia Sotomayor Approved By Senate Judiciary Committee

WOL Featured Video

(Washington, DC) — The Senate Judiciary Committee has approved the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court. Her nomination now goes to the full Senate. The vote in the committee was 13 in favor and six opposed. Sotomayor’s nomination was hardly in doubt, as President Obama’s nomination coincided with a Democratic majority in the Senate. In the opening of her confirmation hearings in the Judiciary Committee, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said that barring a “complete meltdown,” she’d be approved.

Even so, Republicans brought up some things from Sotomayor’s past that she had to explain. Among those was a statement in 2001 in which she said, quote, “I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.” Sotomayor said her statements were meant to inspire young law professionals of all walks of life. She insisted she didn’t believe any gender or race had cornered the market on wise judgement.

SEE ALSO