MALDEF praises the effort of Senate Judiciary Committee leaders who have reported confirmation of Sonia Sotomayor to the Senate floor

WASHINGTON, DC-- The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), the nation's leading Latino legal civil rights organization, is proud to see that the Senate Judiciary Committee has voted to report Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination to the full Senate. MALDEF now looks to the full Senate for thorough consideration of her record and ultimately broad support for her confirmation. This is an historic nomination on many levels and we are pleased to see that President Obama’s excellent choice for the Supreme Court is likely to assume her post as early as September.

“We encourage the full Senate to swiftly vote to confirm Judge Sotomayor’s nomination,” stated Henry Solano, Interim President and General Counsel. “Senators on both sides of the aisle should focus on Judge Sotomayor’s 17-year-long judicial record which places her well within the mainstream and speaks clearly to her expertise. Any further discussion about Judge Sotomayor as a judicial activist with a liberal agenda must be quelled, for it is neither accurate nor productive.”

MALDEF understands that our nation’s senators have an awesome responsibility when considering any nominee to the United States Supreme Court. Judge Sotomayor is intelligent, highly qualified, and will bring to the Court more federal judicial experience than any justice has in 100 years. She has proved to be a competent and impressive nominee, managing a rigorous schedule since her nomination, conducting herself with self-confidence and a judicial demeanor during the hearings, and articulately responding to criticisms about her record on and off the bench.

MALDEF joins the rest of the nation in eagerly anticipating the appointment of the first Latina and third woman to the United States Supreme Court. Judge Sotomayor's nomination must be confirmed through a vote by the full Senate.

Take Action! Please call your Senators at 202-224-3121 and declare your support for Judge Sotomayor!