Lincoln Announces Support for Judge Sotomayor
Washington – U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) today issued the following statement announcing she will vote in favor of the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor as the next Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.
“I believe the people of Arkansas and our nation deserve a Supreme Court justice who is able to interpret and apply the rule of law fairly without political favor or bias,” Lincoln said. “Ensuring that a nominee meets this standard is an obligation I have sworn to uphold as a United States Senator, and moreover, is the standard that I expect for a lifetime appointment to our nation’s highest court. In my view, Judge Sonia Sotomayor meets that standard.
“Judge Sotomayor has an impressive background and outstanding qualifications, which have prepared her to serve as a Justice of the Supreme Court. She has a breadth of professional experience, having served as an Assistant District Attorney and in private practice before beginning her 17 years serving as a federal judge. She has been nominated by both Democratic and Republican Presidents and has been confirmed twice by the Senate with strong, bipartisan support under both Democratic and Republican majorities.
“I have heard from a number of Arkansans, including those in our legal community, who have expressed strong support for Judge Sotomayor, emphasizing her unique background, impressive resume and solid judicial record. During my private meeting in June with Judge Sotomayor, I was able to learn firsthand about who she is as a person, her temperament and her unique life experiences that have shaped her views and approach to the bench. Moreover, I was pleased during our meeting with her eagerness to learn more about Arkansas, and her attentiveness to what issues were most important to my constituents. Also, I was impressed that Judge Sotomayor is not a stranger to hard work, which I know Arkansans can relate to.
“I have confidence that Judge Sotomayor’s obligation is first and foremost a ‘fidelity to the law,’ which she made clear throughout her Senate Judiciary Committee hearings. I believe that she cares more about following the law and maintaining the respect for the judiciary than she does about politics and ideology. As Judge Sotomayor stated, ‘the task of a judge is not to make law. It is to apply the law.’
“Judge Sotomayor meets the test to serve in our nation’s highest court. I base this conclusion on the respect and support she has earned from lawyers in Arkansas and from my Senate colleagues on both sides of the aisle who know her well; her own record and testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee; the testimony of her colleagues in the legal and judicial communities that speak to her abiding respect for the Court’s decisions and her understanding of the value of continuity in the law; and on her distinguished career as a lawyer and advocate before the Federal judiciary over many years. I believe Judge Sotomayor will make an exceptional Supreme Court Justice and will give all who come before the Court, on which she is poised to serve, a fair hearing and the attention and respect they deserve.”
