Snowe Statement on Sotomayor Nomination to U.S. Supreme Court
May 26, 2009
Washington, D.C. - In response to President Obama’s announcement to nominate U.S. appeals court Judge Sonia Sotomayor of New York to replace retiring justice David Souter on the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) issued the following statement today:
"Indisputably, this is an historic selection, as Sonia Sotomayor is just the third woman to be nominated to The Court and the first Hispanic American. I commend President Obama for nominating a well-qualified woman, as I urged him to do during a one-on-one meeting on a variety of issues in the Oval Office earlier this month.
"I also appreciate that White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel called me personally this morning to inform me of the President's selection. As the process moves forward, I will apply the same standards of review that I have in the past -- that any Supreme Court nominee should bring a balanced approach to cases, possess a strong intellect and suitable judicial temperament, and follow a disciplined judicial methodology in reaching decisions. Justices on the High Court sit for life, so the Senate must exercise this constitutional duty thoughtfully, and give careful and thorough consideration to Judge Sotomayor, as it should to every nominee. I share the view that the proper role of the judiciary is one of interpreting the Constitution and acts of Congress, not legislating from the bench. As such, I will carefully evaluate Sonia Sotomayor’s record and temperament in making my determination."
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