Honorable Mel Martinez
United States Senator, Florida, Republican
Mel Martinez was elected to the U.S. Senate from Florida in 2004. The following is excerpted from Senator Martinez’s August 4, 2009, remarks during the Senate floor debate on confirmation of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court.The confirmation of a Supreme Court nominee is one of the most solemn and unique duties in our constitutional system of government. The Framers, recognizing the risk of abuse inherent in a lifetime judicial appointment, created a process that brings together all three branches of the Federal Government. The Constitution, Article II, Section 2, requires that a nominee to the Federal court…
