Honorable Patrick Leahy
United States Senator, Vermont, Democrat
On May 26, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Sonia Sotomayor to replace David Souter as an associate justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. The Senate, fulfilling its constitutional duty to provide "advice and consent" on the nomination, held committee hearings and floor debate prior to a confirmation vote. Patrick Leahy was elected to the U.S. Senate from Vermont in 1974. He is chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which held hearings on the Sotomayor nomination. The following is excerpted from his August 4, 2009, remarks during the Senate floor debate on confirmation of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme…
