Executive Session
Floor Speech
EXECUTIVE SESSION -- (Senate - June 24, 2009)
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Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I am delighted to be here this afternoon to join my friend and colleague from the State of Minnesota, Senator Klobuchar, in supporting the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to be a Justice of the Supreme Court.
Everyone in New Hampshire was very proud 19 years ago when former President George Bush nominated New Hampshire's own David Souter as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. Every action Justice Souter has taken since he began service to our Nation's highest Court has only reinforced that pride. So when Justice Souter announced in early May that he intended to retire at the end of his term and return home to New Hampshire, I took particular interest in whom President Obama would select to fill David Souter's seat.
I believe the President has made a thoughtful and outstanding choice in nominating Judge Sonia Sotomayor.
Judge Sotomayor has had a distinguished career as a Federal judge. As has been widely noted, if confirmed, she would bring more Federal judicial experience to the Supreme Court than any Justice in 100 years. Today, David Souter is the only member of the Supreme Court with prior experience as a trial court judge. Sonia Sotomayor, too, would be the only Justice with experience as a trial court judge. I happen to agree with Senator Klobuchar. I think it is important that at least one of the nine Supreme Court Justices have that experience. It is trial judges, after all, who day-in and day-out must apply the legal principles enunciated in Supreme Court opinions.
Judge Sotomayor also served 5 years as a local prosecutor and practiced law for 7 years as a trial attorney with a law firm. Judge Sotomayor, because of her experience, will be ever mindful of the need to provide those in the courtroom with clear and practical decisions. More important, she will understand how Supreme Court opinions affect real human beings.
As a trial judge, every day Judge Sotomayor directly faced innocent victims of crime, vicious perpetrators of crime, and occasionally the wrongfully accused. She directly faced injured parties seeking civil redress and civil defendants who may have made honest mistakes. She had to answer: What is the right verdict? What is the right length of incarceration? What is the right level of damages? These are not easy decisions. I know that because my husband was a State trial court judge for 16 years. Trial court judges must be able to live with the justice they mete out. To do it well, it takes more than an understanding of the law, it takes an understanding of people. Judge Sotomayor has a great understanding of both.
I had the pleasure of meeting with Sonia Sotomayor the day she fractured her ankle. I said to her as she came into my office: Boy, you are tough. She said: I grew up in the Bronx; we had to be tough. She handled that painful injury with grace and humor. She has a first-rate temperament and also a first-rate intellect. After growing up in a public housing project in the South Bronx, she excelled at both Princeton and Yale Law School.
I believe Judge Sonia Sotomayor is an excellent choice to replace David Souter as a Supreme Court Justice. She deserves a fair and a thorough hearing without delay. I look forward to that hearing.
I yield the floor.
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