The confirmation hearings for Judge Sonia Sotomayor began today on Capitol Hill.
This is huge – it doesn’t happen very often and if confirmed Judge Sotomayor will be one of nine votes to be the ultimate ‘decider’ of our nations laws. Learn a little more about her through this MSNBC photo biography.
And because these processes can sometimes be confusing here’s a little cheat sheet also from MSNBC on the steps that are happening to confirm Judge Sotomayor to the high court:
Step one
Supreme Court Justice David Souter has made his retirement announcement official, writing to President Obama, “Dear Mr. President: When the Supreme Court rises for the summer recess this year, I intend to retire from regular active service as a justice.” The president is now tasked with nominating a successor.
Step two
The Constitution requires the president to submit his nomination to the Senate for its advice and consent; the House plays no role. The Senate’s majority Democrats and minority Republicans investigate the nominee’s background thoroughly before hearings begin in the Senate Judiciary Committee. It normally takes between four and six weeks to begin hearings after the Senate receives a Supreme Court nomination.
Step three
The Senate will try to hold hearings and a confirmation vote before the Supreme Court begins its new term in October.
Step four
Hearings will be supervised by Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt. Following Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter’s defection to the Democratic Party, Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama was chosen by Republicans to be their ranking member on the committee. Senate hearings on the nominations of John Roberts as chief justice and Samuel Alito as justice, the high court’s two newest justices, lasted about a week.
Step five
At the end of hearings, the committee will vote on the nominee and send a recommendation to the full Senate. Whether the committee decision is positive or negative, the full Senate is likely to vote on the nomination.
It takes 60 votes to block a filibuster of a Supreme Court nominee. Democrats now hold that majority in the Senate with Al Franken’s recent Minnesota victory, Arlen Specter’s party defection, and two Democratic-voting independents.
~Mary, Rock the Vote
Tags: Supreme Court
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Mary Bio: @Rockthevote Email the author at: blog(at)rockthevote.com |
So basically, the hearings are a shame as the Democrats have enough votes to confirm Sotomayer without a single Republican voting yes. I expect Democrats in these hearings to use the opportunity to bash Republicans as racists or bigots, while some Republicans flitter about points claiming to support Hispanics and others actually focusing on Sotomayer’s record. The media will follow suit claiming Republicans will railroad this historic nomination, without making the point that Democrats opposed Bush’s nomination of Miguel Estrada because he is a Latino or Republicans don’t have enough votes to order pizza much less stop Sotomayer.