WASHINGTON -U.S. Senator Tom Udall, D-N.M., today released the following statement regarding President Barack Obama's nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor for the U.S. Supreme Court:
"In many respects Judge Sonia Sotomayor's credentials to ascend to the United States Supreme Court are reminiscent of many other Justices who have followed the same path.
"A high school valedictorian, Sotomayor attended Princeton University before entering Yale Law School, then becoming a respected prosecutor and eventually entering into private practice.
"However, in other aspects, Judge Sotomayor is unlike any other Supreme Court nominee or Justice and her nomination to the United States Supreme Court is a historic one. If confirmed, Judge Sotomayor would become the first Hispanic Justice, and just the third woman to sit on the nation's highest court.
"Throughout her long career of judicial service, Judge Sonia Sotomayor has established an exemplary record and earned praise for her thoughtful opinions. She has been nominated by both Democratic and Republican presidents to serve in her previous capacities on the bench and has been twice confirmed by the Senate with strong, bipartisan support.
"Both her life and legal experience are remarkable and I look forward to learning more about Judge Sotomayor as the Judiciary Committee prepares for confirmation hearings. Through the course of this process, I hope the debate surrounding her nomination remains both fair and respectful."
