By Kathleen Gilbert
WASHINGTON, D.C., July 28, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Senate Judiciary Committee today voted 13-6 to support the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court.
While all 12 Democrats voted in favor of the pro-abortion judge, only Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) supported the nominee out of 7 GOP committee members.
“I think this woman has done a splendid job,” said Sen. Dianne Feinstein of Sotomayor. “She has shown a dedication to the law.”
Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch said that, while he began the confirmation process with the hope that he could vote for Sotomayor, ultimately “her speeches and articles described a troubling approach to judging that her hearing testimony did not resolve.”
“In some of her most important cases, she gave short shrift to fundamental constitutional rights,” he said.
Sotomayor now awaits confirmation by the full Senate, which will probably vote in the week of August 3, when it is expected to uphold the Judiciary Committee's decision.
In Judiciary Committee hearings earlier this month, Sotomayor made it clear that she supported Roe v. Wade as “settled law,” and expressed dissatisfaction with the Supreme Court ban on partial-birth abortion.