WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – Republican lawmakers stepped up pressure on Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor yesterday, hoping to paint her as judicial activist who will stamp the court with President Barack Obama’s liberal agenda.
On the third day of her confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sotomayor rejected suggestions she had been vetted by the Obama White House for her stance on divisive issues such as abortion.
Sotomayor, virtually assured confirmation by the Democratic majority as the U.S. top court’s first Hispanic justice, brushed aside comments by a former boss at a New York law firm that she had “generally liberal instincts.”
Sotomayor, 55, remained calm and flashed sparks of humor as Republican lawmakers pressed the attack, probing her attitudes on race, the law and notions of justice.
“You are seeking a lifetime appointment and this is the one chance we have to ask these questions,” the ranking Republican on the committee, Senator Jeff Sessions, said during a break.
Sotomayor said she did not accept the activist label — for herself or any other judge.
