Just as Supreme Court hopeful Sonia Sotomayor begins her personal lobbying campaign of Capitol Hill, conservative judicial groups are upping the pressure on Senate Republicans to oppose her nomination.
The Judicial Confirmation Network sent a letter Tuesday to every Democratic and Republican Senator, calling Sotomayor’s judicial record into question.
In particular, the group takes issue with Sotomayor’s comments in a 2001 speech in which she said, “Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.”
Wendy Long, the JCN’s legal counsel, wrote to Senators: “Judge Sotomayor challenges the belief that the law needs to be knowable and predictable, borrowing from the early 20th century Legal Realists who rejected the idea that judging involve the impartial application of neutral principals.”
JCN is also rolling out the formation of grass-roots coalitions in about 10 states later this week, according to JCN Executive Director Gary Marx.
While other conservative groups have called on Senate Republicans to try to filibuster the Sotomayor nomination, Marx said the JCN is not advocating that. The JCN opposes the nomination but doesn’t believe a filibuster is appropriate.
“We believe in having a long and vigorous and thorough, healthy debate,” Marx said. “But we continue to not support a filibuster or any kind of judicial filibuster.”
“We think that’s not appropriate, and we’ve maintained that principle whether there has been a Democrat or Republican president in the office.”
The JCN’s letter comes on the heels of another letter by more than 120 conservatives, including Third Branch Conference Chairman Manuel Miranda, American Values’ Gary Bauer and Grover Norquist, head of Americans for Tax Reform.
The conservatives’ letter, which was sent to Senate Republicans on Tuesday, calls on Republicans to force a lengthy debate on Sotomayor.
“Our concern arises from the little effort and time, Senate-wide, that was devoted to judicial nominations since the Alito confirmation, and during two election cycles,” that group wrote. “We have good reason to be concerned also given the extent of Senate effort and scrutiny in the confirmations of Associate Justices Breyer and Ginsberg.”
Committee for Justice’s Curt Levey, a co-signer of the letter, said it’s too early to know whether the Senate GOP will heed the groups’ call.
“Lindsey Graham definitely gets a star for saying that Sotomayor should apologize,” Levey said, referencing the Republican Senator from South Carolina.
Rep. Bill Cassidy has his blood drawn by Alesha Barbour during a free hepatitis screening in the Rayburn House Office Building hosted by the Congressional Viral Hepatitis Caucus to recognize "National Viral Hepatitis Testing Day."
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