Senator Ron Wyden Statement on Nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the US Supreme Court

May 27, 2009 -- Washington, D.C – US Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement on the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the United States Supreme Court:

“By selecting Sonia Sotomayor to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, President Obama fulfilled his promise not only to consult with Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle, but to ultimately appoint an individual with a ‘sharp and independent mind and a record of excellence and integrity.’ This is a historic appointment, and I believe that many will find inspiration in Judge Sotomayor’s remarkable personal story and realization of the America dream.

“As I told the President when he consulted me about this nomination, I’m particularly interested in any nominee's views on national security and the limits of Presidential power. Our Founding Fathers gave the President significant responsibility as Commander-in-Chief, but this does not mean that the President has unlimited or unchecked authority in all areas regarding national security. Our President must still obey the Constitution and follow laws passed by Congress.

"This has been a heavily debated topic over the last several years, and the Supreme Court has been sharply divided on many recent national security cases. As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I’m looking forward to discussing these cases with Judge Sotomayor and hearing more about her views on this, end-of-life issues, and many other subjects.”

Source: Senator Ron Wyden