Washington, DC –
U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee that will consider her nomination to the Supreme Court, met with Judge Sonia Sotomayor today at his office. Following their meeting he released the following statement:

“Judge Sotomayor is a very impressive individual. I find her background, which encompasses nearly every level of the judicial process, including prosecutor, corporate litigator, trial judge, and currently an appellate judge, to be incredible. Our conversation was very forthright. We talked about a wide range of issues including the protections found in the Constitution. I found her responses to be very frank and open. I was impressed by her candor and willingness to answer my questions about how she would go about deciding constitutional issues that might come before her, should she be confirmed.

“My major interest is ensuring that the next Supreme Court Justice is a leader who holds a passion for the protections found in our Constitution and will uphold the precedents of the Court. I want the next Justice to have a clear record of standing up for civil rights and civil liberties, as the Court is the last refuge for the individual to stand up to abuses of government power.

 “As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I am privileged to have my first opportunity to participate in the confirmation process for a Supreme Court Justice and to further question Judge Sotomayor at her upcoming hearing. This is a lifetime appointment and the only chance for the American people to see the President’s nominee and understand his or her views in detail on a wide range of issues defining the rule of law.”