Women and Politics

So far, today’s hearing has given Sonia Sotomayor the chance to answer in-depth questions about her past decisions, approach to using precedent, and issues such as privacy, women’s health, discrimination, the Second Amendment, and executive power.

But up first, of course, was another discussion about her background influencing her decisions and the “wise Latina” quote. She explained her real intention and how she was directing her words to a group of Latinos:

“I was trying to inspire them to believe that their life experiences would enrich the legal system, because different life experiences and background always do. I don’t think there’s a quarrel with that in this society. [...] I do not believe that any ethnic, racial, or gender group has an advantage in sound judging. I do believe that every person has an equal opportunity to be a good and wise judge, regardless of their background or life experiences.”

The issue of a woman’s right to reproductive choices and past Supreme Court rulings such as Roe v. Wade were brought up a couple times. Sotomayor’s answer aligned with her view about upholding past precedent, stating that protecting women’s health should always be a compelling consideration, and that Roe is considered settled law.

The infamous New Haven firefighters case was discussed at length, and Sotomayor again stated that her court stuck to past precedent. Read more about the Ricci v. DeStefano case here.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein brought up the hot topic of executive branch power boundaries. After stating how she would have to answer carefully, Sotomayor said:

“First, you look at, has Congress expressly addressed or authorized the president to act a certain way.” If so, she said, “then he is acting at his highest stature of power. [...] If he is acting where Congress hasn’t spoken, then he is acting in what Justice Jackson called ‘the zone of twilight.’ [...] A president can’t act in violation of the Constitution. No one’s above the law.”

So many important and difficult topics have come up today, and know there will only be more to come. So far, I’m impressed with how thoughtful, in-depth, and well-rounded Sotomayor’s answers have been. It’s a breath of fresh air to hear her own explanations and thoughts behind her rulings. I’m also pleased to say there hasn’t been too much emphasis placed on her race or gender. Let’s hope this continues.

The hearing will continue this afternoon - stay tuned!

Tags: confirmation hearing, roe v wade, sonia sotomayor, Supreme Court, wise latina