mrs. sotomayor is here with her husband, omar, and justice sotomayor's brother juan.y the way, i don't normally do this but let me thank my extraordinary white house staff who helped usher this stuff through. i am very proud of them. thank you very much. [applause] of course, we are here not just to celebrate our extraordinary new supreme court justice and all those who have been a part of her journey tuesday. we are here as well to celebrate an extraordinary moment for our nation. we celebrate the impact justice sotomayor has already had on people across america who have been inspired by her exceptional like story. we celebrate the greatness of the country in which such a story as possible. we celebrate how, with their overwhelming vote to confirm justice sotomayor, the united states senate, republicans and democrats tore down yet one more barrier÷ and affirm our belief that in america, the doors of opportunitysxj6 must be open to. she understands these things because she has lived these things. her life is one of those only in america stories, raised by a single m

mrs. sotomayor, the judge's mother, and her brother, dr. sotomayor, to come forward. >> judge sotomayor are you prepared to take the oath. >> i am. >> please raise your right hand. and repeat after me. i, sonia sotomayor to solemnly swear. >> i sonia sotomayor do solemnly swear. >> i will administer justice without respect to persons. >> that i will administer justice without respect to persons... >> and do equal right to the poor and to the rich... >> and do equal right to the poor and to the rich... >> and, that i will faithfully and impartially... >> and that i will faith alley and impartially... >> discharge and perform... >> discharge and perform... >> all of the duties incumbent upon me... >> all of the duties incumbent upon me... >> as associate justice of the supreme court of the united states. >> as an associate justice of the supreme court of the united states. >> under the constitution and laws of the united states... >> under the constitution and laws of the united states... >> so help me god. >> so help me god. >> congratulation

and although judge sotomayor's record stands on her own, mr. president, she is also standing on tominee. so what about our current nominee? what makes her qualified? well, first, i think we do have in judge sotomayor a very historic moment and opportunity. it will be the first hispanic to serve on the highest court of this land. it is a -- a momentous and historic opportunity. but that's not good enough. what makes her qualified? well, i think that experience, knowledge of the law, temperment, the ability to apply the law without bias. these qualifications should override all over considerations when the senate fulfills its role to advise and consent to the president's nominee as dictated by the constitutional charge that we have. these are really the standards by which we, as a body, should determine who is qualified to serve on any federal court including the highest court of the land. these are the standards i have used in evaluating judge sotomayor's nomination to the supreme court. she has the experience. she knows the lawsm she has the pro

mrs. sotomayor, the judge's mother, and dr. sotomayor her brother, to come forward. judge sotomayor, are you prepared to take the oath? >> oh, yes. >> please raise your right hand and repeat after me. i, sonia sotomayor do solemnly swear. >> i sonia sotomayor do saum solemnly swear. >> that i will administer justice without respect for person. >> that i will administer justice without respect to person. >> and to equal rights to the poor and to the rich. >> and to equal rights to the poor and to the rich. >> and that i will faithfully and impartially. >> and that i will faithfully and impartially. >> discharge and perform. >> discharge and perform. >> all the do you wanties incumbent upon me. >> all of the duties incumbent upon me. >> as associate justice ever the supreme court of the united states. >> as an associate justice of the supreme court of the united states. >> under the constitution and laws of the united states. >> under the constitution and laws of the united states. >> so help me god. >> so help me god. >> congratulations, and welcome to the court. >> a

and although judge sotomayor's record stands on her own, mr. esident, she is also standing on those women's shoulders. i am pleased to recognize several women senators that are here today to speak in support of judge sotomayor and the first is my great colleague from new hampshire, senator shaheen. the presiding officer: the senator from new hampshire is recognized. mrs. shaheen: thank you, mr. president. i'm delighted to be joined by my neighbor, mr. leahy, in support of senator sonia sotomayor -- in support of sonia sotomayor. this week we have the opportunity to make history, to bring an hispanic and only the third woman to the united states supreme court. senator klobuchar spoke eloquently about the challenges women faced and i'm pleased to say as governor i appointed the first woman to the new hampshire supreme court. i come today to the floor to speak in support of sonia sotomayor's nomination, however not because of the historic nature of that nomination, but because she is more than qualified to sit on the supreme court. i'm really somew

mrs. sotomayor, the judge's mother, and her brother dr. sotomayor to come forward.udge sotomayor, are you prepared to take the oath? >> i am. >> please raise your right hand and repeat after me. i, sonia sotomayor do solemnly swear. >> i sonia sotomayor do solemnly swear. >> that will i administer justice without respect to person

sotomayor. thank you very much. >> mr. president. >> senator from minnesota is recognized. >> i thank the center for her very strong support of the nominee. as i was talking earlier the experience judge sotomayor brings to the bench as a prosecutor. for me it means she meets my criteria for a nominee because i am looking for someone who appreciates the power and impact the criminal justice system have on people's lives from her first day in the manhattan d.a. office judge sotomayor talked about and understood how it was important to view the law as about people and not just the law. but when you talk about people, it means you have to look at their cases and look at the law and facts and one of the things we learned in the hearings was sometimes judge sotomayor had to make difficult decisions. as a prosecutor she had to turn down cases although she was by all accounts more aggressive and other prosecutors and took on cases many wouldn't but when she was a judge she sometimes had to turn down cases and turn away victims like

mrs. sotomayor and her family to come forward. judge sotomayor, are you prepared to take the oath? >> i am. >> please raise your right hand and repeat after me. i, sonia maria sotomayor, do solemnly swear that i will administer justice without respect to persons, and do equal right to the poor and to the rich, and that i will faithfully and impartially discharge and perform all the duties incumbent upon me as supreme court justice under the constitution and laws of the united states. so help me god. >> congratulations and welcome to the court. [applause] [unintelligible] >> a reception was held this morning for supreme court associate justice sonia sotomayor. she was sworn in this past weekend after the senate voted to confirm her on a vote of 68- 31. this is about 20 minutes. >> ladies and gentlemen, senator pat leahy when he and first lady michelle obama. ladies and gentlemen, the president of the united states and associate justice sotomayor of the supreme court of the united states. [cheers and applause] >> a good thing. [cheers and applause] >> good morning, everyone. and welc

sotomayor. odd yield the floor. >> mr. an is recognized. >> first i am pleased to be here with the senior senator from minnesota and have appreciated her wonderful words about judge sotomayor, as well as her advocacy on behalf of minnesota. we have a lot in common between minnesota and michigan, and so it's always a pleasure to be with the senator from minnesota. mr. president, i rise today to strongly support the confirmation of judge sonia sotomayor. as the next justice of the supreme court. over 230 years ago, alexander hamilton called experience that best oracle of wisdom. and his words continued to ring true today. judge sotomayor has over 17 years of experience on the federal bench. she will be the most experienced supreme court justice and over 100 years, our lifetime. but it isn't just her years of experience that will make her a great justice. it will be the experience of a uniquely american life. the american dream. she was raised in a south bronx housing project where per families instilled in her values of hard

mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the following individuals on my staff be granted floor privileges during consideration of the confirmation of judge sotomayor: indicate lynn cohen, emily yeska, andrew dusek, dan huffman, rayful graybel, phillip feldman, josh gardner and marie wildman. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. baucus: mr. president, i ask consent that lori safdi, aaron gyle and kathleen roberts, law clerks on senator leahy's judiciary committee, be granted floor privileges for the remainder of the debate on the nomination of sonia sotomayor. the presiding officer: without objection. for the red sox. rick, what have you seen from penny when you've watched him this season? >> well, he's a different guy. he's not the 97mph guy anymore. talking with john ferrell the pitching coach of the red sox, i said, what's the key for him tonight? what do you look for? he said, south, he's got to be down in the zone. we're going to use our k zone and highlight the 92, 93mph fastball. if it's above the kneecaps, he could be in a lot of trouble. if it's down, there he could be in there for six or s test anybody, but it's hard for us not t

mrs. sotomayor is here with her husband, omar, and justice sotomayor's brother, juan, and other members ofir family and we're thrilled that they could join us here today. and, by the way, i don't normally do this, but let me also just thank my extraordinary white house staff who helped usher this stuff in. we're very proud of them. thank you very much. of course, we're here not just to celebrate our extraordinary new supreme court justice and all those who've been a part of her journey to this day, we're here, as well, to celebrate an extraordinary moment for our nation. and we celebrate the impact justice sotomayor has already had on people across america who have been inspired by her exceptional life story. we celebrate the greatness of a country in which such a story is possible. and we celebrate how with her overwhelming vote to confirm justice sotomayor, the united states senate, democrats and republicans tore down yet one more barrier and confirmed our belief that in america the doors of opportunity must be opened to all. with that vote, the senate looked beyond the old divisions and

mrs. sotomayor is here with her husband omar and justice sotomayor's brother juan and other members of theirus here today. by the way, i don't normally do this but let me also just thank my extraordinary white house staff who helped to usher this stuff through. we're very proud of them. thank you very much. of course, we're here not just to celebrate our extraordinary new supreme court justice and all those who have been a part of her journey to this day. we're here as well to celebrate an extraordinary moment for our nation and we celebrate the impact justice sotomayor has already had on people across america who have been desired by her exception al life story. we celebrate the greatness of a country in which such a story is possible. and we celebrate how, with their overwhelming vote to confirm justice sotomayor, the united states senate, republicans and democrats, tore down yet one more barrier and affirmed our belief that in america the doors to opportunity must be open to all. with that vote, the senate looked behind the old divisions and they embraced excellence. they recognized justi

mr. president, i'm proud to support judge sotomayor's nomination, and i believe she will make an excellent supreme court justice. she knows the law, she knows the constitution. but she knows america too. thank you, mr. president, and i yield the floor.cococonsent thae dispensed today to speak on the nomination of judge sonia sotomayor to the supreme court of the united states. few positions carry more honor or solemn duty than becoming a justice of the highest court of the greatest democracy. also, few duties carry more honor or solemn responsibility than giving advice and consent on who should become a justice of the highest court. the walls of the supreme court form the vessel that holds the great protections of our liberty. the black robes give life to the constitution's freedoms and flourishing of our ideas and beliefs. if the congress is the heart of democracy, walk to the drumbeat of the people, then the supreme court is our soul, guiding us on what is wrong and what is right. in my role as a senator voting to fill that vessel, issuing those robes, i always look to the constitution t

and although judge sotomayor's record stands on her own, mr. esident, she is also standing on those women's shoulders. i am pleased to recognize several women senators that are here today to speak in support of judge sotomayor and the first is my great colleague from new hampshire, senator shaheen. the presiding officer: the senator from new hampshire is recognized. mrs. shaheen: thank you, mr. president. i'm delighted to be joined by my neighbor, mr. leahy, in support of senator sonia sotomayor -- in support of sonia sotomayor. this week we have the opportunity to make history, to bring an hispanic and only the third woman to the united states supreme court. senator klobuchar spoke eloquently about the challenges women faced and i'm pleased to say as governor i appointed the first woman to the new hampshire supreme court. i come today to the floor to speak in support of sonia sotomayor's nomination, however not because of the historic nature of that nomination, but because she is more than qualified to sit on the supreme court. i'm really somew

mr. brown: i ask that mike be allowed floor privileges during the debate of justice sonia sotomayor. presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. mr. brown: thank you, mr. president. i rise today as i have every day for the last week or so, to share some letters from ohioans from people in mansfield, glainsfield, people all over the state. we hear about the exclusivity, gateway and all of these washington terms that people don't necessarily understand. but we don't talk enough about how this health care legislation -- the presiding officer: will the senate be in order. please remove your conversations from the well and the floor. the senator from ohio. mr. brown: we don't talk often enough. we don't think often enough about how this health care system today -- the damage it's doing to the country. we don't think often enough about the situation people -- the situations people find themselves in because we're not just enacting a whole health care reform here, mr. president. if we do nothing. if we continue down this road, it means small business who's are so overwhelmed with heal

mrs. sotomayor is here with her husband and brother and other members of their family.e are thrilled they could join us today. i don't normally do this but let me also just thank my extraordinary white house staff who helped to usher this through. we are very proud of them. [applause] of course we are here not just to celebrate our extraordinary new supreme court justice and all those who have been a part of her journey to this day, we are here to also celebrate an extraordinary moment for our nation. we celebrate the impact justice sotomayor has already had on people who have been inspired by her lifestyle. we celebrate the greatness of a country in which such a story is possible. we celebrate how, with their overwhelming vote to confirm jstice sotomayor , united states senate toward down yet one more barrier and affirm our belief that in america the doors of opportunity must be open to all. with that vote, the senate looked beyond the old divisions and embraced excellence. they recognized justice sotomayor's intellect and independence of mind. and her devotion to prot

sotomayor's ruling was her own, unquote. i ask consent mr. taylor's column appears in the record following my remarks. >> without objection. >> i thank the chair. in addition claiming her decision in ricci was grounded the second circuit was supreme court precedent, judge sotomayor offered at the hearing that the sixth circuit had addressed a similar issue in the same way. i can only assume that she did so to imply that if the sixth circuit independently came to the same conclusion in a parallel case then it would be difficult to say that judge sotomayor's decision in ricci as controversy all. well, i would first note that and oakley versus the city of memphis, the sixth circuit actually analyzed case, applied the law to the facts, and issued a real opinion. i wish judge sotomayor had done that in her case. it was an important case, a lot of lives depended on it. people worked hard to pass that test. more important judge sotomayor failed to mention that the sixth circuit case was issued three months after hers, and in fact relied upon her deci

mrs. sotomayor is here with her husband, omar, and justice sotomayor's brother, juan, and other members of their family, and we're thrilled that they could join us here today. and, by the way, i don't normally do this, but let me also just thank my extraordinary white house staff who helped usher this stuff through. we're very proud of them. thank you very much. [applause] >> of course, we're here not just to celebrate our extraordinary new supreme court justice and all those who've been a part of her journey to this day. we're here as well to celebrate an extraordinary moment for our nation. and we celebrate the impact justice sotomayor has already had on people across america who have been inspired by her exceptional life storymen story. we celebrate the greatness of a country in which such a story is possible. and we celebrate how with their overwhelming vote to confirm justice sotomayor, the united states senate, republicans and democrats, tore down yet one more barrier and affirmed our belief that in america, the doors of opportunity must be open to all. and with that vote, the senate

mrs. sotomayor is here with her husband and brother and other members of their family. we are thrilled they could join us today. i don't normally do this but let me also just thank my extraordinary white house staff who helped to assure this stuff through. we are very proud of them. -- who helped to usher this through. [applause] of course we are here not just to celebrate our extraordinary new supreme court justice and all those who have been a part of her journey to this day, we are here to also celebrate an extraordinary moment for our nation. we celebrate the impact just ice sotomayor has already had on people who have been inspired by her lifestyle. we celebrate the greatness of a country in which such a story is possible. we celebrate how, with their overwhelming vote to confirm jstice sotomayor , united states senate toward down yet one more barrier and affirm our belief that in america the doors of opportunity must be open to all. with that vote, the senate looked beyond the old divisions and embraced excellence. they recognized justice so tommyre's intellect an

although judge sonia sotomayor's record stands on its armed, mr. president, she is also standing on those of women's shoulders. >> what about our current nominee? what makes for qualified? first, i think we have a very historic moment and an opportunity. she will be the first hispanic to serve, highest court of this land. it is a momentous and historic opportunity. that is not good enough. what mr. qualify? -- what makes for qualified? experience, knowledge of the law, temperance, the ability to apply law without bias, these qualifications should override all other considerations when the senate fulfills its role to lead by as and consent to the present's nominee as dictated by the constitutional chart we had. these are the standards which we should determine who is qualified to serve on any federal court, including the highest court in the land. these are the standards that have been used in evaluating judge sonya to us -- judge sonia sotomayor's appointment to the supreme court. her 17-year judicial record overwhelmingly indicates that she will a

mr. chairman, a message from judge sotomayor's record comes through loud and clear, and message of supreme intelligence and moderation. there is no reason to look further than that, and that is why, among other reasons, i am so proud to vote for her today. >> thank you very much. thank you for introducing her. senator corn andtn. -- cornyn. >> i want to thank my colleagues, as others have thank the chairman and ranking member for the manner in which these hearings were conducted. judge sotomayor herself knowledge she could not have received a fairer treatment before the committee, and it is my hope that that will set the to

mr. of judge many ofe sotomayor's other colleagues who he say they respect her collegiality and balanced fair jurisprudence. mr. president, i would like to thank and congratulate the members of the judiciary committee for holding an extraordinarily civil and open supreme court nomination proce process. i commend president obama for selecting a woman, an hispanic and, above all, an extremely well qualified nominee. and i am thrilled to have the opportunity to be a part of this historic moment, and if she is confirmed, i believe she will serve our country well. based on my conversations with the nominee, her statements in her confirmation hearings and my review of her record, i intend to support her confirmation when it is voted upon later this week, and i urge my colleagues to do the same. i yield the floor. a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from wisconsin. mr. kohl: mr. president, i join my colleagues in congratulating senator leahy and senator sessions for their work on the sotomayor nomination. the process was fair to both sides and, most importantly, fair to

mr. nelson of nebraska. shepard: judge sonia sotomayor has just been confirmed as the next supreme court justice of the united states. it takes 50 to confirm her and she is now confirmed. history has just been made in the united states. the first latina to sit on the supreme court. the fastest growing minority population in america, which at some point will continue to grow and be a very, very powerful voting block. judge sonia sotomayor, the young woman from the bronx, n.y., who paid her way and earned her way and impressed a lot of people along the way. she has no major place in history. -- she has made her place in history. >> we do not know where she is. she may be at the white house. when justice samuel alito underwent this process, he was watching television at the white house with president bush. as soon as they learned he had the right number of votes, they swore him in. when the chief justice went through this, he was invited over and was sworn in within three hours. my guess is that she will be justice sonia sotomayor before the sun goes down today, or at the latest at noon tomorrow. i have reason t

sotomayor. her experiences come not only from the legal world, but also the real world. her understanding of the law is grounded not known theory, but, mr. president, also in practice. her record is beyond reproach. her respect for the limits of the judiciary are resolute and her reverence for the law is unwavering. sonia sotomayor is an american of tremendous credentials. both her academic record and her career experience are second to none. she graduated summa cum laude from princeton university and excelled at yale -- again, stanford, harvard, yale, always in the top three of law schools of the country. she excelled at yale where she was a member of the law review. the prestigious yale law review. mr. president, after she's confirmed, she'll be the only justice who has seen trial from every angle. she's seen a trial from prosecuting civil and criminal cases, she presided over them as a judge and also as an appellate judge. that is the kind of justice we need on the supreme court. mr. president, i've had concerns for quite some time that we have far too few judges on court who have had trial experience. as a trial law, i've tried more

mr. ritchie himself at the sotomayor hearings, there she testified that the case of richie versus stefano, the case involving invalidated emotional demand for firefighters in new haven, the ruling was it did violate title 7. i do not know about you, but i find the case rather poignant on both sides. on one hand, you have mr. ritchie and a number of his peers on the fire department, including not just white firefighters, but several latino firefighters, and they study. new haven says we're going to throw out the exam, we are going to throw it out. it is like charlie brown and the football. you have got to feel for new haven. they have worried that they will be sued for desperate impact under title 7 by minority firefighters who may be terrific lieutenants but they do not pass this test. new haven asked in its defense that it would be entitled to throw out the exam on the ground it was avoiding the serious prospect of title 7 disparate impact legislation against it using the results of the exam. the court 5-4 rejects -- not only rejects the argument, holding an opinion by justice kennedy, s

sotomayor. her experiences come not only from the legal world, but also the real world. her understanding of the law is grounded not known theory, but, mr. president, also in practice. her record is beyond reproach. her respect for the limits of the judiciary are resolute and her reverence for the law is unwavering. sonia sotomayor is an american of tremendous credentials. both her academic record and her career experience are second to none. she graduated summa cum laude from princeton university and excelled at yale -- again, stanford, harvard, yale, always in the top three of law schools of the country. she excelled at yale where she was a member of the law review. the prestigious yale law review. mr. president, after she's confirmed, she'll be the only justice who has seen trial from every angle. she's seen a trial from prosecuting civil and criminal cases, she presided over them as a judge and also as an appellate judge. that is the kind of justice we need on the supreme court. mr. president, i've had concerns for quite some time that we have far too few judges on court who have had trial experience. as a trial law, i've tried more

mr. chairman. i will vote to confirm judge sotomayor. she brought to the confirmation proceedings an extraordinary record, none better on the 11 i've participated in or non-better than any i've reviewed. pretty tough to be suma cum laude at princeton and pretty tough to make the yale law school admission, even tougher to become a member of the yale law review. then an outstanding prosecutor and the dean of american prosecutors, d.a. morgenthau came to testify about how she good she was, an extraordinary record professionally, private practice, distinguished record on the bench, and those qualifications add up to about an a-plus. the krit simpz made of her on the wise latina woman i thought were not only ill-founded but i appreciated the comment. when you consider that women were not given the right to vote until 1920 and when you consider, may the record show a smile from senator feinstein, when you consider -- when you consider that there are still a tremendous glass ceiling, when you consider lily ledbetter and you go on and on and on

senators and goos and grassroots said that -- for judge sotomayor opposed even holding an up or down vote for mr. estrada. the treatment of my bell estrada was -- miguel estrada was disgrace full and damaging to the traditions an practices of this boasmed my democratic colleagues want people to believe that the concerns about the sotomayor nomination are limited to 1 speech and one case. some of them said as much at the same time they say that our review should be limited to only certain parts of the nominee's record. as i've done with past nominees, however, i examined judge sotomayor's entire record for insight into her judicial philosophy. in addition to the controversial speeches i discussed on tuesday, judge sotomayor gave a speech at suffolk university law school later published in that law review. she embraced the idea that the law is indefinite, impermanent and experimentmental. she rejected what she called -- quote -- "the public myth that law can be certain and stable." unquote. she said that judges may in their decisions develop novel approaches and legal frame works that push the law

and although judge sotomayor's record stands on her own, mr. esident, she is also standing on tominee. so what about our current nominee? what makes her qualified? well, first, i think we do have in judge sotomayor a very historic moment and opportunity. it will be the first hispanic to serve on the highest court of this land. it is a -- a momentous and historic opportunity. but that's not good enough. what makes her qualified? well, i think that experience, knowledge of the law, temperment, the ability to apply the law without bias. these qualifications should override all over considerations when the senate fulfills its role to advise and consent to the president's nominee as dictated by the constitutional charge that we have. these are really the standards by which we, as a body, should determine who is qualified to serve on any federal court including the highest court of the land. these are the standards i have used in evaluating judge sotomayor's nomination to the supreme court. she has the experience. she knows the lawsm she has the prope

mr. chairman, i am proud to cast my vote today in favor of the confirmation of judge sonia sotomayor. this is a historic day for america. americans are familiar with the inspiring story that brought judge sonia sotomayor from a bronx housing project through a prestigious legal education and to a nomination to the highest courts in the land. it is a great american story. it will inspire americans everywhere, americans of all races and creeds and colors, to reach further and aim higher. for that, the country is already better off. judge sonia sotomayor is a gifted jurist and dedicated public servant, not just an inspiring story. she is a judge with a 17 year record on the bench, more than 380 opinions on the appellate court alone. and get the words she was asked about most often during the hearings were these three, quote, wise latino woman. to take a 17 year judicial career and some it up in three words, is unfair. it is unfair to judge sonia sotomayor, it is unfair to the supreme court, it is unfair to the american people. my colleagues did ask about a handful of cases, the newhaven f

mr. of judge many ofe sotomayor's other colleagues who he say they respect her collegiality and balanced and fair jurisprudence. mr. president, i would like to thank and congratulate the members of the judiciary committee for holding an extraordinarily civil and open supreme court nomination proce process. i commend president obama for selecting a woman, an hispanic and, above all, an extremely well qualified nominee. and i am thrilled to have the opportunity to be a part of this historic moment, and if she is confirmed, i believe she will serve our country well. based on my conversations with the nominee, her statements in her confirmation hearings and my review of her record, i intend to support her confirmation when it is voted upon later this week, and i urge my colleagues to do the same. i yield the floor. a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from wisconsin. mr. kohl: mr. president, i join my colleagues in congratulating senator leahy and senator sessions for their work on the sotomayor nomination. the process was fair to both sides and, most importantly, fair

. >>> plus, what the likely confirmation of sonia sotomayor means for the latina community. mr. evans? this is janice from onstar. i have received an automatic signal you've been in a front-end crash. do you need help? yeah. i'll contact emergency services and stay with you. you okay? yeah. onstar. standard for one year on 14 chevy models. helping people save money doon car insurance. there gecko: aw thank you, sir. boss: but i think there are a few other things you can say about what a reliable company geico is. gecko: right. uh, well maybe how geico's the third-largest cainsurance company in america? nice tidbit there. boss: exactly. and i've been thinking, looking a bit more businesslike might help too. gecko: oh my. uhhh, no it's, what's, what's the word... vogeico. 15 minutes could save you 15 percent or more on car insurance. ouch! ow! oops! it's neo to go!® ready. aim. protect. neosporin® gives you infection-protection, anpain relief. neo to go!® plus pain relief. every cut. every time. everywhere. ♪ 'cause germs don't stick on me! ♪ only band-aid® brand plus antibiotic w

judge sotomayor, all of those women judges helped blaze a trail and although judge sotomayor's record stands on her own, mr she is also standing on those women's shoulders. i'm pleased to recognize several women senators here today to speak in support of judge sotomayor, and the first is my great colleague from new hampshire, senator shaheen. >> senator from new hampshire is recognized. >> thank you, mr. president. i'm delighted to be here to join the senior senator from minnesota, senator klobuchar, and to speak also after the senior senator from vermont, my neighbor, senator leahy, in support of sonia sotomayor. this week we have the opportunity to make history. to make history by confirming the first hispanic and only the third woman to the united states supreme court, and senator klobuchar spoke eloquently about the challenges women have faced and i'm pleased to say i have the honor as governor of appointing the first woman to the new hampshire supreme court. and i come today to the floor to speak in support of sonia sotomayor's nomination. however not because of the historic nature of the nomination b

mrs. obama will host a reception for justice sonya sotomayor at the white house today. justice sotomayor, the president's first pick for the nation's highest court, ws sworn in last weekend. she will get to work on her first supreme court case early next month on free speech and campaign finance laws. >>> the president today is going to present 16 people with america's highest civilian honor, the 2009 presidential medal of freedom. it is awarded to those who have made a significant contribution to the security or national interests of the yait, world peace, cultural or other endeavors and among this year's recipients, steven hawkings, known for pioneering academic research in math and physics. senator ted kennedy who served in the u.s. senate for 46 years. act sorry sydney poitier, the first african-american to win a best actor academy award. and the reverend joseph lowry and the late harvey milk from san francisco. >>> a look at some of another top stories. there is more trouble for metro. the latest cause r concern, awe train with two extra cars. the 10-car train made

mrs. obama hosted a reception last hour for justice sonia sotomayor, the newest member of the united statesstitution has survived domestic and international pommel. including the civil war, two world wars and the catastrophe of september 11th. it draws together people of all races, faiths and backgrounds from all across this country who carry its words and values in our heart. it is this nation's faith in a more perfect union that allows a puerto rican girl from the bronx to stand here now. >> pretty good. pretty good. justice sotomayor is the first hispanic on the court and just the third woman. >>> now a touchy subject. a new act in washington referring to the president's young daughters is causing a stir at the white house. here's cnn's elaine quijano. >> these ads are up only at one train station here in washington, but enough to for the white house to sit up and take notice. in washington's union station the ads never showed their pictures or mentioned first daughters sasha and malia by name but next to an image of a smiling 8-year-old, the question, president obama's daughters get hea

am proud and honored to support the confirmation of judge sonia sotomayor as the next justice of the united states supreme court. finally, mr. president, numerous civil rights, latino and law enforcement organizations join me in supporting judge sonia sotomayor's nomination. i ask unanimous consent of letters of support from the following organizations be entered into the record. mexican-american legal defense, education fund, the national hispanic leadership agenda, the national puerto ricans correlation, the national fraternal order of police, the national organization of black law enforcement executives, federal hispanic law enforcement offices association, the united states hispanic chamber of commerce, the arizona hispanic chamber of commerce, the fort worth hispanic chamber of commerce, to name a few. with that, i yield. >> mr. president, the senator from oregon. >> i am honored to joined my distinguished colleague from new jersey today on the senate floor to speak in support of the confirmation of judge sonia sotomayor as the next associate justice of the united states supreme court. i had the privilege to sit on the

sotomayor. they're going to protectheir interests and who is looking out if your interests, a mr. and mrs. white person. chris: bill buckley he said no anti-simentism, none of this bircher stuff. you're out the movement. is there a way to say, you're not fair. he's an american like us, stop the talk. >> if the conservative movement today was like the conservative movement then, you could do that. but not now. and there is a straight line now that i think about it, from the birthers to the birchers. there's -- part of the american political psyche that is the underside. we talk about being united and being in this together, but we also fear them, the immigrant, the stranger. chris: the mob at the feat. >> that's part of the american mentality. gina is right about the long-term demographics. but republican strategists are not looking at that, here look acing at the 2010 elections. this is low turnout elections. in low turnout locations, those that are highly motivated show up and the anger could work and they're willing to let it happen. chris: scoops and vo: since 2006, walmart has sold ove

sotomayor. the vote is on. they are wrapping up the vote. let's pick that up, raj. >> mr. bitter? no. mr. voinovich, aye. mr. warner, aye. mr. web? mr. webb, aye. mr. white house, aye. mr. wicker, no. mr. widen, aye. mr. bennett of utah, no. mr. bye, no. mrs. hutchinson, no. mr. inhauf, no. mr. beckett, aye. >> there is that famous up or down vote that we had told you or that the republicans had promised sonia sotomayor. you are hearing it now. we are staying with it for a few moments to see if they have an actual confirmation. that's file video you are looking at on the right of sonia sotomayor. by all indications, she will be confirmed. what we are looking for here is -- what's the vote up to andy? tell me that number. have they passed 60. i'm being told by my executive producer while we are doing that segment, she was, in fact, all but confirmed. they have passed the magic number of 60. it would be difficult for her not to be confirmed given who is controlling the senate. regardless of that, there could be as many as three, four, maybe five republicans who cross over and actually vote for sotomayor. the b

sonia sotomayor was the guest of honor today at a white house reception hosted by the president and mrs. obama. >> this moment is not just about her. it's about every child who will grow up thinking to him or herself if sonia sotomayor can make it, then maybe i can, too. air life denver took to the air... their night-vision goggles keeping them safe on a perilous flight... and powering those precision goggles--- is the only battery air life trusts: duracell. trusted everywhere. look for new duracell ultra advanced now with even more power to protect. gathering dust, as pollen floats through the air. but with the strength of zyrtec ® , the fastest, 24-hour allergy relief, i promise not to wait as long to go for our ride. with zyrtec ® i can love the air ™ . mr. evans? this is janice from onstar. i have received an automatic signal you've been in a front-end crash. do you need help? yeah. i'll contact emergency services and stay with you. you okay? yeah. onstar. standard for one year on 14 chevy models. finally, good news for people with type 2 diabetes or at risk for diabetes. introducin

mr. ritchie himself at the sotomayor hearings, there she testified that the case of richie versus stefanoe case involving invalidated emotional demand for firefighters in new haven, the ruling was it did violate title 7. i do not know about you, but i find the case rather poignant on both sides. on one hand, you have mr. ritchie and a number of his peers on the fire department, including not just white firefighters, but several latino firefighters, and they study. new haven says we're going to throw out the exam, we are going to throw it out. it is like charlie brown and the football. you have got to feel for new haven. they have worried that they will be sued for desperate impact under title 7 by minority firefighters who may be terrific lieutenants but they do not pass this test. new haven asked in its defense that it would be entitled to throw out the exam on the ground it was avoiding the serious prospect of title 7 disparate impact legislation against it using the results of the exam. the court 5-4 rejects -- not only rejects the argument, holding an opinion by justice kennedy, scali

mr. bye -- >> with that vote, the senate made history today, confirming judge sonia sotomayor.ine republicans joined the democrats, ted kennedy couldn't vote because of health reasons. what are the political consequences? time for "the fix." roger simon writes for the politico. let's talk ethnic politics. will this be a crashing defeat for republicans, people out west especially? >> this is a softball from the obama administration. she was such a traditionalist. and the republicans, all they had to do was maintain an even tone and not go after her, and basically actually win some points. >> did you think they went soft on her? >> not for political reasons. i think it's fair to vote against someone if you don't believe in their qualifications, but she was incredibly qualified. the tone that surrounded her. i remember watching those hearings. i felt uncomfortable. not only as a woman, but -- >> who bugged you? >> well, lindsey graham, when he started off his conversation by saying, i like hispanics and then after her, because as a woman it was condescending. everyone saw him shak

the outcome of this sotomayor confirmation vote was not in doubt, but this was still dramatic in the u.s. senate. >> mr. gregg, aye. >> reporter: the final vote looked like history in the making. senator stint to say yay or nay. raised poor in new york, parents from puerto rico, brilliant student, prosecutor and federal judge for 17 years. nominated by president obama, sotomayor will be the first hispanic to sit on the supreme court. every democrat heaped on praise. >> judge sotomayor is clearly a moderate. she is highly qualified. she is extremely intelligent, and she represents the american ideal that at the end of the day race and ethnicity and class aren't supposed to predetermine anything. >> reporter: nine republicans voted yes. >> judge sotomayor's decisions are not outside the legal mainstream. >> reporter: most republicans worried sotomayor has a liberal bias. >> we need judges who uphold the rights of all, not just involvement. >> i am very, very concerned about this nomination. i feel badly i have to vote negatively. >> reporter: up for continuation today is the cash for clunkers program. so

committee, as you know, or on the floor with the sotomayor nomination so judiciary committee has to go to that and i will yield to senator specter. >> thank you, mr chairman, for yielding. or taking up the confirmation hearing of judge sotomayor for supreme court, and i am due on the floor shortly. but i wanted to thank you, mr. chairman, and ranking member cochran for scheduling this hearing on this very important subject, and thank the witnesses were coming in. autism is a heartbreaking ailment, and of the many issues we had to face, among the toughest, talking to parents who have children who suffer from autism. there's a real question of doing more. senator harkin and senator cochran and i have worked hard on funding for the national institute of health. and for a decade we were able to raise funding from 12 to $30 billion, a time when senator harkin and i have transferred the gavel. senator cochran was chairman of the full appropriations committee. and regrettably, that's not enough. i note that funny for autism was slightly under $52 million in 2000, up to 122 million now, an estimated 2141. cdc is seeing an increase from a little over a mi

mr. president, i join my colleagues in congratulating the senators for their work on the sotomayor nominationm pleased to rise in support of judge sotomayor. a child of immigrants with modest means she has risen by exemplary academic accomplishments and hard work. judge sotomayor is much more than just a story about was meant. she has shown herself to be a judge worthy of elevation to the supreme court. both on the bench and before this committee judge sotomayor has proved that she has the necessary character, competence, and integrity to serve on the supreme court. her distinguished 17 year record on the bench demonstrates a commitment to and impartial application of the law and respect for the values which make up our constitution. she will be mindful of the very real and better decisions will have. she pledged fidelity to the constitution and to the court president as well as. >> we leave this now as the senate has gaveled back in. lawmakers hoping to finish work on agriculture spending. the nomination. live senate coverage on c-span2 mr. harkin: mr. president, i ask further proceedings un

mr. obama will join dietz and tim kaine and a rally at the mclean hilton tonight. the president is expected to talk about why a win is critical for democrats. >>> sonia sotomayor is expected for full confirmation today. the vote is expected this afternoon. republican said they will join democrats and vote for her. if confirmed, she will become the first hispanic justice. >>> people are looking to a pittsburgh suburb and are wondering if it could happen to us. >> the killer left clues on his blog. what does it mean for mental health care and gun laws? >> the fbi is investigating whether anyone knew of a man to gunned down the women in his gym. george sodini put it all down in his blog. >> we are in the process of looking at that block to see if we can come up with anybody who saw these readings and why they did not contact anybody. b the blog documented his comings and goings with women. "no girlfriend since 1984." >> i never met a girl friend. >> in january, he wrote to "i chickened out. i brought the loaded guns and everything. the killings unfolded just as he planned. >> he goes in the room. he shuts off the light. he says in one notes that he had planned on shutting of

mr. obama will hold another town hall meeting in montana on friday. >> and later this morning president obama and the first lady will host a supreme reception foral associate justice sotomayor will make her way to the white house for the first time since her swearing in. and a little later the president will award 16 americans the medal of freedom the highest civilian honor. among the recipients, hashry milk, the late y rights activist and sandra day o'connor. >> 6:08, 74 degrees. >> when good morning, washington returns, bernie madoff's right-hand man is getting ready to come clean. we'll see what it means for the massive fraud investigation. >> at bailey's crossroads and notice we have gray skies to start our day. that will keep our temperatures down. >> hi, there, and mymy name is jud fox reminding you go in feet first on your first title good morning, washington. >> hey, good morning on this wednesday, it's 6:11 a.m. meteorologist adam caskey at bailey's crossroads. mainly gray and cloudy conditions as we have an upper-level disturbance drifting our way. some action on the radar screen. not locally. you'll have a dry ride into work, but your ride home may be a little di

if confirmed, sotomayor will become the supreme court's first hispanic and third female justice. >>> president obama turns 48 years old today. it's his first birthday in office. mr. oma will spend part of his day working. the white house has not saidow he'll spend the rest of they. da you can cash in onhe t birthday ur zburger will be offg uer free luncheinon h oeorthf president's birthyou yth can stop by for a free burger or piece of cake between now and 2:00 p.m. happy birthday. >>> our time is 11:25. still 81 degrees here. next at 11:30, they're not popular, but see how far some are going to makeheir feelings about speed cameras known. >>> also ahead at 11:30, the newest player to emerge in the custody battle over michael jackson's children. >> how being a red skin fan can land you a lot of money. >> a hot, sunny day on tap. could we be in for more storms and heat and humidity? tom is back. >>> let's take a look at what's happening right now at 11:29. the search continues for suspects in a deadly shooting out at prince georges county. four people were shot overnight on livingston road. one man killed, another in critical condition. police believe the gunman k

sotomayor as supreme court justice. let's listen to senate majority leader, harry reid. >> mr. i would ask you if we begin the vote now and we will make sure the two or three minutes we are starting early. >> without objection. >> the yeas and nays been ordered? >> they have not been ordered. >> we send a request. >> the clerk will call the role. >> mr. akaka? >>> we're expected to keep a close watch on this as the vote is to take place. it is believed it will be a unanimous decision among the democrats and a handful of republicans voting for the confirmation of sonia sotomayor. the first hispanic supreme court justice to take to the bench. that will take place momentarily. i am going to hand it over to rick sanchez. >>> more health care town halls turning into tea parties with a constant theme. >> you need to open it up to the free markets. >> isn't that who runs health care now. >> this lawyer has made millions buying up health care facilities. is rick scott as accused by the left orchestrating these so-called angry anti-government mobs. we'll ask him. >>> guess who showed up