Mitch Landrieu: “from the day she became the first woman to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court, Sandra Day O'Connor has been an inspiration…”

“from the day she became the first woman to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court, Sandra Day O'Connor has been an inspiration for millions of Americans, particularly for women and girls. I know this is true because she inspired me. I was a young woman in my twenties serving in the Louisiana State Legislature when Justice O'Connor was appointed to the Supreme Court, and I remember that day very clearly. I always knew I wanted to serve the people of my country, and on that day I realized that there was no limit to what one woman could do. And today, 24 years later, I am a woman standing on the floor of the U.S. Senate while the number of women in the Louisiana State Legislature has grown from 2 to 24. We all owe a great debt to pioneering women like Sandra Day O'Connor who broke the judicial glass ceiling and paved the way for me and for millions of other women. But O'Connor's legacy is not limited to the barriers she broke. Throughout her 24 years of service, Justice O'Connor has proven herself to be one of our Nation's leading legal scholars, consistently putting the rule of law ahead of politics. She has been a champion of the law, a champion for our rights, and a champion for our country. Finding an appropriate successor to such a dedicated jurist is a heavy task indeed. To protect the rights and liberties of all Americans, there is perhaps no more important decision a President makes than nominating a Justice to the Supreme Court.…”