Sonia Sotomayor

Thank you, Senators, to all Senators. I have received all the graciousness and fair hearing that I could have asked for.

In that regard, the Constitution is abundantly clear. There is an amendment process set forth. It controls how you change the Constitution.

It's a fair characterization that when you have strict scrutiny, the Government's legislation must be very narrowly tailored.

It is the great beauty of this nation that we do leave the lawmaking to our elected branches and that we expect our courts to understand its limited role.

I was not like Justice Ginsburg or Justice Marshall.

In rational basis there is a broader breadth for the States to act.

What governs always is the Constitution.

In the first instance, it's always Congress or State passing regulation that the Court is reviewing and determining whether it complies with constitutional limits.

I do not believe that foreign law should be used to determine the result under constitutional law or American law.

Given who I am, my love of the law, my sense of importance about the rule of law, how central it is to the functioning of our society, how it sets us apart as many Senators have noted, from the rest of the world, have always created a…

The best way to live in our society is to follow the command of the Constitution, provide equal opportunity for all.

Can elected officials say with credibility that they are carrying out the mandate of a democratic society representing only the general public good when private money plays such a large role in their campaigns?

I didn't disagree with what I understood was the basic premise that Justice O'Connor was making, which was that being a man or a woman doesn't affect the capacity of someone to judge fairly or wisely.

To promote the civil rights and equal opportunity of Hispanics in the United States.

Personally, I don't, as a judge, in any way embrace it with respect to judging.

I can only come to this process...

When Congress' intent is clear, the Court applies that clear intent.

I would probably do what Justice Alito did, although I haven't decided.

The question is a contributor seeking to influence or to buy someone's vote, and there are situations in which elected officials have been convicted of taking a bribe because they have agreed in exchange for a sum of money to vote on a…

I would tell them to look at my decisions for 17 years and note that in every one of them, I have done what I say that I so firmly believe in.

I regret that I have offended some people. I believe that my life demonstrates that that was not my intent to leave the impression that some have taken from my words.

Our society would be straitjacketed were it not--were not the courts, with the able assistance of the lawyers, constantly overhauling the law and adapting it to the realities of ever-changing social, industrial, and political changes.

No, sir. Absolutely not.

Our system of election financing permits extensive private, including corporate financing of candidate's campaigns, raising again and again the question of what the difference is between contributions and bribes and how legislators or…

The issue was whether or not employees who were a member of a disparately impacted group had a right under existing precedent to bring a lawsuit.