美国总统奥巴马要求参议院迅速行动,批准他对美国最高法院法官的历史性提名。

奥巴马星期二提名出身于波多黎各移民家庭的索尼亚.索托马约来接替将将在下月退休的法官苏特。

参议院共和党领袖米奇.麦康奈尔说,少数党共和党在为确认索托马约进行表决前,将审视她的记录,以确定她的个人观点没有阻碍她作出公正的决定。

参议院司法委员会主席,民主党人帕特里克.莱希赞扬索托马约是一位有典范作用的法律届人士。莱希说,他希望参议员们在确认过程中公正对待这位被提名人。

索托马约现在是美国东北部一个上诉法院的法官。如果得到确认,她将成为美国最高法院仅有过的三位女法官之一,也将是最高法院第一位拉美裔法官。

U.S. President Barack Obama has asked the Senate to move quickly to approve his historic pick for the Supreme Court.

President Obama on Tuesday nominated Sonia Sotomayor, the daughter of Puerto Rican parents, to replace outgoing Justice David Souter who will retire next month.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said the minority party will examine Sotomayor’s record before voting on her confirmation, to ensure that her personal views have not stopped her from making fair decisions.

The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Democrat Patrick Leahy, praised Sotomayor as an “exemplary” jurist and expressed hope senators will treat the nominee fairly during the confirmation process.

Sotomayor currently serves as a U.S. appeals court judge in the northeastern United States. If confirmed, Sotomayor will become one of only three women to serve on the Supreme Court and its first Hispanic justice.