Supreme Court Judges : The Constitution IS the Law

The Heritage Foundation sheds light on just what is going on with the selection process for Supreme Court nominee Sotomayor.

Judge Sotomayor and the Constitution

The Senate Judiciary Committee is conducting hearings this week on Judge Sonia Sotomayor, President Obama's Supreme Court nominee.

Yesterday's hearings included questions about her views on the role of judges and the Constitution. She explained that her use of the expression "wise Latina" was intended to inspire, not to indicate that her heritage would bias her rulings. Judge Sotomayor also told Senators that the controversial 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade is "settled law" and based on a Constitutionally-defined "right to privacy."

The Heritage Foundation continues to educate lawmakers and the public about why it's important that judges remain faithful to the Constitution. For example, thanks to the generous support of Heritage members this week, we will be distributing copies of the Heritage Guide to the Constitution to every Senator. This is a complement to our ongoing efforts to educate members of Congress on their proper role in judicial confirmations.

In addition, we're reaching out to the public to make clear the important issues at stake. For example, Heritage Foundation President Ed Feulner reminds the nominee that the job of a Justice is "to consult [the Constitution] for guidance, not foreign laws or policies." He explains that "U.S. citizens are subject only to laws made by American legislators -- not foreigners at the United Nations, in Europe or in Zimbabwe."
Check back to Heritage's Supreme Court Rapid Response page for a round-up of Heritage resources on the hearings.