Senate Democrats are pushing back against calls for Justice Sonia Sotomayor to step aside from the Supreme Court. Sotomayor, 69, is the oldest of the three liberal justices and is facing calls by some progressives to step down while Democrats hold both the White House and the upper chamber. Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) wants her to remain on the high court. Discussions about Sotomayor’s future escalated after Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) told NBC News last week that Democrats 'should learn a lesson' after what happened with Ginsburg. Those worried about Sotomayor staying on the court are looking to what could be in the offing next year if everything breaks right for Republicans in November: A White House return by Trump and Senate victories in three red states could give the GOP north of 52 seats. There are major differences between the situations facing Sotomayor now and Ginsburg a decade ago. In 2014, the late justice was 82 — 13 years older than Sotomayor, who turns 70 in June, is now.
Retired Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer has commented on the increasing pressure for Justice Sotomayor to retire, defending her and calling her a 'spring chicken' at 69 years old. Breyer believes that the decision to retire is up to the individual judge and emphasizes the importance of maintaining an ideological balance on the Supreme Court. Sotomayor, the oldest liberal-leaning justice, has been urged to retire before the presidential election to ensure a Democrat-controlled Senate can approve a liberal successor. Breyer reflects on his friendship with Justice Antonin Scalia and criticizes conservative justices for overturning Roe v. Wade. Liberal pundits argue that if Sotomayor does not retire under the Biden administration, there is a risk of Republicans appointing a younger conservative justice. Breyer emphasizes the importance of adapting to changing values and societal norms when interpreting laws established in a different era. The calls for Sotomayor's retirement raise broader implications about the future composition of the Supreme Court and the balance of ideological perspectives on the bench.
In a recent talk at Harvard's Radcliffe Institute, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, one of the three remaining Democrat-appointed judges on the court, admitted that she sometimes finds herself in tears over the rulings of the conservative-dominated high court. While she did not specify which cases had made her cry, she acknowledged experiencing intense emotions after certain judgments. Sotomayor also warned that there are likely to be more right-wing bombshells in the future. As the eldest of the three Democrat-appointed justices, Sotomayor has faced calls to retire to ensure that Democrats will at least remain at three judges on the court should Donald Trump win in 2024.
Sotomayor recently wrote the Supreme Court opinion that reversed the dismissal of the National Rifle Association’s (NRA) lawsuit against the former superintendent of New York’s Department of Financial Services for violating the organization’s First Amendment rights to free speech. The case was returned to lower courts for further analysis of the NRA’s allegations. The First Amendment prohibits government officials from selectively punishing or suppressing speech. [208543be]
Conservatives have suffered notable defeats in cases involving Big Tech censorship, abortion, and more. The Supreme Court, which is often criticized by the Left, has delivered victories for progressives. Recent disappointments for conservatives can be attributed to the Trump-nominated justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett. To improve conservative judicial nominations, the next Republican administration should conduct thorough research, verify full-spectrum conservatism, prioritize overruling bad cases, and scrutinize the personal life of nominees. The spouse test and religious affiliation should be considered. It is time for conservatives to play to win at the U.S. Supreme Court.