Sotomayor: No Words Can Express How I Feel
"We celebrate the greatness of a country in which such a story is possible," the president said. "And we celebrate how, with their overwhelming vote to confirm Justice Sotomayor, the United States Senate, Republicans and Democrats, tore down yet one more barrier and affirmed our belief that in America the doors of opportunity must be open to all."
Sotomayor, surrounded by her family, First Lady Michelle Obama, Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and John Paul Stevens, members of Congress and others, said "no words cannot adequately express what I am feeling."
"No speech can fully capture my joy in this moment," she said. "Nothing can convey the depth of gratitude I feel to the countless family members, starting with Mom and my brother, and the many friends and colleagues, so many of you who are here with me today, and the others who aren't, who have helped me to reach this moment."
She went on to say she is "most grateful to this country" for giving her the opportunity to become a Supreme Court justice.
"It is this nation's faith in a more perfect union that allows a Puerto Rican girl from the Bronx to stand here now," Sotomayor said, earning a standing ovation.
She lauded the founding fathers for having the foresight to draft a Constitution whose ideals have endured for more than 200 years.
"It draws together people of all races, faiths and backgrounds from all across this country who carry its words and values in our heart," she said.
The president said the moment "is not just about" Sotomayor.
"It's about every child who will grow up thinking to him- or herself, 'If Sonia Sotomayor can make it, then maybe I can too,'" he said.
"Nearly 80 years ago, as the cornerstone was laid for the building that became our Supreme Court, Chief Justice Charles Evan Hughes declared, 'The republic endures, and this is the symbol of its faith,'" said Mr. Obama.
"Justice Sotomayor's rise from humble beginnings to the height of achievement is yet another symbol of that faith: faith that the American dream still endures; faith that equal justice under the law is not just an inscription in marble, but an animating ideal of our democracy; faith that in this great nation all things are still possible for all people," he continued.
Sotomayor recalled her judicial oath of office, which she noted required her "to judge without respect to what a person looks like, where they come from or whether they are rich or poor, and to treat all persons as equal under the law."
"That is what our system of justice requires, and it is the foundation of the American people's faith in the rule of law, and it is why I am so passionate about the law," she said.
Sotomayor was formally sworn in on Saturday to replace retiring Justice David Souter.