Federal appeals judge and U.S. Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee for the first of several days of hearings to secure her nomination. President Barack Obama nominated Sotomayor to the Supreme Court in May after Justice David Souter announced his retirement. If confirmed by the Senate, she will be the first Hispanic and the third woman nominated to the Supreme Court. In this video, NewsHour correspondent Kwame Holman reports from Capitol Hill where Sotomayor and members of the Senate Judiciary Committee made statements on Monday. Quotes "I will not vote for and no senator should vote for an individual nominated by any president who believes it is acceptable for a judge to allow their personal background, gender, prejudices, or sympathies to sway their decision in favor of or against parties before the court." - Senator Jeff Sessions, R-Alabama "I do not believe that Supreme Court justices are merely umpires calling balls and strikes. Rather, I believe that they make the decisions of individuals who bring to the court their own experiences and philosophies." - Senator Dianne Feinstein, D-California "In the past month, many senators have asked me about my judicial philosophy. Simple: fidelity to the law. The task of a judge is not to make law; it is to apply the law." -Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor Warm Up Questions 1. What are the three branches of government? 2. What is the role of the Supreme Court? 3. What is the role of Congress? Discussion Questions 1. How do Supreme Court decisions affect the lives of ordinary Americans? 2. What qualities to you feel are important for a Supreme Court nominee to have? 3. Do you think that Sotomayor's background will influence her decision-making? If so, how? Additional Resources Read the transcript Supreme Court Watch