US supreme court justice Sonia Sotomayor has no plans to resign from her position, despite some urging President Biden to appoint a successor before the conclusion of his term and the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.
“She’s in great health, and the court needs her now more than ever,” said one source, according to a CNN report.
Vermont senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) also said on Sunday that Sotomayor shouldn’t resign from her position. “I don’t think it’s sensible,” Sanders said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
Some progressive voices have suggested that justice Sotomayor retire to allow Biden to appoint a new liberal justice before January, when Republicans are expected to take control of the senate. However, Sotomayor has opted not to retire.
The confirmation process for a supreme court nominee takes several months, making it nearly impossible to complete before January, even without complications.
Born on June 25, 1954, in the Bronx, Sotomayor is the daughter of Juan Sotomayor and Celina Baez, both of whom are from Puerto Rico. The bold federal trial court judge, who prevented a damaging Major League Baseball strike in 1995, made history as the first Hispanic and third woman to serve on the US Supreme Court.
Despite openly discussing her experience with type 1 diabetes, Sotomayor remains an active presence on the court. She is known for her rigorous questioning during oral arguments and has been vocal about her concerns regarding the court’s increasingly conservative direction.