Washington, DC - Today, SEIU Executive Vice President Mary Kay Henry joined Senators Cardin, Schumer, Whitehouse and Menendez and other community leaders to voice support for Judge Sonia Sotomayor to be the next associate justice of the United States Supreme Court. Her comments, as prepared for delivery, are below:

"Some choices are made for today; others are decided with the future in mind: President Obama's choice of Judge Sotomayor choice is right on both counts. Beyond her brilliance, her three-decade career in the law and her distinguished record, her personal story has given her a rare insight into the lives of people who get up and go to work each day to make a better life for their families.

"Let me tell you why the janitors, nurses, security guards, bus drivers and other hardworking members of the Service Employees International Union, and union families all across the country, are proudly standing with her.

"The daughter of a nurse and a factory worker who instilled in her the value of hard work and giving back, she is a woman who has always earned her way to the top of the class and found ways to use her accomplishments to enhance the lives of others.

"She has proven to be a brilliant and fair-minded jurist who has consistently interpreted our labor laws in the manner in which they were intended. In the baseball strike of 1995, she recognized that the owners had forced the strike by engaging in unlawful conduct, and issued an injunction. She has enforced the rights of workers to be free of all types of discrimination at work, to be paid the wages and health benefits to which they are entitled. She recognized that workers have a right to a fair contract and has held employers accountable for needless delays that do nothing but hurt workers.

"Each time, she has shown a through examination of the issues and has based her decision in the law and a practical sense of how the world works.

"It is unfortunate Judge Sotomayor's historical nomination has been caught in the partisan politics of the past. Too many Republican Senators choose to side with the right-wing extremist base of their party instead of serving the interests of their districts as a whole. The short-term gain they realize in their campaign fundraising will be outweighed by their continued disconnect with the hopes and dreams of the hardworking American families they claim to represent.

"Judge Sotomayor is an extraordinary choice for this moment and for the future challenges this country will see, and working women and men all around this country recognize that her nomination to serve on the nation's highest court is a strong stride forward in America's commitment to justice and excellence. Thank you."

With 2.1 million members in Canada, the United States and Puerto Rico, SEIU is the fastest-growing union in the Americas. Focused on uniting workers in healthcare, public services and property services, SEIU members are winning better wages, healthcare and more secure jobs for our communities, while uniting their strength with their counterparts around the world to help ensure that workers--not just corporations and CEOs--benefit from today's global economy."

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