Senate to start Sotomayor hearings July 13

By Thomas Ferraro

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor will start on July 13, a top Democrat announced on Tuesday, and a Republican predicted she would be easily confirmed as the first Hispanic on the highest court in the United States.

Rejecting calls by other Republicans for more time to review her record, Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy made a Senate speech announcing the date for his panel to begin publicly questioning the nominee under oath.

"There is no reason to unduly delay consideration of this well-qualified nominee," Leahy said.

Leahy took the action after conferring with Senate colleagues and President Barack Obama, who last month picked Sotomayor to replace retiring Justice David Souter.

Republicans said they needed additional time to review thousands of cases presided over by Sotomayor, 54, who, with 17 years on the federal bench, is one of the most experienced Supreme Court nominees in history.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell urged Democrats to reconsider. His party had sought September hearings.

"Let me be clear," McConnell said. "Because of what our Democratic colleagues are doing and the way they are doing it, it will now be much more difficult to achieve the kind of comity and cooperation on this and other matters."

Republicans accused Democrats of a rush to judgment but Democrats said they were following precedent. The previous nine Supreme Court nominees averaged 51 days from nomination to the start of their confirmation hearing. Sotomayor's timetable will be about 48 days.