Congressman Charles B. Rangel released the following statement Tuesday moments after President Barack Obama announced his intention to nominate current U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals Justice Sonia Sotomayor:

President Obama has once again made the right choice in nominating Judge Sonia Sotomayor to replace Justice David Souter for the Supreme Court. Her nomination is a great source of pride, as a New Yorker, as a lawyer and a legislator that represents so many Puerto Ricans and Latinos in and out of my Congressional District.

Judge Sotomayor brings a tremendous wealth of personal and professional knowledge to the nation's highest court, a candidate that can see legal issues from both a theoretical and practical standpoint. A proud women of Puerto Rican heritage, she worked hard to go from the projects of the South Bronx to the prestigious halls of Princeton University and Yale Law School, never forgetting the family and community that supported her as she reached these heights. Whether it was as an assistant prosecutor, a corporate attorney or a district judge, she has performed at the highest level of professionalism while always striving to ensure that the law is applied equally and fairly.

Judge Sotomayor brings more than 15 years of experience as a federal judge and a real-life perspective to the court. Her trailblazing story is a classic American tale, the kind of story that parents tell their newborns as they swaddle them goodnight. That she should be considered for this prestigious post is not surprising, given her qualifications. That her nomination be placed before the Senate is the kind of bold leadership that we have come to expect from this White House. The kind of inclusive decision-making that is moving this country in the right direction for all its people.

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