Politics | Supreme Court Sotomayor Confirmation Hearings Start July 13 Senate judiciary chair: it's a 'reasonable schedule' By Newser Editors and Wire Services Posted Jun 9, 2009 11:40 AM CDT Copied Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor meets with Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, June 4, 2009. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) Confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor will convene on July 13, says the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman. Patrick Leahy said the date represents a "reasonable schedule" that would give committee members several more weeks to prepare. President Obama has urged the Senate to vote before it leaves for a congressional recess in August; Republicans have pressed for more time to consider the nomination. But Leahy said there was "no reason to unduly delay consideration of this well-qualified nominee. She deserves the opportunity to go before the public and speak of her record." Leahy said that as a judge, Sotomayor will only be able to speak publicly about her record when the hearings convene. Read These Next See the best BBQ cities in the US. Iraq's national game of deception brings out the best bluffers. A space capsule carrying ashes of 160 people crashed in the ocean. The death toll in the Texas floods has risen to 27, including 9 kids. Report an error