Washington, DC- Idaho Senator Jim Risch issued the following statement regarding the confirmation of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the United States Supreme Court:

"First and foremost, I take the advice and consent duty imposed on me by the Constitution most seriously. I personally met with and interviewed Judge Sotomayor and discussed water law, the Second Amendment and several other matters. I reviewed her cases and I listened to her confirmation hearings and have determined I cannot support her lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court.

"There is no question she is a genuinely nice, smart and well-intentioned person. However, her belief and pronouncement that the Second Amendment is not a fundamental right is something I cannot accept. Her answers to questions on the use of foreign law to interpret our Constitution did nothing to ease my concern that she would not look to the laws of other countries when interpreting the Constitution. That should not happen under any circumstance.

"After careful review, I simply cannot support the nomination of Judge Sotomayor."

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