Sotomayor Confirmed to Supreme Court

The Senate confirmed New York's Sonia Sotomayor as an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court Thursday, making her the first Hispanic on the high court. President Barack Obama, who nominated her in May, is now set to issue her a commission to join the court.

"With this historic vote, the Senate has affirmed that Justice Sotomayor has the intellect, the temperament, the history, the integrity and the independence of mind to ably serve on our nation's highest court," President Obama said.

The vote came down to 68 in favor, 31 against. All Democrats present and two independents voted for Sotomayor, but Republicans overwhelmingly opposed her confirmation; just 9 GOP senators broke ranks to vote "yes." Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., who is battling brain cancer, was not present for the vote.

Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. will swear in Sotomayor at a private ceremony in Washington on Saturday, Fox News reported. She will become the 111th justice and the third woman to serve. She will replace David Souter, who is retiring.

Sotomayor watched the historic vote unfold from a federal courthouse in Manhattan where she has worked for many years, the AP reported. She was among scores of friends and colleagues in a conference room on the 8th floor of the courthouse. When she secured enough votes for confirmation, the group applauded.

"Today's vote confirming Sonia Sotomayor as a Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court is another historic 'first' for our country, a proud moment for America's Hispanic community, and a testament to the idea that in New York all things really are possible," said Mayor Michael Bloomberg. "Sonia Sotomayor will make a superb Supreme Court Justice, and I expect that she will surprise some people along the way -- as many of our best Justices have."

Sotomayor, a Bronx native, has sat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit since 1998, nominated by President Bill Clinton. Prior to that, she was a U.S. District Court judge for the Southern District of New York, nominated by President George H.W. Bush.

She attended Princeton University and Yale Law School, and worked as an assistant district attorney in New York County under legendary D.A. Robert Morgenthau.

Sotomayor is of Puerto Rican descent. Her parents came to New York in the 1940s.