The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Tuesday to confirm Sonia Sotomayor for the US Supreme Court, leaving her one step away from becoming the first Hispanic to join the country's highest bench, according to dpa. The 13-6 vote reflected the sharp divide between Democrats and Republicans about President Barack Obama's appointment to the nine- member court. Only one Republican, Senator Lindsey Graham, approved the nomination. The full Senate is expected to take up a final vote some time next week, ahead of plans to recess for the summer on August 10. Democrats control 60 seats in the 100-member Senate, raising little doubt that Sotomayor will get the nod, but many conservatives have said they will oppose her nomination because of comments she made along racial lines long before her name hit the national stage.
