Statement From Rev. Luis Cortes on Judge Sotomayor's Supreme Court Nomination

PHILADELPHIA, May 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Upon learning of Judge Sonia Sotomayor's Supreme Court nomination, Rev. Luis Cortes, president of Esperanza issued the following statement:

"I congratulate Judge Sotomayor and commend President Obama on nominating the first Latina to the highest court in the land.

Judge Sotomayor and I grew up in the same neighborhood, only a few years apart. I am delighted that a woman raised in one of our neighborhoods, who knows firsthand the struggles our people face everyday, has received this remarkable honor.

Judge Sotomayor's perseverance and intellectual independence will serve her well in the high court. I trust that she will carry her past into her future as she faces the toughest legal decisions of our time.

I am thrilled to know the Supreme Court will have the benefit of her legal expertise and remarkable life story. The Hispanic Church will pray for her to get through the nomination process speedily and that God would give her wisdom for the decades to come for the good of our nation."

Rev. Luis Cortes, Jr. is the founder and president of Esperanza. Esperanza is the largest Hispanic Faith-Based Evangelical network in the country. With a national network of 12,000 faith and community-based agencies, Esperanza is one of the leading voices for Hispanics in America.