Key Republican Sen. Sessions to Vote Against Sotomayor

The top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee plans to vote against Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, citing concerns about her record of "judicial activism."

Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., said in a USA Today column Monday that even though Sotomayor "renounced the pillars of activist thinking" during her testimony before the committee, he doesn't believe she will follow through.

"I don't believe that Judge Sotomayor has the deep-rooted convictions necessary to resist the siren call of judicial activism. She has evoked its mantra too often," he wrote.

Sessions aide Andrew Logan confirmed that Sessions will oppose Sotomayor.

Sessions' decision comes the day before the Judiciary panel is to vote on President Obama's first high court nominee.

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, another Republican on the Judiciary Committee, also announced Monday afternoon that he would oppose Sotomayor.

So far, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham is the only Republican on the committee to come out in favor of the justice.

Sotomayor, though, is virtually certain to be confirmed by a vote of the full Senate by the end of next week, becoming the first Hispanic justice. Sessions acknowledged she probably had the votes in his column.

But he cited several decisions she has joined that were "contrary to the Constitution." He said each was "consistent with liberal political thought" and led him to doubt her "repudiation of judicial activism."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.