WASHINGTON (AP) - The senior Republican senator who will question Sonia Sotomayor says the Supreme Court nominee must demonstrate she will not show bias on the bench.

Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions tells CBS's "Face the Nation" that in speeches over the past 10 years, Sotomayor has said repeatedly that personal experiences influence a judge's decisions.

Sessions says Sotomayor has criticized the idea that a woman and a man would reach the same result. That point of view, according to Sessions, reflects a philosophy that is incompatible with the American system.

The chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, says Sotomayor's record shows her to be a "mainstream judge."

Confirmation hearings for Sotomayor begin Monday.

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