The Hill News

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor came out of Tuesday's State of the Union with positive things to say about the new seating arrangement. 

Speaking at Kansas State University Thursday, Sotomayor said the bipartisan seating was more agreeable for her. Unlike in previous years, many members of Congress agreed to sit with a colleague of the opposing party as a symbol of bipartisanship and cooperation.

"I was there at the State of the Union last year. I was there this year," she said, according to The Associated Press. "And I saw people who I saw on different sides of the aisle during my [confirmation] hearings sitting next to each other, and it was much more pleasant for me."

Sotomayor said she liked seeing Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and John Kerry (D-Mass.) sit next to each other.

Not every Supreme Court Justice attended this year’s address. Justice Samuel Alito was in Hawaii, and Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas chose not to attend.

Calls for bipartisan seating at the State of the Union address came after the Arizona shooting rampage in which six died and thirteen were injured, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.).