June 8 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor fractured her right ankle today after a stumble at New York’s LaGuardia airport on her way to Washington to meet with senators considering her confirmation.

Sotomayor, nominated by President Barack Obama to replace retiring Justice David Souter, was treated at George Washington University Hospital in Washington before heading to Capitol Hill for her meetings with senators.

“I feel fine, thank you,” Sotomayor, 54, said in response to a question from reporters before she met with Senator Charles Grassley, an Iowa Republican. Sotomayor was walking with crutches and was wearing a cast up to her knee.

White House spokesman Ben LaBolt said she was sticking to her full schedule today, holding discussions with Republican and Democratic senators.

Louisiana Republican David Vitter presented the injured Sotomayor with a pillow and a bag of ice and asked the press to note that “Republicans have empathy too,” a reference to Obama’s comments that the quality is a desirable one in a judge.

Republican critics have said judges should make decisions based on the law, not their personal feelings.

After his meeting with Sotomayor, Vitter singled out a 2001 speech by Sotomayor in which she said a “wise Latina” would reach “better” decisions than white males.

“I have very serious concerns about that in terms of the approach she’d take on the Supreme Court,” said Vitter, noting she made similar statements in speeches three other times.

In recounting their meeting, Vitter said that Sotomayor suggested that her statements are being misunderstood and that she “wished that she had used different words.” Vitter said he hadn’t yet decided how he will vote on her nomination.

To contact the reporters on this story: Roger Runningen in Washington at rrunningen@bloomberg.net; Christopher Stern in Washington  cstern3@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: June 8, 2009 18:40 EDT