The Senate Judiciary Committee will begin its confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor on July 13, Chairman Patrick J. Leahy announced Tuesday.

Republicans criticized that schedule, saying Leahy did not consult them and that they need more time to examine Sotomayor’s record as a federal judge and her off-the-bench speeches.

President Obama has urged the Senate to vote on Sotomayor’s nomination before its August recess so that she will be confirmed in time to participate in the justices’ September preparations for the court term beginning Oct. 5.

“This is a reasonable schedule that is in line with past experience and that will allow several more weeks for committee members to prepare for the hearing,” Leahy, D-Vt., said in a floor speech announcing the date.

“The Democratic majority is proceeding, in my view, in a heavy-handed fashion, completely unnecessary, and is basically being dismissive of the minority’s legitimate concerns for a fair and thorough process,” responded Minority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. “It serves no purpose other than to run the risk of destroying the kind of comity and cooperation that we expect of each other here in the Senate.”

Jeff Sessions of Alabama, the Judiciary panel’s ranking Republican, made clear he was unhappy that Leahy announced the date before informing him. “It’s a serious irritant to the process that’s been moving along pretty well,” Sessions said.

Sessions said he missed Leahy’s statement on the Senate floor while attending a military funeral at Arlington National Cemetery. Sessions said Leahy left a message at his office, and when Sessions called back, he missed Leahy. Sessions said he learned of the date from media reports and voiced disappointment and surprise at what he called a “rushed” schedule.

Leahy said he first proposed to begin the hearing July 7, when the Senate returns from its July Fourth recess, but pushed the schedule back a week “to accommodate our Republican members.”

Republicans would not rule out trying to delay the hearing. “The main goal here is to have an adequate amount of time to look at an extensive record,” McConnell said. “Exactly how long that will take is just not clear yet.”

Majority Leader Harry Reid , D-Nev., said Leahy’s plan provides “the exact same amount of time” that the committee had to prepare for the confirmation hearing of Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. But Republicans argue that a longer review period is warranted because of the volume of opinions Sotomayor has written during 17 years as a judge.

Leahy’s announcement came shortly after Sotomayor concluded a meeting with Mel Martinez , R-Fla., who stopped just short of becoming the first Senate Republican to endorse her nomination.

Martinez, who is retiring at the end of next year and is one of two Hispanic senators, said he is “very very impressed “ with Sotomayor and added, “I think she’s going to be a brilliant jurist on the Supreme Court.”

But Martinez, who spoke with Sotomayor in Spanish during a photo opportunity at the start of their meeting, indicated he would “withhold my ultimate determination” until after the Judiciary hearings.