The Senate Judiciary Committee announced Wednesday it would begin publicly vetting the nomination of U.S. Circuit Judge John Roberts to be the next member of the Supreme Court when Congress returns next month from its summer recess.

Roberts is scheduled to make his first appearance before the panel on Sept. 6, the first day of Senate business following its month-long hiatus from Capitol Hill. He is expected to make his opening statement and committee members will begin questioning Roberts in a subsequent hearing scheduled for the next day.

Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), the panel’s ranking member, informed their colleagues of the hearing schedule today in a “Dear Colleague” letter. The first hearing will be held in the Russell Caucus Room and then the proceedings will shift to Room 216 in Hart Building, Specter and Leahy wrote their colleagues.

— Mark Preston