Obama to Appoint Next Supreme Court Justice Soon, Republicans Want to Delay Process
It’s the question that’s on everyone’s mind. It’s been the topic of most political discussions for the past few days. And it’s a very serious matter to democrats, republicans and independents. Who is going to replace Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia?
Scalia, 79, died in his sleep while on a visit in Texas on Saturday. He was the longest serving judge on the Supreme Court. He was also a conservative who was appointed in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan.
So now the pressure is on President Barack Obama to fill Scalia’s vacancy which as president, he has full authority to do.
However Republicans are squawking saying that because it is an election year, the nomination process should occur after a new president is inaugurated. But other presidents have appointed Supreme Court Justices within election years and Obama has stated publicly that he plans to do the same.
Supreme Court Justices serve for life; therefore these appointments are very critical to the legacy of the president who makes them. Presidents must very carefully take into consideration a nominee’s experience, political ideology, party, personal loyalties, ethnicity and gender.
Therefore, if Obama, who appointed Justice Sonia Sotomayor in 2009 and Justice Elena Kagan in 2010, does in fact make an appointment right away, he will no doubt take into consideration that:
• The eight remaining Supreme Court Justices are comprised of three women and five men;
• There are four liberals and four conservatives;
• Justice Clarence Thomas is the only African American member.
• Justice Sonia Sotomayor is the only Hispanic member.
The nomination process is fairly basic and goes like this:
• President Barack Obama chooses a nominee and announces it to the U.S. Senate.
• The nominee must then provide paperwork outlining his/her personal finances and personal background.
• The FBI will also investigate the nominee’s criminal history (if one exists).
• After the nominee’s background is fully probed, he/she must go in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee for Senate Confirmation Hearings where eighteen senators will conduct interviews.
• The committee will also speak with witnesses who either support or oppose the nomination.
• The committee will then vote on President Obama’s nominee.
• A simple majority (51 votes) confirms or rejects the nominee’s appointment. If the nominee is confirmed, he/she is appointed as a Supreme Court justice for life.
• If the nominee is rejected, the President chooses another one and the process is repeated.
Justice Scalia was the first justice of Italian-American heritage and passed through confirmation with a unanimous vote. He was born in Trenton, New Jersey. He attended Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. and then obtained his law degree from Harvard Law School.
Scalia will lie in repose at the Supreme Court on Friday. The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.
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