But later Wednesday, a spokesman for Sen.
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There are signs that some Republicans are softening their stance, despite Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s insistence that Obama should not even make a nomination.
In a written statement announcing his position, Heller said, “The chances of approving a new nominee are slim, but Nevadans should have a voice in the process”.
President Obama is eager to nominate a Supreme Court justice who can attract Republican support in the Senate, Vice President Biden said Thursday. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee. Mr. Obama spoke with Mr. Grassley Friday morning, after the lawmaker penned an op-ed with Mr. McConnell urging a delay in the nomination.
“The Senate gets to have a say”, Biden, a former senator, told Minnesota Public Radio.
Nevada is closely divided between the two political parties. Obama’s nominee could change the court’s balance of power, as Scalia’s death left it with four conservative and four liberal justices.
Thousands filed past Justice Scalia’s casket inside the Great Hall of the US Supreme Court on Friday.
Appointed by Republican President Ronald Reagan in 1986, Scalia earned a reputation as a brilliant jurist during an era of conservative dominance on the court.
Scalia’s death marks only the third time in more than 50 years that a Supreme Court justice has died in office, USA Today reported. He noted Tuesday that the U.S. Constitution calls for presidents to nominate Supreme Court justices and for the Senate to “advise and consent” on a nomination, with nothing saying nominations should not be considered in a presidential election year.
“I don’t agree. I think we need somebody there now to do the job, and let’s get on with it”, she said.
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In recent years, the court has made key rulings on gay marriage, abortion and Mr Obama’s key healthcare legislation. The survey found that 81% Republicans want to block an Obama nominee, while the exact opposite is true with Democrats, as 81% of them want the Senate to vote this year. Needless to say, if Republicans fail to respond to a nominee for the rest of Obama’s term, that would be 329 days, far more than either record.
