News / Politics

Republicans clash with Dems over Supreme Court justice successor

Monday, 15 February 2016 2:05 AM [ Last Update: Monday, 15 February 2016 2:21 AM ]

This AFP file photo taken on October 05, 2011 shows US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington, DC.

The death of US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has triggered political tensions in Washington as Republicans step up their attempts to block a move by President Barack Obama to nominate a successor.

Obama, a Democrat, will nominate someone to fill the empty seat but will wait until the US Senate returns to session on February 22, the White House said on Sunday.

"At that point, we expect the Senate to consider that nominee, consistent with their responsibilities laid out in the United States Constitution," White House spokesman Eric Schultz said.

The nomination will set up a battle with the Republican-controlled Senate, which must approve any nominee.

Scalia, who died suddenly Saturday at the age of 79, was the court’s longest-serving member and the intellectual anchor in the Supreme Court's conservative wing.

Justices are nominated for life by the president and are confirmed by the Senate by majority vote.

Republicans have called on Obama to refrain from choosing a successor to the conservative-leaning Scalia and leave the decision for the next president.

But the Democrats urged the president to introduce a new figure for the top portfolio. Replacing Scalia with a Democrat-appointed justice could alter the balance of the court.

Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid said failure to act would be a "shameful abdication" of the Senate's constitutional duty.

One possible contender to replace Scalia is an Indian-American appeals court judge, Sri Srinivasan, who has pro-business credentials and a stellar resume.

US presidential candidate and Texas Senator Ted Cruz is threatening to filibuster any Supreme Court nominee made by Obama. “This should be a decision for the people,” Cruz said on ABC’s “This Week.”

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