Article II of the US Constitution says the President "shall" nominate judges of the US Supreme Court with the advice and consent of the Senate. But it doesn’t say when that process should occur, and it doesn’t provide a timetable for filling vacancies. Even before any official mourning over Saturday’s sudden death of Justice Antonin Scalia, the political debate was already underway. David Hawkings has covered Capitol Hill for 25 years. He’s Senior Editor at Roll Call and author of the blog and column Hawkings Here.
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