Justice Stephen Breyer said Monday that the Supreme Court has not been diminished by having only eight members since the death of Justice Antonin Scalia in February.
Exasperated by a long-running fight over judicial nominees, a Republican senator pleaded with his colleagues to confirm Merrick Garland to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, often considered the second most important court in the nation.
President Barack Obama has made his decision on a Supreme Court nominee and planned to introduce his pick at a Rose Garden ceremony Wednesday, setting up a showdown with Senate Republicans who have told the White House not to bother filling the vacancy in an election year.
Last week, No. 2 Senate Republican John Cornyn of Texas objected when Democrats called for a vote on two nominees for federal district court, Waverly Crenshaw of Tennessee and Paula Xinis of Maryland.
President Barack Obama accused Senate Republicans on Wednesday of putting the Supreme Court's credibility at risk if they make good on their vow not to consider or vote on his pick to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia. He promised to nominate a candidate anyway.
But Scalia's doctor said in a letter, parts of which were read to The Associated Press on Tuesday, that the justice suffered from coronary artery disease, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, sleep apnea, high blood pressure and several other ailments that probably contributed to his death on Feb. 13 at age 79.
Bidding farewell to their longtime colleague, the eight remaining Supreme Court justices joined family members, former law clerks and members of the public Friday in paying their respects to Antonin Scalia in a tradition-laden, solemn day at the marble courthouse atop Capitol Hill.
Flags at all state buildings will be lowered to half-staff for two days to honor the life and mourn the death of New Jersey native and Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.