Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, the legendary conservative Supreme Court Justice, is dead at the age of 79.
Within hours after Scalia’s death became known, it was already turning into a tense political battle. On Saturday night, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Republicans would not hold a confirmation vote on any replacement for Scalia until after a new president is sworn in, while Democrats urged President Obama to move swiftly on an appointment.
With his previous two appointments, Obama was replacing liberal justices with younger liberals. But with Scalia, he’d have the chance to replace the justice who has held the fort down for conservatives on the Court for the past 30 years, potentially moving the court dramatically to the left. In addition, for the first time, he’d be making an appointment with Republicans in control of the Senate.
Scalia’s death comes in the middle of a term in which the Court is set to rule on a number of hot button issues, including abortion, afirmative action, and unions.
At the same time, it’s the equivelent of a bomb being detonated in the presidential election race and in a year when control of the Senate could be decided by a few close races. Judicial appointments are likely to become a much more prominent issue.
Scalia was found dead at a resort in West Texas. The San Antonio Express News reported Saturday that reported that Scalia died of natural causes. The report said Scalia got to the Cibolo Creek Ranch, a resort in the Big Bend region of Texas, on Friday. He did not arrive for breakfast Saturday morning. An individual associated with the ranch went to his room and found his body.
Scalia left a legacy of urging his collegues to apply the law based on an original interpretation of the U.S. Constitution. He was known for being combative during oral arguments, offering sharp comments, often mixed with of humor. His dissents were often scathing and filled with colorful language. For instance, in last year’s ruling in an Obamacare case, he criticized the majority opinion as “pure applesauce” and “jiggery-pokery.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbot released a statement on Scalia’s death.
“Justice Antonin Scalia was a man of God, a patriot and an unwavering defender of the written Constitution and the rule of law,” Abbot said. “He was the solid rock who turned away so many attempts to depart from and distort the Constiution.”
“We mourn his passing, and we pray that his successor on the Supreme Court will take his place as a champion for the written Consitution and the rule of law,” Abbot added. “Cecilia and I extend our deepest condolences to his family, and we will keep them in our thoughts and prayers.”
Eric Schultz, a spokesman for Obama, who was in California Saturday, issued a statement on Scalia passing.
“This afternoon the President was informed of the passing of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia,” Schultz said. “The President and First Lady extend their deepest condolences to Justice Scalia’s family. We’ll have additional reaction from the President later today.”
Data curated by InsideGov
