A former Republican senator will help President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee through the Senate confirmation process, the White House announced Monday.
“Former Sen. Jon Kyl has agreed to serve as the sherpa for the president’s nominee to the Supreme Court,” said White House spokesman Raj Shah.
Kyl was in the Senate from 1995 to 2013, when he retired as the Senate minority whip, the No. 2 Republican.
During his time in the Senate, Kyl served on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which will oversee the confirmation hearings for Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court. Kyl was on the panel during the confirmations of four of the last five Supreme Court justices, and is now senior of counsel at Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C.
Trump will announce his nominee to the Supreme Court at 9 p.m. Monday. If confirmed, the president’s pick will succeed Justice Anthony Kennedy on the high court.
[Related: Trump’s top four candidates to succeed Justice Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court]
Kennedy announced last month he will be retiring from the Supreme Court, setting Trump up to fill his second vacancy on the court. The first vacancy following Justice Antonin Scalia’s death was filled by Justice Neil Gorsuch.
Former Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., served as Gorsuch’s sherpa.
