Any appointment made by President Obama to replace Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court isn't likely to get approval from the Senate. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says they won't hold hearings or take a vote on any appointment Obama makes. Illinois State University Supreme Court Scholar Meghan Leonard says this could mean a lot of split decisions in the meantime.
Leonard says for Senate Republicans to say they won't have hearings or take votes on the matter is unprecedented. She adds it's a unique situation as usually when a justice is being replaced, it's due to a retirement.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is saying if the president makes an appointment to replace Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court, Republican senators will not take any action. That's something Illinois State University Supreme Court Scholar calls unprecedented, mainly because usually when a president is replacing a justice it's due to a retirement.
Leonard says waiting until a new president is sworn in before naming a new Supreme Court justice could mean many split decisions from the court. She adds Republicans are taking a risk and hoping a Republican president is elected, and not a Democrat.
