Following the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia on Saturday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) joined conservatives who were calling for a delay in confirming Scalia’s replacement until after the next President is elected.
“The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice,” McConnell said in a statement released Saturday evening. “Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new President.”
McConnell also praised Scalia’s commitment to the Constitution and offered condolences to the justice’s family.
“Justice Scalia’s fidelity to the Constitution was rivaled only by the love of his family: his wife Maureen his nine children, and his many grandchildren,” McConnell added. “Through the sheer force of his intellect and his legendary wit, this giant of American jurisprudence almost singlehandedly revived an approach to constitutional interpretation that prioritized the text and original meaning of the Constitution. Elaine and I send our deepest condolences to the entire Scalia family.”
