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| Antonin Scalia death: Obama pushes Senate over Scalia seat | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| President Barack Obama has urged the US Senate to act after he nominates a replacement on the Supreme Court for Justice Antonin Scalia. | President Barack Obama has urged the US Senate to act after he nominates a replacement on the Supreme Court for Justice Antonin Scalia. |
| "I expect them to do their job", he said, and consider the candidate as required by the US Constitution. | "I expect them to do their job", he said, and consider the candidate as required by the US Constitution. |
| Scalia, a long-time conservative on the court, died on Saturday. | Scalia, a long-time conservative on the court, died on Saturday. |
| Within hours leaders of the Republican-controlled Senate had said they would delay confirming any nomination until a new president is in power next year. | Within hours leaders of the Republican-controlled Senate had said they would delay confirming any nomination until a new president is in power next year. |
| Republicans argue it should be up to the electorate to pick a president who can nominate the right candidate for the job. | |
| Scalia's death leaves the court finely balanced with four judges appointed by Democratic presidents and four by Republican ones, so the new appointment would leave the court liberal or conservative leaning. | |
| Why is this a big deal? | |
| Scalia - in his own words | |
| The Constitution is clear about what happens now, said Mr Obama, and now would be a good time to rise above Washington "rancour" and "venom". | The Constitution is clear about what happens now, said Mr Obama, and now would be a good time to rise above Washington "rancour" and "venom". |
| The president vowed to announce his preferred candidate "in due course". | The president vowed to announce his preferred candidate "in due course". |
| "This will best a test of whether or not norms, rules - basic fair play - can function at all in Washington these days," he said. |