Known for his conservative and some might say extreme views, Senior U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia was found dead at a Texas resort today.
According to The New York Times, the cause of his death has not yet been announced.
Scalia, who came into office after being appointed by President Ronald Reagan, has opposed everything from gay rights, abortion, as well as loosening immigration restrictions. His outspoken personality made him one of the most famous justices of all time and many republican politicians today hold him to extremely high esteem for his theories and values.
Donald Trump especially hurt by the news as he tweeted, “a massive setback for the Conservative movement and our country.”
There has been much debate about who will be appointed to take his seat in the court. President Obama has the power to nominate a candidate but it’s a very slim chance that his candidate would win over the senate, which is Republican controlled. Republicans are saying that it would be irresponsible and inappropriate for Obama to have any say in who gets the replacement.
Ted Cruz tweeted;
Justice Scalia was an American hero. We owe it to him, & the Nation, for the Senate to ensure that the next President names his replacement.
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) February 13, 2016
The replacement of this justice will probably be a key topic in upcoming debates and during the rest of the primaries. We’ll keep you updated on who will be nominated for the vacancy.
Source: NYT, http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/14/us/antonin-scalia-death.html
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