President Obama: "The Constitution Is Pretty Clear" On Nominating Supreme Court Justices

After several Senate Republicans stated they did not want to hold hearings on a new Supreme Court justice nominee this year, President Obama addressed those would delay the process of replacing recently deceased Justice Antonin Scalia:

"The Constitution is pretty clear about what is supposed to happen now," Obama said at a press conference Tuesday at the U.S.-ASEAN summit in California.

"When there is vacancy on the Supreme Court, the president of the United States is to nominate someone, the Senate is to consider that nomination, and either they disapprove of that nominee or that nominee is elevated to the Supreme Court," Obama continued. "Historically, this has not been viewed as a question. There’s no unwritten law that says it can only be done in off years, that’s not in the constitutional text."

Obama stressed that there was "more then enough time" for the Senate to consider the nominee he submits for consideration.