Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who was known for his conservative ideals, eloquent writing, and bold personality, was found dead Saturday, Feb. 13 at a resort in west Texas. He was 79.
The official cause of his death was not initially clear, but eventually Presidio County Judge Cinderela Guevara pronounced Scalia dead of natural causes. According to Scalia’s private physician, he had several chronic conditions.
After speaking to the physician, Guevara determined, “[Scalia] was having health issues. His heart stopped beating [in his sleep].”
Still, Scalia’s passing came as a shock, especially as it comes only months before the general election in November.
History teacher Heather Sadlon says, “Scalia was put on the Supreme Court in the 1980s by Ronald Reagan. He definitely reflected the conservative ideals of the president. He called himself an originalist in terms of interpreting the Constitution and believed that the power of judges should be restrained.”
Because of Scalia’s major influence on the Supreme Court, his death has created a rift within the Supreme Court.
Sadlon says, “Before he died, the court was split with four reliably conservative members, four liberals, and one in the middle, Anthony Kennedy, who is like a swing vote. Now, there are a lot of cases that are getting stuck four-to-four depending on how Kennedy votes, and there’s no way to break that tie.”
President Obama nominated D.C. appeals court judge Merrick Garland to fill the empty seat in the Supreme Court. The next step is for the Senate to meet with the nominee, question him, and hold a vote on whether they approve Obama’s nomination. However, the Republican-majority Senate has refused to carry out the approval process.
Sadlon says, “Now, the Republicans in the Senate are saying they refuse to even meet with Merrick Garland, let alone hold a vote [concerning his nomination]. The Senate Majority leader, Mitch McConnell, is arguing that Obama’s nominee is invalid as Obama no longer represents the views of the American people so close to another presidential election. The Republicans are hoping that if a Republican president is elected in November, he will nominate a justice that better aligns with the Senate’s conservative ideals. ”
Amid all the confusion about the unexpected death of a justice and the nomination of a new one, the question remains: are the republicans in the Senate allowed to refuse to acknowledge Obama’s nominee?
Sadlon says, “Depends on who you ask. If you ask the Republicans, they say yes. But there’s also an old interview with Joe Biden that recently surfaced [in which] he was asked what he would do in this type of hypothetical situation where a Supreme Court justice dies a few months before a general election, and he said he would delay the Senate’s vote until the presidential election.”
Therefore, some say that the answer to the question of whether the Senate’s actions are justified is tailored to be most beneficial to one’s party and beliefs.
Senior Jolene Hsu says, “I’m very neutral, not a Republican or a Democrat, but I don’t agree with the Senate’s actions. They should just do their jobs and either approve or deny Obama’s nominee. Their argument that Obama doesn’t represent the American people anymore is just an excuse. We elected him two times, and I think the Senate should respect his nomination.”
Senior Steven Lee adds, “With what’s going on you can clearly see the obstructionist Congress we currently have. It’s not their privilege to do their jobs; it’s literally their responsibility. I’m not sure if Obama’s nominee is necessarily representative of what the American people want, but I think it’s a step in the right direction. With a Republican majority in the House and the Senate as well as the possibility of a Republican president, we need the Supreme Court to be more balanced.”
Sadlon says, “I couldn’t imagine the Republican leadership changing their minds after so adamantly refusing to even meet with Merrick Garland. However, there are seats in the Senate that are up for a vote this year. To a lot of people, the Republicans in the Senate are making themselves look bad because they see them as being obstructionists and not doing their jobs. So what could happen in the election is these Republican Senators might lose their positions in the Senate because of this conflict.”
Some see the empty seat in the Supreme Court as yet another factor that adds significance to the upcoming presidential election.
Sadlon says, “This could energize liberal voters to go vote because it adds more pressure to the presidential election.”
Lee adds, “If the Senate does not change its mind then in the election, we would be not only voting for our next president but also a Supreme Court Justice.”
One thing is clear. The sudden death of Antonin Scalia has a large impact on the future of this nation.
Sadlon says, “The role of Supreme Court justices is so huge because they make decisions that affect everybody. I understand why people are so emotional about this because the nomination of a new supreme court justice changes the math of the court for a whole generation.”
