The New York Times
By SEWELL CHAN
Published: April 11, 2010
WASHINGTON — The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee predicted on Sunday that the Senate would confirm a replacement for Justice John Paul Stevens this summer, but his Republican counterpart would not rule out the use of a filibuster if President Obama were to nominate someone who was “clearly outside the mainstream.”
As members of Congress prepared to return on Monday from a spring recess, leaders in both parties took steps to position themselves in an emerging debate over the direction of the Supreme Court. The debate, which began when Justice Stevens announced on Friday that he would retire after 34 years on the court, is expected to be a dominant feature of the legislative session over the next several months.
Asked about the timing of a nomination, Senator Patrick J. Leahy, Democrat of Vermont and chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said Sunday, “I think we’re going to hear it soon enough so we can wrap this up this summer.” He said there was “no question” that a new justice would be in place before the start of the court’s fall term.
“It would be irresponsible to do otherwise,” Mr. Leahy said on “Meet the Press” on NBC.
Full Story: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/12/us/politics/12court.html?th&emc=th
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