Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy is retiring and the vacancy gives President Donald Trump the chance to add a second pick to the high court.
At a rally in North Dakota, the president said he was "honored" the justice chose to retire while he was in office. He said he will nominate Kennedy's successor from a list of about two dozen people.
Kennedy's retirement is effective July 31st.
Kennedy's announcement may have you wondering how a SCOTUS justice is selected. We broke it down for you.
First things first, the Constitution gives the president power to nominate a candidate. Afterward, the nomination is sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee. The committee has 20 members made up of 11 Republicans and 9 Democrats.
The committee has a three-step process of its own:
- Looking into the nominee's background, including legal issues and finances
- Publicly questioning the nominee
- Voting on a recommendation, no recommendation or a rejection to the full Senate.
If the committee decides to reject a nomination, the process does not move forward to the full Senate and the nominee cannot be considered.
If the committee recommends a nominee, the full Senate debates the nomination on the floor. It then votes then confirm the nominee, which requires a 51-vote majority.
Last, the process moves on to the president, who then signs a commission appointing the person to the Supreme Court.
