Obama will start reviewing SCOTUS candidates over the weekend
President Obama is expected to spend a "significant portion" of the weekend pouring through materials related to potential Supreme Court nominees, White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters Friday.
"These are materials related to some potential nominees. This would include information about these individuals' record, about their professional career and their professional experience, all of which they would bring to a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court," Earnest said at the White House press briefing.
"I suspect the president will be dedicating a significant portion of his weekend digging into that information," he added.
On Thursday and Friday, the president spoke by phone with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, about the prospects of a confirmation process for whomever Obama chooses to nominate, Earnest said.
Asked if Mr. Obama had run through any potential names, Earnest said, "I wouldn't rule out discussion about particular nominees" and added that the president is "committed to trying to find some common ground with Republicans."
Earnest declined to share the timetable the president has discussed with regard to the nomination selection process, but he did point out that the process took four or five weeks when he had to fill the seats of Justices John Paul Stevens and David Souter.
This process will begin as Scalia's funeral will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington. There will be a private burial.
Mr. Obama has decided to skip the funeral; Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden will attend it instead. The president and first lady Michelle Obama will pay their respects Friday afternoon at the Supreme Court where Scalia's body lies in repose.
His casket arrived at the Supreme Court Friday morning and mourners have poured through the high court to pay tribute to Scalia.
Scalia, 79, was found dead last Saturday in his room at a West Texas resort. A spokesperson for the U.S. Marshals Service said he appeared to die of natural causes.
Earlier this week, the president blasted Republicans who say he has no right to nominate Scalia's replacement and say the Senate shouldn't consider a nominee until the next president is sworn in.
Neither McConnell nor Grassley have not yet ruled out a confirmation hearing.
