Anthony Kennedy, one of the Justices for the Supreme Court, announced his upcoming retirement on Wednesday.
Politics of the Court
The Supreme Court decides the legality of many push-button policies. They rule on abortion practices, gay rights, gun control, and business practices, among any other legal question that they decide.
With nine members and a lifetime Presidential appointment, the Court can be very influential for one political party or the other. Justice Kennedy was considered to be a conservative judge. As he steps down, that will leave four conservative Justices and four liberals. As the current President, Trump has the opportunity to keep the balance tipped for conservatives and Republicans.
President Trump said that he will fill Kennedy’s vacancy immediately. He already has a list of 25 potential nominees that he updated at the end of last year. Mitch McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader, said that the Senate will vote to confirm a nominee this fall.
This will be the second Justice Trump appointed. He succeeded in appointing Neil Gorsuch to the Court last year. Since then, Republicans succeeded in changing the Senate rules so that members can’t filibuster against Court appointments.
