Vice President Joe Biden on Thursday will urge the Senate to act on Merrick Garland’s Supreme Court nomination in a timely manner.
Biden’s remarks to Georgetown Law School students and faculty mark a high profile attempt to pressure the Senate into confirming a replacement for Justice Antonin Scalia, who died in February. He will argue that President Barack Obama has “has fully discharged his constitutional obligation” in nominating Garland during an election year, according to remarks released by the Vice President’s office.
“Our democracy rests on the twin pillars of basic fairness and equal justice under law,” Biden will say. “The longer this high court vacancy remains unfilled, the more serious a problem we will face.”
He is scheduled speak at 12:30pm EST. Watch the full remarks live on this page.
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Write to Julia Zorthian at julia.zorthian@time.com