Sheila Jackson Lee: “All of us were saddened in the last 2 weeks at the loss of the longest serving jurist, Justice Scalia. There is no doubt…”

“All of us were saddened in the last 2 weeks at the loss of the longest serving jurist, Justice Scalia. There is no doubt he loved the law and he loved the Court. With that in mind, Mr. Speaker, I think it is important that, in recognition of Justice Scalia's love of the law and the love of that Court, we honor his memory by fulfilling the constitutional duty that the other body has to and the constitutional duty that the President has to, which is to advise and consent on a nomination made by the President or not consent made by the President of a Supreme Court Justice. The claim that this is an 80-year precedent that has not been broken based upon the time that the President is now serving--332 days--there is no such term as a lame duck in the United States Congress is incorrect. It was recently done in 1988, under President Reagan, with Justice Kennedy, when he was nominated by a Democrat-controlled Senate, 97-0. It is important that we express to the American people that we are willing to do our duty. I would adhere to the Latin term in English: the last expression of the people prevail. The President of the United States was duly elected in 2012. His term has not ended. I applaud the President for doing his constitutional duty. I think it is important for us to do our constitutional duty, the Congress of the United States, and address the question on making sure the Court is full to do its duty. ____________________”