Now that there is going to be a vacancy on the United States Supreme Court, we thought it would be a good time to talk about the nomination process. 

The President’s power to nominate Supreme Court Justices granted in Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, states that the President “shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint … Judges of the Supreme Court …”

The Senate Judiciary Committee considers the nominee’s background and qualifications for the job, holds hearings, and votes on whether to recommend that the full Senate confirm or reject the nominee.

The full Senate debates the nomination and votes on confirmation.  A majority vote is all that is required.

Some good resources for more information:

Georgetown University Law Center Library, Supreme Court Nominations Research Guide

Open CRS – Supreme Court Nominations, 1789-2006: Actions by the Senate, the Judiciary Committee, and the President.