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The President nominates new members to the Supreme Court, but the Senate must approve the nomination by a majority vote. This is part of the system of checks and balances that is supposed to prevent abuse of power.
Explanation
When there is a vacancy on the bench the President (Executive branch) nominates a person to be a Supreme Court justice. Usually, the President receives recommendations from trusted advisors, or may have someone in mind whom an earlier President appointed to a US Court of Appeals Circuit Court to gain judicial experience.
The FBI investigates the nominee's background and returns a report to the Department of Justice, which compiles a report for the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Committee considers the candidate's judicial and personal record to determine suitability for office, then holds a hearing to question him or her about judicial record, political philosophy, ideology, and anything else they find appropriate. The Committee discusses the findings and may follow-up with addition written questions.
When the Committee is satisfied they have enough information to make a recommendation, they vote to decide whether to send the vote to the floor with a recommendation that the full Senate vote for or against commissioning the nominee. Occasionally, if the Committee is split in its opinion, they may send the vote to the floor with no recommendation.
The full Senate may hold its own hearing, which generally lasts less than a week, where they may also question the candidate before voting. If the nominee receives a simple majority of 51 votes, he or she officially becomes a Supreme Court Justice.
If the Senate rejects the nominee, the President will pick another nominee or may nominate the same person for additional review. This authority comes from Article II, Section 2 of the US Constitution, which states that the President has the power to nominate, and by and with the consent of the Senate, appoint Judges of the Supreme Court. Thus the President nominates but does not appoint Justices of of the Supreme Court. Actual appointment occurs only after Senate confirmation.
For more information, see Related Questions, below.
What else can I help you with?
In what year was Justice Antonin Scalia appointed to the US Supreme Court?
President Ronald Reagan appointed Antonin Scalia to the US Supreme Court in 1986.
What presidents never appointed a us supreme court justice?
Jimmy Carter
What year was Associate Justice Elena Kagan appointed to the US Supreme Court?
President Obama appointed Justice Elena Kagan to the US Supreme Court in 2010. She took the oaths of office on August 7, 2010.
What Latina US Supreme Court justice was appointed in 2009?
Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who formally joined the US Supreme Court on August 8, 2009, is the first Latina on the Court.
Who was the first African-American to be appointed as a US Supreme Court justice?
Thurgood Marshall
As of 2006 what were the names of the woman or women who sat on the US Supreme Court?
In 2006, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor (appointed 1981) and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (appointed 1993) were the only two women to have served on the US Supreme Court. Justice O'Connor retired at the end of January 2006, leaving Ginsburg the sole female justice on the Court until President Obama appointed Justice Sonia Sotomayor in 2009. Obama appointed a fourth woman, Justice Elena Kagan, in 2010.
Who were the female US Supreme Court justices in 2006?
Justice Sandra Day O'Connor was a member of the US Supreme Court until January 31, 2006; Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was the only woman on the Court after Justice O'Connor retired. Ginsburg remained the only female US Supreme Court justice until President Obama appointed Justice Sonia Sotomayor in 2010.
Did any US Supreme Court justices come from Texas?
Yes. Surprisingly, only one US Supreme Court justice has been from Texas: Justice Tom C. Clark, who was appointed by President Truman and served on the Court from 1949-1967.
Did William Clinton nominate a US Supreme Court justice?
Yes. President Clinton appointed two justices to the US Supreme Court: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg joined the Court in 1993; and Justice Stephen Breyer joined the Court in 1994.
Who became a justice on the US Supreme Court in 1965?
President Johnson appointed Justice Abe Fortas to the US Supreme Court in 1965. He resigned in 1969 due to a conflict of interest.
Who was appointed to the US Supreme Court in 1965?
President Lyndon Johnson appointed Justice Abe Fortas to the US Supreme Court in 1965 to succeed Justice Arthur Goldman, whom Johnson had persuaded to become US Ambassador to the United Nations. Fortas remained on the Court until his resignation in May 1969.
Which President appointed David Hackett Souter to the US Supreme Court?
President George H. W. Bush appointed Justice David Hackett Souter to the US Supreme Court in 1990. Souter retired in 2009 and was succeeded by Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
