Following Scalia's death, Republican Senate leaders announced that they did not plan to consider any Supreme Court nomination during the president's last year in office, citing the upcoming 2016 United States presidential election.Levy, Gabrielle. "Even GOP Voters Think Senate Should Confirm SCOTUS Nominee" , U.S. News & World Report (March 31, 2016): "Because Obama has less than a year left in his term, McConnell said, he should not get to make a lifetime appointment..." Senate Democrats argued that there was sufficient time to vote on a nominee before the election. Garland's nomination ultimately expired on January 3, 2017, with the end of the 114th Congress. The nomination remained before the Senate for 293 days,Jess Bravin, President Obama's Supreme Court Nomination of Merrick Garland Expires , The Wall Street Journal (January 3, 2017). the longest such nomination in American history Supreme Court nomination.
