Top Senate Democrat Hints at President Obama's Supreme Court Timeline

Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell met with the president this week.

ByABC News
March 2, 2016, 1:26 PM

— -- Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid indicated that he may have a clue as to when President Obama will announce his nominee to the Supreme Court.

During opening remarks on the Senate floor today, Reid said he expects the president to send a nomination for Senate consideration “in a matter of a week or so.”

But the White House isn’t being as specific. Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Tuesday that he didn’t have any sort of update for how long it would take the president to name a successor to the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. He did note that in past situations it's taken Obama roughly 30 days after a vacancy to name a nominee.

Reid discussed the issue with Obama during a White House meeting Tuesday along with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and Sen. Patrick Leahy.

Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee recently said they will not hold a hearing on anyone Obama nominates for the Supreme Court.