As President Barack Obama and the U.S. Senate face a Supreme Court nomination fight, one Ohioan says the need to fill the empty seat hits him on a personal level.
Cincinnati resident Jim Obergefell was the lead plaintiff in the Supreme Court case that led the state and the nation to legalize same-sex marriage. That decision was a 5-4 ruling.
Obergefell is urging U.S. Senator Rob Portman to do his part to find a new justice so future cases don’t end up with tied decisions.
“With that type of a split it would be up to the lower courts to give the final word on cases that impact millions of Americans. Tying the hands of the high court for two terms severly undermines the rule of law and ignores many important legal questions unresolved,” said Obergefell.
Portman has said the Senate should wait until the next president is elected before confirming a Supreme Court nominee.