MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - Vermont U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy is pointing to two new unresolved court cases as signs that the Supreme Court needs a full complement of nine justices.
The senior Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee is renewing his call for Republicans to allow hearings on Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland.
On Monday, a court left with eight members since the death of Associate Justice Antonin Scalia found it couldn’t come to a definitive resolution in two cases. One involved contraceptive coverage for employees of religiously affiliated nonprofits. The other concerned whether Congress can pass a law allowing people to sue in certain sets of circumstances.
Leahy says with regional appeals courts ruling differently the upshot is different standards for women’s and consumers’ rights in different parts of the country.
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