▁Till is , ▁North ▁Carolina . ▁After ▁Gar land ' s ▁nom ination , ▁Senate ▁Major ity ▁Le ader ▁Mitch ▁Mc Con nell ▁re iter ated ▁his ▁position ▁that ▁the ▁Senate ▁would ▁not ▁confirm ▁any ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁nom ination ▁from ▁Ob ama . ▁Gar land ' s ▁nom ination ▁exp ired ▁on ▁January ▁ 3 , ▁ 2 0 1 7 . ▁ ▁Anton in ▁S cal ia ▁death ▁On ▁February ▁ 1 3 , ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁Associ ate ▁Justice ▁Anton in ▁S cal ia ▁was ▁found ▁dead ▁while ▁vac ation ing ▁at ▁C ib olo ▁Creek ▁R anch ▁near ▁Mar fa , ▁Texas . ▁President ▁Ob ama ▁stated ▁that ▁he ▁planned ▁to ▁nomin ate ▁someone ▁to ▁replace ▁S cal ia ▁on ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court . ▁S cal ia ' s ▁death ▁marked ▁just ▁the ▁second ▁time ▁in ▁si xty ▁years ▁that ▁a ▁sitting ▁justice ▁died . ▁ ▁Short ▁list ▁The ▁White ▁House ▁v ett ed ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁candidates ▁that ▁had ▁previously ▁received ▁broad ▁support ▁from ▁Republic ans , ▁including ▁D . C . ▁Circ uit ▁Jud ges ▁M err ick ▁Gar land ▁and ▁Sri ▁S rin ivas an , ▁E ighth ▁Circ uit ▁Judge ▁Jane ▁L . ▁Kelly , ▁N inth ▁Circ uit ▁Judge ▁Paul ▁J . ▁Wat ford , ▁and ▁Judge ▁K et an ji ▁Brown ▁Jackson ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁District ▁Court ▁for ▁the ▁District ▁of ▁Columbia . ▁On ▁March ▁ 1 1 , ▁Re ut ers ▁reported ▁that ▁Ob ama ▁had ▁narrow ed ▁his