× Thanks for reading! Log in to continue. Stay logged in to skip the surveys Log in Sign up {{featured_button_text}}

The Senate should have a hearing and take a vote on naming Merrick Garland to fill Antonin Scalia’s vacant seat on the U.S. Supreme Court, Baylor University President Ken Starr said Wednesday.

“Good government calls for us to have a hearing and vote up or down,” Starr said while commenting on the vacant Supreme Court seat.

Starr spoke at the Baylor Law School on Wednesday with Baylor law professors David Guinn and Rory Ryan. The panel was moderated by Brian Serr, another Baylor law professor.

Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said the Senate should allow the next president to make an appointment before confirmation hearings are held. McConnell has maintained this view as President Barack Obama nominated Garland to fill the vacancy last month.

Garland is the chief judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, and he was appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1997.

The panel spent much time praising Scalia, who died in February.

“He was so much fun, even though he was the smartest kid on the block,” Starr said.