Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) released a statement Saturday night following the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia that contained a warning shot to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY): Don’t play politics with filling vacancies on the Supreme Court bench.

“It would be unprecedented in recent history for the Supreme Court to go a

year with a vacant seat,” the statement read. “Failing to fill this vacancy would be a shameful abdication of one of the Senate’s most essential Constitutional

responsibilities.”

Read the full statement below:

“There is no doubt Justice Antonin Scalia was a brilliant man. We had our differences and I disagreed with many of his opinions, but he was a dedicated jurist and public servant. I offer my condolences to his family.”