US President Barack Obama has rejected calls by Republican members of the US Senate to leave the nomination of a new Supreme Court judge to his successor.
Mr Obama said he would name a candidate to replace Justice Antonin Scalia - who died last Saturday, and the Senate either would endorse the nomination or reject it.
"The Constitution is pretty clear about what is supposed to happen now," Mr Obama, a former constitutional law professor, told a news conference at the close of a two-day meeting with leaders from Southeast Asia.
"When there is a vacancy on the Supreme Court, the president of the United States is to nominate someone. The Senate is to consider that nomination," and then either approve or reject the nominee, he added.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Saturday the vacancy should not be filled until Mr Obama's successor takes office in January so voters can have a say on the selection when they cast ballots in the 8 November presidential election.
"There is more than enough time for the Senate to consider in a thoughtful way the record of a nominee that I present, and to make a decision," Mr Obama said.
