Judge Merrick Garland (C) speaks after US President Barack Obama, with Vice President Joe Biden (L), announced Garland's nomination to the US Supreme Court, in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, DC, on March 16, 2016.
Garland, 63, is currently Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The nomination sets the stage for an election-year showdown with Republicans who have made it clear they have no intention of holding hearings to vet any Supreme Court nominee put forward by the president. / AFP / Nicholas Kamm        (Photo credit should read NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)