Senator Reid urges Obama fill Scalia court vacancy 'right away'

"With so many important issues pending before the Supreme Court, the Senate has a responsibility to fill vacancies as soon as possible," Reid said.

"It would be unprecedented in recent history for the Supreme Court to go a year with a vacant seat," he said in a statement.

Scalia died at age 79.

(Reporting by Roberta Rampton; Editing by Matthew Lewis)