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

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama should nominate a new Supreme Court justice "right away" to fill the vacancy left by the death of Antonin Scalia, U.S. Democratic Senator Harry Reid, the minority leader in the Senate, said on Saturday. "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)