Washington, Sep 19 (AP) Republican Senator Ted Cruz says President Donald Trump should nominate a successor to the late liberal Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg next week.

Cruz said Friday shortly after Ginsburg's death was announced that Trump needs to move quickly.

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He says a Supreme Court that is split 4-4 “cannot decide anything” and under that scenario, “I think we risk a constitutional crisis.”

The Texas senator is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which will vote on Ginsburg's successor.

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He called on Trump to nominate a “principled constitutionalist with a proven record.”

Cruz is also among 20 individuals Trump recently added to his list of potential Supreme Court nominees.

The Republican-led Senate in 2016 refused to hold a hearing on President Barack Obama's nomination to replace Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court after he died that February.

Leader Mitch McConnell said then it wasn't fair because it was an election year.

The 2020 election is 46 days away.(AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)