&lt;I also cannot imagine 11 months of blocking a SCOTUS nomination and leaving the court with 8 members.&gt;<p>But that&#x27;s exactly what the Democrat-controlled Senate did after Justice Abe Fortas resigned in disgrace in 1969.  They knocked down Nixon&#x27;s first <i>two</i> nominees, and Fortas wasn&#x27;t ultimately replaced by Blackmun until a year later[0][1][2].<p>[0] - Several Wikipedia pages say May 12, but:<p>[1] - this one says May 17: <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Unsuccessful_nominations_to_the_Supreme_Court_of_the_United_States" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Unsuccessful_nominations_to_th...</a><p>[2] - this page says June 9: 
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