U.S. Rep. Tom Reed

U.S. Rep. Tom Reed is steering clear of the debate involving the appointing of a new Supreme Court justice before the November election following the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg last week.

In a conference call with regional media on Wednesday morning, Reed said he would “defer” to both President Donald Trump and the U.S. Senate regarding the decision. “What I would encourage is that we look at the qualifications of any of the nominees and it should be the qualifications that drive this decision-making process in my humble opinion,” he said.

Earlier in the call, Reed praised the historic justice for “her legacy and for what she has done for the country.

“Having talked to her over the years and seen that spark in her eye, even though I disagreed with her on many of her opinions on her interpretation of the Constitution, I respected her just like we all should respect her tenure on the bench.”