U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg underwent heart surgery Wednesday morning to place a stent in her right coronary artery, the high court said in a statement.
“The coronary blockage was discovered after Justice Ginsburg experienced discomfort during routine exercise last night and was taken to the hospital,” the court said in a statement. “She is resting comfortably and is expected to be discharged in the next 48 hours.”
Justice Ginsburg was first appointed in 1993 and at 81 years old is the oldest sitting justice on the Supreme Court.
She has pushed back against talk of her possibly resigning, telling Elle Magazine earlier this year that if she stepped down this year, President Obama could not appoint anyone she would like to see on the court.
“[The Senate Democrats] took off the filibuster for lower federal court appointments, but it remains for this court,” she said. “So anybody who thinks that if I step down, Obama could appoint someone like me, they’re misguided. As long as I can do the job full steam … I think I’ll recognize when the time comes that I can’t any longer. But now I can.”
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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