WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Sunday doubled down on his opposiꦗtion to Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court — despite some willingness from Republicans to meet with President Obama’s nominee.
Asked on “State of the Union” if he’s 100 percent against any lameduck confirmation hearing he replied: “Yes.”
“Barack Obama calling this judge a moderate doesn’t make him a moderate,” McConnell added on “Fox News Sunday.”
“I can’t imagine that Republican majority the United States Senate would want to confirm in a lame duck session 🎃a nominee opposed by the National Rifle Association, the National Federation of Independent Business that represents small businesses that have never taken a position on Supreme Court appointments before,” McConnell said. “They’re opposed to this guy.”
McConnell believes the replacement to Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia is the responsibility of the next president. But his hardline stance has seen some cracks with the nomination of Garland, a widely respected centrist appellate judg𓆏♈e.
Republican Sens.Susan Collins a🐭nd Charles Grassley have expressed oꦯpenness to meeting with Garland.
Other GOP senators, including Utah’s Orrin Hatch, are open starting confirmation hearings for Garland after the November election.
On Thursday Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) told Fox News if Republicans lose then “we ought to push him through quickly if we can” in case the next Democratic president puts forth a liberal judge.
Sen, Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) said Friday the Senate should “just man up and cast a vote.”
Minority Leader Ha꧑rry Reid told “Meet the Press” he’s optimistic for a “breakthrough” especially as several GOP senators are in tough reelection fights. “I don’t know why McConnell has done this to his🔜 senators,” Reid said. “He’s marching these men, women over a cliff, and I don’t think they’re going to go.”
The White House🌱 will continue to push for Garland’s confirmation even if Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders wins 🌠in November, said White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough.
“We will stand by him from now until he i💦s confirmed and he’s sitting on the Supreme Court,”🍌 McDonough told Fox News Sunday.
Meanwhile Ohio Gov. John Kasich had to walk back comments he’d ✱think about Garland for his court.
Kasich said in a statement Sunday the nice comments about Garland were just “polite” and “he’s not going to be my pick for the Supreme Court.”