Democrats have been trying to force Grassley and other key Republicans into scheduling hearings for Garland, who was nominated last month by President Barack Obama to succeed Associate Justice Antonin Scalia, who died in February. Another Republican senator, Susan Collins of ME, met Garland this week and said she was “more convinced than ever” that he should at least receive a hearing.
Advertisement
During his talk to audience of about 250 law students and faculty, he made the case for Senate Republicans to hold a hearing for Judge Merrick Garland, his pick to replace Justice Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court. “I also recognize my duty as a senator to either vote in support or opposition to that nominee following a fair and thorough hearing along with a complete and transparent release of all requested information”. They “have decided that placating [their] base is more important”, he said “than upholding their constitutional and institutional roles in our democracy”.
It’s an unprecedented position that shows deep disrespect for Obama’s authority, for his eminently qualified nominee Merrick Garland, and for the Constitution.
We now have a situation where they’re saying, ‘We simply will not consider the nomination itself, ‘ ” Obama said.
President Barack Obama speaks during a press conference at the Nuclear Security Summit at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on Apri1 1, 2016 in Washington, DC. “The Democrats [will] say, well, you know, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander, we’re blocking-we’ll wait four more years to see how the next president comes in”.
The president said his decade teaching classes and seminars at the law school was “really fun”.
The South Carolina senator would become the latest Republican to either meet with or agree to meet with Garland, though Graham is opposed to moving forward with any confirmation proceedings.
The president said Garland – who was born in Chicago, grew up in Lincolnwood and attended Niles West High School in Skokie – is an ideal candidate for the nomination because he is respected by both parties and is extremely qualified.
According to the White House, Garland will meet next week with additional Republican senators, including Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, Rob Portman of Ohio, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Jeff Flake of Arizona, and Chuck Grassley of Iowa, who chairs the Judiciary Committee.
When he was nominated in March, Garland was eloquent and emotional as he stood in the Rose Garden with Obama and recounted his path toward becoming a Supreme Court nominee. Republican Senator Orrin Hatch, the former Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, called Judge Garland a “consensus nominee” for the Supreme Court, and asserted that Judge Garland “would be very well supported by all sides”.
“It’s a little odd how we can have from the Republicans advice and consent when the vast majority of the Republicans won’t even meet with the man”, Reid said on the Senate floor on Thursday.
“So yes, there is continued progress that we are seeing”, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said on Thursday.
Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) maintained Tuesday that, “it’s safe to say there will not be hearings, or votes”.
Advertisement
“The thing that Democrats have to guard against is something the Republicans are going much further along on, and that is this sense that we are just going to get our way, and if we don’t we’re going to cannibalize our own”, he said.
