“I can’t imagine that a Republican majority Congress, in a lame-duck session after the American people have spoken”, would confirm a nominee, McConnell concluded, saying he was 100% unwilling to take a hearing on any nominee.
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It’s a pressing question for liberals who are concerned Republicans may delay Garland’s nomination through the election – to please their base – but then move to quickly confirm the judge before a new Democratic president takes office to avoid a more liberal nominee in 2017.
Much like the Democratic majority with an exiting President Ronald Reagan in 1988, the Republicans now face the prospect of approving a primarily moderate Supreme Court nominee or leaving it to the next administration.
Meanwhile, Reid defended his statement from 2005 in which he claimed that the Senate does not have a constitutional duty to give presidential nominees a vote, Politico reported, although Reid added on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the Senate has at the very least held hearings and votes on Republican Supreme Court nominees. “And I think that Garland is astronomically qualified and should be confirmed”.
But those same Republicans who said they’ll sit down with Garland have also indicated their meeting is not an indication they’re changing their mind about him. White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough said on “Fox News Sunday” that Garland will meet with Sen. Asked if Obama would continue to support Garland in a lame-duck session, McDonough said he would. Even if it seems that the next president could pick someone the Republicans would like even less, McConnell is adamant his fellow party members won’t budge on Merrick Garland. Senate Republicans have been adamant that the next president, whoever that may be, should decide this nomination.
“The president nominates. The Senate confirms”, McConnell told “Fox News Sunday”.
He said he was willing to accept the risk that if elected, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton could nominate someone further to the left.
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Asked if he’s ruling out the possibility of a lame duck confirmation entirely, McConnell said: “Yes”. Garlands record as a judge over almost two decades indicates he would side more often than not with the Supreme Courts liberal justices on a range of cases that split the court along ideological lines. They’re not going to do it. As I told Merrick Garland, ‘This is going to break. Senator McConnell said that Mitt Romney will become the Republican presidential nominee, and that Romney is an “oustanding” candidate. Orrin Hatch, who praised Garland before the nomination. But for John Kasich, it’s a testament that truly hasn’t been able to stand against frontrunner Donald Trump and Texas Senator Ted Cruz, both of whom are now leading Kasich in the race for the Republican nomination.
