SENATE REPUBLICANS BEGIN DANCE WITH GARLAND
Grassley signals willingness to consider sending nominee standard questionnaire
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Judge Merrick Garland is President Obama’s nominee for the Supreme Court (Photo: Twitter)
WASHINGTON – Signaling a potential crack in the Senate GOP roadblock against considering Barack Obama’s nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court, Senator Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley has indicated he would accept submission from the White House of the standard questionnaire for nominees.
On Friday, Grassley’s spokesperson, Beth Levine, told BuzzFeed News that the Republicans “assume the administration will fill out the standard questionnaire submitted for judicial nominations.” Levine reiterated, reported Buzzfeed, Republican leadership’s position that “a majority of the Senate has made clear that the American people should have an opportunity to weigh in on this vacancy.”
It was welcomed as a breakthrough by the White House.
“It appears that Chairman Grassley is prepared to accept a questionnaire from Judge Garland,” White House spokesperson Brandi Hoffine told BuzzFeed News Saturday. “We are heartened by this development and look forward to the Committee making this request directly to the nominee as well as to the White House, as is standard practice.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said, unequivocally, that no nominee of Obama’s to replace Justice Antonin Scalia will receive a vote. And both McConnell and Grassley have said there will not be hearings for Garland’s nomination.
Yet on Tuesday, Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois is scheduled to be the first Republican senator to meet with Garland, the senator’s office announced Friday. A day earlier, Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran said that, while he doesn’t support Garland, he believes Obama’s nominee deserves a hearing. And, for her part, Maine Sen. Susan Collins has said she will meet with Garland — and has been pushing colleagues to do so and hold hearings as well.
Copyright 2016 WND
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