WASHINGTON (AP) — Judge Merrick Garland found himself back on Capitol Hill on Thursday in a familiar place — meeting with a Democratic senator who used the visit to complain about Republicans’ inaction on his Supreme Court nomination.
Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy is top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Leahy said he met with Garland to “see how he’s doing.” Nearly six months ago, President Barack Obama nominated him to fill the vacancy created by Justice Antonin Scalia’s February death, but Republicans have vowed inaction until the newly elected president chooses a nominee.
“He’s had to wait longer than any nominee ever has,” Leahy told reporters. “We’ve got plenty of time. If they want to do their job, we could easily have the hearing and the confirmation in September.”
Asked if he’d seen any signs that Republicans are wavering in their refusal to consider a nominee this year, Leahy said, “You’ll have to ask them.”
Vice President Joe Biden also planned to be on the Hill Thursday to help turn up the pressure on Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
It was Garland’s first visit to Capitol Hill since he held dozens of individual meetings with senators in the spring.
The court is currently divided 4-4 between liberal- and conservative-leaning justices. Garland’s confirmation would tip the court in the more liberal direction.
Both parties have appealed to voters by making the court’s leaning a campaign issue, stressing that either Democrat Hillary Clinton or Republican Donald Trump will decide that by whomever they nominate.
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Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.
