A White House spokesman said Senate Republicans refuse to hold hearings on Judge Merrick Garland’s nomination to the Supreme Court because he would prove to the world his worthiness for the position.
“They know somebody that has Chief Judge Garland’s intellect and experience is going to preform quite well in the setting of a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing,” press secretary Josh Earnest said on Friday. Republicans don’t want him under oath, on camera “because if that happens, we will have tangible evidence for the world to see that he would be a great Supreme Court justice; and that is why Republicans are resisting hearings.”
Garland, who leads the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, deserves hearings and Senate confirmation vote immediately, Earnest said.
He repeatedly said the Senate should not wait until an expected lame-duck session after the presidential election.
“It’s not as if the Senate is doing a bunch of important business right now,” Earnest mocked GOP Senate leaders. “So they can’t really complain that they got some … crowded agenda they have to get through.”
Earnest also dismissed the notion that Obama would withdraw Garland’s name if a Democrat wins in November.
“The president is proud to have nominated him and the president will stand by him and urge the United States Senate to confirm him promptly,” Earnest said. “There is no good reason that anybody can articulate that the Senate should delay consideration of his nomination until the lame duck,” Earnest said. “That would be irresponsible.”
