President Obama nominated appellate Judge Merrick Garland on Wednesday to replace the late Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court, putting a face on his fierce fight with Senate Republicans over the seat.
The 63-year-old Garland — a former prosecutor who is widely viewed as a moderate — would replace the conservative iconoclast, potentially shifting the court to the left on key issues.
Senate Republicans have vowed not to consider any Obama nominee to the high court, arguing the seat should be left vacant for the next president to fill.
“He is the right man for the job,” Obama said at the White House announcement. “He deserves to be confirmed. It’s supposed to be above politics.”
Garland choked up as he began to speak, calling the nomination the greatest moment of his life, besides marrying his wife and the births of his daughters.
Shortly after Obama spoke, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) reiterated his firm opposition to considering anyone put forward by the current administration.
”The decision the Senate announced weeks ago remains about a principle, not a person,” McConnell said on the Senate floor. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) issued a statement backing the Senate leadership.
McConnell pointed to the “Biden Rule,” referencing a 1992 speech by Vice President Joe Biden when he was a senator suggesting the Senate delay considering Supreme Court nominees until after presidential elections.
Past Republican support for Garland and the upcoming campaign could play havoc on the GOP’s blockade effort.
A blue-state Republican senator, Illinois’ Mark Kirk, said that he was willing to consider Garland’s nomination. “I will assess Judge Merrick Garland based on his record and qualifications,” Kirk said, assailing the “partisanship and rancor that often consumes Washington.”
Other Republicans facing tight races appeared to hold firm, at least initially.
“Should Merrick Garland be nominated again by the next president, I would be happy to carefully consider his nomination,” said Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey.
New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte issued a statement saying the confirmation process should not move ahead until after the election — but she told Politico she would meet with Garland.
Garland has received Republican support in the past.
Just a week ago, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), who once chaired the committee that will consider Garland’s nomination, spoke highly of him.
“[Obama] could easily name Merrick Garland, who is a fine man,” he told the conservative news outlet Newsmax.
With Post Wire Services