Three more Republican senators to meet with Supreme Court nominee
Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland will sit down with three more Republican senators this week, as Democrats continue to press his nomination.
White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters that Garland will meet with GOP Sens. James Lankford (Okla.), James Inhofe (Okla.), and Mike Rounds (S.D.), as well as Democratic Sens. Bill Nelson (Fla.), Gary Peters (Mich.) and Ron Wyden (Ore.).
{mosads}”He’s going to continue to have meetings with individual senators,” he added. “This is consistent with the way the process usually works.”
Democrats and outside groups remain adamant that momentum is on their side in the entrenched court fight. They point to a spate of polling that shows most Americans back moving forward with Garland’s nomination.
Referencing positive comments about Garland from GOP senators, Earnest said Republicans should be asked “why are they denying the American public the opportunity to hear directly from Chief Judge Garland?”
While Garland will have met with 14 Republican senators by the end of the week, most remain unswayed about moving forward with his nomination.
Most Republicans who are willing to meet with Garland say they are only doing so to reiterate the GOP position. Two Republicans —Sens. Mark Kirk (Ill.) and Susan Collins (Maine) — back giving him a hearing.
Lankford said last week that he would thank Garland for his past work in the wake of the Oklahoma City bombing, but was sticking with his party’s strategy.
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