Senate GOP brushes off Dems’ Supreme Court ‘spin’
Senate Republicans suggested Tuesday that despite an onslaught of pressure, Democrats have failed to move the needle in an entrenched Supreme Court battle.
John Cornyn, the Senate’s No. 2 Republican, blasted any talk of Democrats being able to move his caucus on the issue as “pure spin.”
{mosads}”There hasn’t been any movement what so ever,” the Texan said. “No hearings. No vote, and that’s been our position from the beginning.”
Lawmakers are returning to Washington after a two-week break, during which Democrats used myriad tactics — from events to op-eds — to try to force Republicans to buck their party’s Supreme Court strategy.
Democrats argue that polling, as well as an uptick in meetings with nominee Merrick Garland, underscores that momentum is on their side and Republicans will eventually cave.
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), however, dismissed talks of “cracks” in his caucus, saying while there are a couple of senators with “contrary views,” 52 don’t support a hearing or a vote.
“This is no small issue, and I assure you the Senate will not act on a nominee by Barack Obama,” he told Hugh Hewitt Tuesday.
While approximately 17 Republican senators are open to a meeting, only three have sat down with Garland.
Another four — Sens. Rob Portman (Ohio), Kelly Ayotte (N.H.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Jeff Flake (Ariz.) — are expected to meet with him next week.
Most Republican lawmakers are using the meetings to double-down on their position that the Supreme Court seat should remain vacant until next year.
Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), who backs giving Garland a hearing and vote, has knocked his GOP colleagues who won’t meet with Garland as being “close-minded.”
Asked about Kirk’s comments Tuesday, Cornyn laughed before adding, “Each individual senator is going to make their own call … and I’m comfortable with that.”
Democrats will need support from more than a dozen GOP senators to get Garland’s nomination over procedural hurdles.
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who is up for reelection, said Tuesday he didn’t hear anything from his constituents over the recent break to make him rethink his opposition to taking up Garland’s nomination.
Asked if he had heard from the president, he joked, “I’m sure that it just slipped their mind.”
After inviting Garland to a breakfast meeting, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, took a swing at the current justices — particurarly Chief Justice John Roberts — for politicizing the court.
“[They] need to demonstrate that in politically sensitive cases, their decisions are based on the constitution and the law and not political preferences,” he said.
Democrats quickly pounced on the floor speech. Adam Jentleson, a spokesman for Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), said his rhetoric was “an epic display of buck-passing” and that Grassley was “unglued.”
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