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McConnell: Trump Will Fill Scalia’s Supreme Court Seat

Renewed vow casts doubt on post-election confirmation for Garland

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell doubled down Tuesday on his pledge to block President Barack Obama's Supreme Court nominee from a confirmation hearing and vote this year. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell doubled down Tuesday on his pledge to block President Barack Obama's Supreme Court nominee from a confirmation hearing and vote this year. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday dug in further on his vow to block President Barack Obama ’s Supreme Court nominee, casting doubt on speculation that Judge Merrick Garland could be confirmed after Election Day.  

The Kentucky Republican wasted virtually no time after Justice Antonin Scalia  died on Feb. 13 in making his plans known, with most of his Senate GOP caucus quickly backing him.  

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“On that sad day when we lost Justice Scalia, I made another pledge that Obama would not fill his seat,” McConnell said Tuesday night at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland.  

In a speech that featured a single brief section devoted to GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, McConnell explained why he endorsed the New York real estate mogul after months of hesitating.  

When it comes to picking a Scalia successor, McConnell said, “that honor will go to Donald Trump next year.”  

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Senior Obama aides have criticized McConnell’s stance, saying the president fulfilled his constitutional duty by sending the Senate a nominee. The White House has pointed to the anti-Garland pledge as an example of GOP leaders’ inability to govern since winning control of both chambers in 2014.


Contact Bennett at 


johnbennett@cqrollcall.com


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@BennettJohnT

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