Obama’s Choice of Garland for Court Tests Republican Obstruction
- Merrick Garland, 63, is chief judge of D.C. Court of Appeals
- McConnell repeats vow that Senate won't consider Obama nominee
Will GOP Bend on Obama's Supreme Court Nomination?
This article is for subscribers only.
Barack Obama challenged Senate Republicans’ obstruction of a Supreme Court appointment by offering a nominee they would probably welcome from a Democratic president in a less volatile political environment.
Merrick Garland, the 63-year-old federal appeals court judge that Obama chose, is the most moderate and oldest of the finalists the president considered. His nomination highlights White House charges of Republican intransigence and partisan gridlock. The Senate president pro tempore, Republican Orrin Hatch of Utah, once recommended Garland for the court.