Republican Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas showed some uneasiness with GOP leadership’s decision to blockade President Obama’s Supreme Court nomination, telling the National Law Journal that the “decision has already been made” to not give the nominee a hearing or even a meeting.
“If the president nominates somebody, I’ll consider them by my constitutional responsibilities, but it’s my understanding there will be no hearings, there will be no meetings,” he said Monday. “So I think the likelihood of [hearings] happening is nil.”
The pressure on Moran over Senate Republicans’ refusal to consider a successor to the late Justice Antinon Scalia could increase in the coming days if Obama names as his nominee appeals court Judge Sri Srinivasan, who was born in India but grew up in Kansas. Srinivasan serves on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals and has a moderate record. He is reportedly on Obama’s shortlist.
Moran’s fellow senator from Kansas took a harder line on considering Srinivasan if he is nominated.
“My stand on this doesn’t rise on the merits of the individual. It’s the procedure. And you’ve got to let the people decide,” Sen. Pat Roberts told National Law Journal last week.
