Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell makes no secrets about his desire to block President Barack Obama’s agenda at almost every turn.
The latest flashpoint is the President’s U.S. Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland.
McConnell says the Senate won’t hold hearings for Garland. It’s a position McConnell tookalmost immediately after the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. The senior Senator from Kentucky believes Mr. Obama should let the next President fill the high court vacancy.
That position has been blasted by Democrats, who say McConnell is ignoring the president’s constitutional obligation to put forth a nominee, and the Senate’s obligation to provide advice and consent.
McConnell sat down with WKU Public Radio Monday to discuss the Supreme Court and the presidential contest.
One of McConnell’s GOP Senate colleagues, Mark Kirk of Illinois, has called on his party to “man up” and hold confirmation hearings for Garland. Kirk is scheduled to meet the nominee Tuesday.
“Sen. Kirk is a terrific Senator,” McConnell said. “He’s up for reelection this year, and I’m confident that he’s going to get reelected. The fundamental issue, I think—and most of my colleagues think—is who ought to make this appointment: this president, in the waning days of his presidency, or the one we’re in the process of picking.”
The Senate Majority Leader said the matter boils down to the principle of letting “the American people decide who makes this appointment.”
When asked if the public decided in 2012 when they overwhelmingly reelected President Barack Obama to the White House, McConnell dismissed the notion.
“In the last election, the American people overwhelmingly elected a Republican Senate. That was the last election, in 2014. We have shared responsibility under the Constitution. We don’t have to ask (President Obama) permission. He nominates, and we decide whether to confirm.”
During his interview with WKU Public Radio Monday, McConnell mentioned that the National Rifle Association and the National Federation of Independent Business both oppose Garland’s nomination. Critics have pointed to similar comments, made during an interview with Fox News, as proof that McConnell is allowing special interest groups to call the shots when it comes to the Supreme Court vacancy.
McConnell said the opposition by the NRA and NFIB is no different than the support the Garland nomination has received from liberal advocacy groups.
“Moveon.org is very much in favor of the nominee. Labor unions are in favor of the nominee. Americans are free to express their views.”
When it comes to his party’s two leading presidential candidates, Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz, McConnell maintained his position of not making any endorsement.
However, McConnell said he recently spoke to Trump over the phone about violent incidents at several rallies that were caught on video. In some cases,video showed protesters being pushed and punched by Trump supporters.
“I told him I thought he ought to discourage violence, no matter who starts the fight. There was a discussion about who threw the first punch and all of that. I told him I thought one of the things he should do is to discourage violence no matter who starts a particular episode of violence.”
When asked if he’s given any thought about what it might be like to serve as U.S. Senate Majority Leader under a President Hillary Clinton, McConnell paused a second and gave a succinct answer.
“No, I haven’t,” he said. “I’m hoping that doesn’t occur.”
You can hear our interview with Sen. McConnell by clicking on the Listen button at the top of this post.
