7 GOP senators voted to confirm Merrick Garland in 1997


President Obama has had his work cut out for him in choosing a Supreme Court nominee that might satisfy Senate Republicans, who have vowed to deny any pick sent from the current president. However, that might be awkward for seven sitting GOP senators who voted to confirm Garland in 1997. Dan Coats (Ind.), Thad Cochran (Miss.), Susan Collins (Maine), Orrin Hatch (Utah), James M. Inhofe (Okla.), John McCain (Ariz.), and Pat Roberts (Kan.) have all thrown their weight behind Garland before.
Yet just because they once voted for Garland doesn't mean they will again:
Five still-serving Republicans also voted against Garland, including Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has helped lead the effort to block any Obama nominee.
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"This is an easy one. Both our leader and judiciary chairman voted against him when he was confirmed before and it's a clear recognition by the White House that we mean what we say: There will be no confirmation," a senior GOP aide told Politico. "If they thought we were going to cave, they would have put up a much different candidate."
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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