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 Garland began the customary meetings with senators that kick off
the confirmation process. He visited the offices of Democrats Harry
Reid and Patrick Leahy a day after Obama nominated the appeals court
judge and former prosecutor to replace conservative Justice Antonin
Scalia, who died on Feb. 13.
Republicans are concerned that if Hillary Clinton, Obama's former
secretary of state and the Democratic front-runner, wins the
presidential election, she could send the Senate a far more liberal
nominee after taking office.
Garland, 63, is widely viewed as a moderate acceptable to many
Republicans, who also worry they could lose control of the Senate to
the Democrats in the November vote.
Nominations to the lifetime Supreme Court post require Senate
confirmation.
Republicans have said they want the next president to make the
selection, hoping their party wins November's election. Billionaire
businessman Donald Trump is the front-runner for the Republican
presidential nomination.
 Utah's Orrin Hatch and Arizona's Jeff Flake, Republican members of
the Judiciary Committee that would hold any confirmation hearings,
said it was possible the Senate could act on Garland's nomination in
a "lame-duck" session after the election and before a new president
and Congress take office in January.
"I would choose a less liberal nominee. And this nominee is a less
liberal nominee than we would get, I'm quite certain, with Hillary
Clinton," Flake told reporters.
Senate Republican leaders have vowed not to hold confirmation
hearings or an up-or-down vote on any Supreme Court nominee put
forward by Obama. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky
reiterated that stance on Thursday.
Denis McDonough, Obama's chief of staff, said the White House will
watch developments over the next several weeks and months but
expected Republicans eventually would hold a vote on Garland's
nomination.
Any Democratic appointee to the high court, now with four liberals
and four conservatives following Scalia's death, could tip it to the
left for the first time in decades. That could shape rulings on such
issues as abortion, gun rights, religious rights, affirmative
action, union powers and political spending.
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Flake said while Republican leaders were "fully justified" in
delaying action on confirmation, if the Republicans lose the White
House race the Senate "ought to look at this nomination in a
lame-duck session in November."
Hatch in 1997 backed Garland's nomination to his current judgeship.
"To this day, I think well of Merrick Garland, and I think he's a
fine person," Hatch told National Public Radio. "I remain convinced
that the best way for the Senate to do its job is to conduct the
confirmation process after this toxic presidential election season
is over."
While McConnell is refusing even to meet with Garland, Republican
Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa indicated he was
willing. "If I can meet with a dictator in Uganda, I can surely meet
with a decent person in America," Grassley said, according to CNN.
Garland met with Nevada's Reid, the Senate Democratic leader, and
Vermont's Leahy, top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee. Garland
did not address reporters, but Leahy expressed hope that Republican
leaders would change course.
If they followed a normal routine, senators could hold confirmation
hearings and a vote by the Memorial Day holiday in late May, Leahy
said.
Reid pledged to keep up the pressure on Republicans to confirm
Garland.
"Do it now. Why wait?" Reid said when asked about a lame-duck
confirmation scenario. "To hold up a nomination so that Donald Trump
can give a nomination? That should scare everybody."
(Reporting by Megan Cassella and David Morgan; Additional reporting
by Susan Heavey and Susan Cornwell; Editing by Will Dunham and
Howard Goller)
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