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 In television interviews, McConnell said Republican senators had
no intention of confirming Democrat Obama's nominee, Merrick
Garland, even if Democrats win the White House in November, putting
them in the position to nominate someone more liberal than Garland
when the new president takes office in January.
"I can't imagine that a Republican-majority Congress, in a lame-duck
session, after the American people have spoken (in the election),
would want to confirm (Garland)," McConnell told CNN.
"That’s not going to happen,” McConnell told Fox News on Sunday.
“The principle is the same, whether it’s before the election or
after the election. The principle is the American people are
choosing their next president and their next president should pick
this Supreme Court nominee.”
 Nominees to the lifetime Supreme Court post require Senate
confirmation. But McConnell says the Republican-run Senate will not
hold a hearing or a vote on Garland.
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.
Garland, 63, is widely viewed as a moderate, admired by both
Democrats and Republicans. Republican Senators Orrin Hatch and Jeff
Flake last week raised the possibility of Senate action on Garland
late this year if Democrats keep the White House in the Nov. 8
election. McConnell seemed keen to shut down that idea on Sunday,
saying the Republican majority would not want to confirm Garland
"even if it were soon to be in the minority."
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Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid told "Meet the Press" that he
thought the Republican facade against Garland would break, because
some Republican senators already have said they would be willing to
meet Garland, and one Republican - Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois -
has said there should be a vote.
"McConnell is leading his Senate over the cliff. And I am telling
everybody that's watching this, the senators aren't going to allow
that," Reid said.
The White House said it would stand by Obama's nominee.
"We will stand by him from now until he is confirmed and he’s
sitting on the Supreme Court," White House Chief of Staff Denis
McDonough said on Fox News on Sunday.
(Reporting by Susan Cornwell; Additional reporting by Andrea
Shalal-Esa and Andy Sullivan; Editing by David Clarke, Stephen
Powell and Jonathan Oatis)
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