By Sarah N. Lynch
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The top Democrat on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday blamed partisan gridlock for stalling the confirmation of President Joe Biden’s Attorney General nominee Merrick Garland, and called on Republicans to set a Feb. 8 confirmation hearing.
In a letter to Republican Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham, the panel’s incoming Democratic Chairman Dick Durbin said it was “regrettable” the two sides were still unable to reach a deal on a timetable for proceeding with Garland’s confirmation.
“There is simply no justification to object to a Feb. 8 hearing,” Durbin wrote in his letter to Graham, saying the date will not conflict with former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, and will still afford the committee members “ample time” to review Garland’s record.
A spokesman for Graham did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Since Biden was sworn into office on Jan. 20, the U.S. Senate has confirmed several key members of his cabinet, including Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.
However, Garland’s nomination has yet to be scheduled, as Democrats and Republicans continue to hash out control of the U.S. Senate going forward.
Democrats control the 50-50 split chamber by virtue of Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris holding the tie-breaking vote in the Senate. But Democratic and Republican leaders were working out details on how committees will operate.
Durbin is expected to become the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Garland, 68, currently serves as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, one of 13 federal appeals courts.
Former President Barack Obama, a Democrat, nominated Garland to the Supreme Court in 2016 while Biden was vice president. The Republican-controlled U.S. Senate refused to hold hearings on the nomination, allowing Trump to fill the seat instead.
(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
