Judge Garland ‘Impressive,’ Says Hirono

U.S. Mazie Hirono met with Judge Merrick Garland on Wednesday and said that her Republican colleagues should “do their job” and hold a hearing on the high court nominee.

“Judge Garland’s character and record of judicial service are impressive, and Americans deserve to hear from him in a public Judiciary Committee hearing,” said Hirono, a Democrat from Hawaii. “In the Senate’s history of holding public confirmation hearings, the majority party has never before denied a Supreme Court nominee a hearing and vote.”

She added, “It’s been more than two months since the President did his job by nominating Judge Garland, and it’s far past time for my Republican colleagues to do their job by holding a hearing and vote on the nomination.”

Hirono’s Senate colleague Brian Schatz met with Garland last week and said similar things about the nomination.

Republican leaders say they want to wait until there is a new president to consider filling the vacancy left by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.