Supreme Court nominee to submit questionnaire to lawmakers

Reuters

Published May 09, 2016 08:31PM ET

Supreme Court nominee to submit questionnaire to lawmakers

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama's nominee to the Supreme Court, Merrick Garland, will submit a filled-out questionnaire and other information to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday to spur a vote on his nomination, the White House said.

"The questionnaire and associated materials present an exhaustive picture of Judge Garland's distinguished career and impeccable credentials as a nominee to the Supreme Court," White House spokeswoman Brandi Hoffine said in an emailed statement on Monday.

Republican Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley has refused to hold hearings on Garland's nomination. Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has refused to act on Obama's pick, saying whoever wins the Nov. 8 presidential election should choose a nominee to replace conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, who died in February.

The White House declined to release Garland's questionnaire on Monday. It repeated its call for the Senate to hold a hearing on his nomination once lawmakers had reviewed the new information.