West Virginia’s U.S. Senators are split on how they feel about President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland. The 63-year-old Garland was announced Wednesday as President Obama’s choice for the Supreme Court seat left vacant by the late Justice Antonin Scalia.
Democrat Joe Manchin and Republican Shelley Moore Capito released statements Wednesday sharing their opinion of President Obama’s nomination.
Senator Manchin said he looks forward to meeting Garland and vetting his qualifications. Manchin also said it will be important for the Senate to give fair consideration and vote their conscience.
However, Senator Capito said she encourages consideration of a new Supreme Court nominee in 2017 by a new president. In her statement Wednesday, Capito did not mention Garland by name.
If the Senate declines to confirm or even consider Garland, the seat could end up remaining open longer than any court seat in modern history.
In an Orion Poll released Wednesday, almost 52 percent of people felt the current president should nominate the next Supreme Court Justice, while almost 45 percent said it should be the next elected president.