Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) took a swing at his party Friday, saying Republicans need to “man up” and give Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland a vote, The Hill reports.
“Just man up and cast a vote. The tough thing about these senatorial jobs is you get yes or no votes. Your whole job is to either say yes or no and explain why,” he told “The Big John Howell Show” on WLS-AM in Chicago.
The Illinois Republican, who faces a tough reelection bid, was quick to break with the party’s strategy to block President Obama’s Supreme Court pick from getting a hearing, a vote or, in most cases, a meeting.
He told The Hill last month he would accept a meeting with the president’s nominee and added this week that “I will assess Judge Merrick Garland based on his record and qualifications.”
