SENATE TV - AP CLIENTS ONLY Washington - 17 March 2016 SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Mitch McConnell, Majority Leader: “When it comes to filling the current Supreme Court vacancy, which could fundamentally alter the direction of the courts for a generation, Republicans and Democrats just simply disagree. Republicans think the people deserve a voice in this critical decision, the President does not. So we disagree in this instance and as a result we logically act as a check and balance. There’s no reason one area of disagreement should stop us from other areas of agreement. We’ll continue our work in the Senate as the American people make their voices heard in this important national conversation.” // AP TELEVISION 4. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Harry Reid, Minority Leader: “Merrick Garland is a fine man in every way, his character is impeccable, his record of public service is unsurpassed and his time on the bench has been really very exemplary. All we’re asking is for the Republicans to do their jobs, now Mitch McConnell set out and he did it publicly, his number one goal was to make sure Obama was not re-elected, he failed at that miserably, just like he’s going to fail miserably here. We are going to have a Supreme Court justice, it’s the right thing to do and McConnell leading his troops, he’s leading them over the cliff, and they’re going to rue the day they fall in over the cliff.” // SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Chuck Schumer, (D) New York: “Judge Garland is a widely respected legal mind who puts the law above ideology, exactly the type of nominee that Republicans profess to love when it comes to the Supreme Court. You simply can’t lay a glove on him. So Republicans continue to stand in the way and refuse to do their job, it will only be because they want Donald Trump to pick the next nominee. Occasionally, Republicans may try to distance themselves from him with their words, but their failure to do their job and give Judge Garland the consideration he deserves, ties them to Trump in a way they cannot untangle. If the Republicans in the Senate want to continue to tie themselves to Donald Trump, so be it. Donald Trump won’t make America great again, but he will make Republicans the minority again.”