Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) on Wednesday called for President Obama to nominate a Supreme Court justice that has a chance to be approved by the Senate — breaking with Senate GOP colleagues who are determined not to consider any Obama nominee.
Heller said in a statement that the president should “use this opportunity to put the will of the people ahead of advancing a liberal agenda on the nation’s highest court.
{mosads}“The chances of approving a new nominee are slim, but Nevadans should have a voice in the process,” he added.
“Should [Obama] decide to nominate someone to the Supreme Court, who knows, maybe it’ll be a Nevadan,” Heller said, in an apparent reference to Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval.
The comments comments are a steep departure from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who hours after Scalia’s death on Saturday called for Obama to not nominate a replacement, instead leaving the decision for whoever is elected president this November.