President Barack Obama is reaching out to Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee as he deliberates on a replacement for retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter.

Obama spoke late Tuesday afternoon by phone with newly installed Judiciary ranking member Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) about “process— issues, according to White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.

Obama held separate meetings Wednesday at the White House with Judiciary Committee GOP members Tom Coburn (Okla.) and Chuck Grassley (Iowa) as part of his consultative effort.

The meeting with Grassley, who is the ranking member of the Finance Committee, also included Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.).

Baucus and Grassley are leading a Finance panel effort to craft legislation dealing with health care reform, Obama’s top priority for the year.