The blue slip is a Senate tradition which enables a Senator to block a judicial appointment for their state. Obama and his predecessors honored it. Republicans just trashed it. McConnell will do anything to confirm extremist judges.
Senate voting now to confirm Eric Miller to the Ninth Circuit in the state of Washington — who’ll be the first judge ever confirmed (either circuit or district) with both blue slips missing (in other words, over the objections of both home-state senators)
— Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) February 26, 2019
Grassley started it. Lindsey Graham, dropping the last vestiges of his decency, completed it. All at McConnell’s direction. https://t.co/9ugDt1IRZL
— Norman Ornstein (@NormOrnstein) February 28, 2019
Could not agree more with @WeDemandJustice righteous analysis of blue slips. When only one party follows a norm, that norm is no longer a norm, and the party who fails to realize that is a sucker. https://t.co/XxAfzLyDO1
— Aaron Belkin (@AaronBelkin) January 12, 2022
Some of these vacancies are in states where GOP senators refused to return a "blue slip"-an arcane Senate procedure-& prevented highly qualified judicial & US Atty nominees from confirmation. Time for the WH to ignore this political obstruction & get these nominees a vote. https://t.co/SD92SBMxdp
— Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) November 13, 2022
Totally agree w/@JoyceWhiteVance, but the biggest issue is the Blue Slip tradition of the Judiciary Committee which allows a Senator to block a nominee from their state, thus the lack of US Attys in the South. It’s time to get rid of the damn Blue Slip for US Attys & US Marshalls https://t.co/5xUS8e8THf
— Doug Jones (@DougJones) November 20, 2022
Sad! 