President Donald Trump is calling on Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, to break a 100-year-old tradition to get judicial nominees confirmed faster, specifically nominees who would serve blue states. However, Senate Republicans are backing Grassley and say the president has this wrong.
“Whoever advised him on that policy has no brain on this subject,” Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said.
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What’s a blue slip?
The president wants the Senate Judiciary Committee to end its use of what are called “blue slips,” which allow senators to object to nominees who are appointed to serve in their states. This gives lawmakers an opportunity to ensure nominees generally align with their state’s values and politics.
If just one home-state senator disapproves of a nominee, that’s enough to block — or “blue slip” — the nomination.
How do blue slips work?
For example, if someone is nominated to serve as a district court judge in New Jersey, the committee asks Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Andy Kim, D-N.J., to each send in a blue slip stating whether they support the nominee. They must both give their stamp of approval for the nomination to move forward.
The process isn’t written into the official rules, so the chairman decides whether to honor them. Now, Trump is calling on Chairman Grassley to ignore blue slips for nominees in states represented by Democrats, including New York, New Jersey, Illinois and Virginia.
Trump is pressuring Chairman Grassley
“Senator Grassley must step up…and let our Great Republican Judges and U.S. Attorneys BE CONFIRMED,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “He should do this, IMMEDIATELY, and not let the Democrats laugh at him and the Republican Party for being weak and ineffective.”
Grassley told Politico that he was “offended” and surprised by the personal insult.
Republican members of the Judiciary Committee are supporting their chairman. Even Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who is trying to get Trump’s endorsement in a tough primary race, is publicly backing Grassley.
“It’s his call,” Cornyn said.
Why senators support blue slips
Senators say blue slips are important because they force the president to choose someone whose values match the state in which they serve. Otherwise, Republicans could nominate strict conservatives for positions in blue states and Democrats could return the favor.
“Senators are much better able to be able to pick a lawyer from their community that satisfies what I call community standards,” Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., told reporters.
“If you send forth a [nominee] in a state where you’re really not even conferring with the two Democrat members, then you’re just setting that up for the political physics I talk about, of payback. And why would we do that?” Tillis said.
Trump has been sharing posts on his Truth Social account from members of the public who want Grassley to end the blue slip policy. Some call him a RINO, or Republican in name only. Others comment on his age — he’s 91. Kennedy said that type of pressure will not work on the chairman.
“When the apocalypse comes and hell freezes over, there’re gonna be two things left: Chuck Grassley and cockroaches,” Kennedy said. “The guy’s as tough as a boot.”
