Democrats: Chuck Grassley ignoring Senate tradition to ram through Trump's judicial nominees

[corbe]

Democrats: Chuck Grassley ignoring Senate tradition to ram through Trump's judicial nominees

by Melissa Quinn | Jan 24, 2018, 1:29 PM

 Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday complained that committee chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, was ramming through President Trump's judicial nominees by ignoring the tradition of allowing senators from the home state of each nominee to weigh in on those nominees before starting committee work.

Under the blue-slip tradition, home-state senators have been able to delay or even kill nominees before they are taken up in committee. But last year, Grassley said he was ending that tradition, drawing complaints from Democrats.

On Wednesday, those complaints surfaced again when Grassley took up the nomination of Michael Brennan, a Milwaukee, Wis., lawyer who is nominated to the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Trump renominated Brennan this month after his nomination from last year expired without action, and Grassley called up the nomination even though Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., never turned in her blue slip.

<..snip..>

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/democrats-chuck-grassley-ignoring-senate-tradition-to-ram-through-trumps-judicial-nominees/article/2646939

[dfwgator]

"I won!"

[Free Vulcan]

Ramming speed Chuck. Don't look back.

[WingNot]

Ramming speed Chuck. Don't look back.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Dems are acting like this guy.  Both failed.

! No longer available

[Emjay]

Democrats: Chuck Grassley ignoring Senate tradition to ram through Trump's judicial nominees

by Melissa Quinn | Jan 24, 2018, 1:29 PM

 Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday complained that committee chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, was ramming through President Trump's judicial nominees by ignoring the tradition of allowing senators from the home state of each nominee to weigh in on those nominees before starting committee work.

Under the blue-slip tradition, home-state senators have been able to delay or even kill nominees before they are taken up in committee. But last year, Grassley said he was ending that tradition, drawing complaints from Democrats.

On Wednesday, those complaints surfaced again when Grassley took up the nomination of Michael Brennan, a Milwaukee, Wis., lawyer who is nominated to the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Trump renominated Brennan this month after his nomination from last year expired without action, and Grassley called up the nomination even though Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., never turned in her blue slip.

<..snip..>

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/democrats-chuck-grassley-ignoring-senate-tradition-to-ram-through-trumps-judicial-nominees/article/2646939

Did Tammy turn in her pink slip?

[truth_seeker]

In which article of the Constitution, is this "tradition" to be found?

[Frank Cannon]

In which article of the Constitution, is this "tradition" to be found?

Next to the Good and Plenty Clause.

These "Blue Slips" have only one tradition. That of being a constantly bastardized stumbling block to getting things done....

A report issued by the Congressional Research Service in 2003 defines six periods in the use of the blue slip by the Senate:

        "From 1917 through 1955: The blue-slip policy allowed home-state Senators to state their objections but committee action to move forward on a nomination. If a Senator objected to his/her home-state nominee, the committee would report the nominee adversely to the Senate, where the contesting Senator would have the option of stating his/her objections to the nominee before the Senate would vote on confirmation.
        "From 1956 through 1978: A single home-state Senator could stop all committee action on a judicial nominee by either returning a negative blue slip or failing to return a blue slip to the committee.
        "From 1979 to mid-1989: A home-state Senator’s failure to return a blue slip would not necessarily prevent committee action on a nominee.
        "From mid-1989 through June 5, 2001: In a public letter (1989) on the committee’s blue-slip policy, the chairman wrote that one negative blue slip would be “a significant factor to be weighed” but would “not preclude consideration” of a nominee “unless the Administration has not consulted with both home state Senators.” The committee would take no action, regardless of presidential consultation, if both home-state Senators returned negative blue slips.
        "From June 6, 2001, to 2003: The chairman’s blue-slip policy allowed movement on a judicial nominee only if both home-state Senators returned positive blue slips to the committee. If one home-state Senator returned a negative blue slip, no further action would be taken on the nominee.
        "2003: A return of a negative blue slip by one or both home-state Senators does not prevent the committee from moving forward with the nomination — provided that the Administration has engaged in pre-nomination consultation with both of the home-state Senators."[4]

In October 2017, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced that he believed blue slips should not prevent committee action on a nominee.[5] In November 2017, the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Chuck Grassley, announced that the committee would hold hearings for David Stras and Kyle Duncan. Stras' hearing was held up by Senator Al Franken's refusal to return the blue slip, while Duncan's hearing was held up by Senator John Neely Kennedy's indecision on his blue slip. Kennedy, however, consented to Duncan receiving a hearing.[6][7]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_slip

[jmyrlefuller]

Why am I not surprised in the least that Democrats are only concerned about "tradition" when they're losing?

[Hoodat]

Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday complained that committee chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, was ramming through President Trump's judicial nominees .  .  .

Democrats complaining that Grassley is doing exactly what Democrats do.

[RetBobbyMI]

I do not think for one minute that these whiners would do the same thing, given the chance.

[Fishrrman]

"Democrats: Chuck Grassley ignoring Senate tradition to ram through Trump's judicial nominees"

In Divided America, the old, traditional ways of governing have faded into the past. Take those old genteel rules and practices and toss 'em right into the wastebasket.

The way it's done now is the way it's gonna be done forevermore, regardless of who's holding the reigns of power in DC...

[To-Whose-Benefit?]

"Democrats: Chuck Grassley ignoring Senate tradition to ram through Trump's judicial nominees"

In Divided America, the old, traditional ways of governing have faded into the past. Take those old genteel rules and practices and toss 'em right into the wastebasket.

The way it's done now is the way it's gonna be done forevermore, regardless of who's holding the reigns of power in DC...

Democrats understood and actualized the concept of Total War, Kill Them All Let God Sort Them Out, Scorch and Salt the Earth, long ago.

Republican 'Ladies and Gentlemen' have yet to understand it as anything more than badminton.

[corbe]

   With all due respect @To-Whose-Benefit? This wasn't badminton, this was Manafort and Preibus, quid pro quo.

[edpc]

To Grassley's credit, he did call out the nominations of people like Mateer and Petersen.  It's not like they're all getting rubber stamped.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Why am I not surprised in the least that Democrats are only concerned about "tradition" when they're losing?

they never mentioned it in 2013
Reid, Democrats trigger ‘nuclear’ option; eliminate most filibusters on nominees
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/senate-poised-to-limit-filibusters-in-party-line-vote-that-would-alter-centuries-of-precedent/2013/11/21/d065cfe8-52b6-11e3-9fe0-fd2ca728e67c_story.html?utm_term=.e410f35aefd2

[RetBobbyMI]

Why am I not surprised in the least that Democrats are only concerned about "tradition" when they're losing?

The worse part is McConnell and his cronies keep pushing that same argument too.