Grassley, Dems step up battle over judicial nominees
By Lydia Wheeler - 02/19/18 05:01 PM EST The battle between Senate Democrats and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) over the “blue-slip rule†escalated this week, after another one of President Trump’s judicial nominees advanced without the approval of both of their home-state senators
The blue-slip rule — which Democrats describe as a long-running Senate tradition Grassley has taken to ignore — has become a flashpoint for members on the Judiciary Committee. The committee has been tasked with considering the slew of nominees from the Trump administration, many of which have been controversial.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the committee’s top Democrat, said that Grassley’s decision to hold nomination hearings and approve two nominees who lacked a blue slip from a home-state senator marked a landmark change in committee tradition.
Home-state senators have historically been able to block nominees by refusing to return a blue paper of approval to the committee. It’s a courtesy, rather than a formal Senate rule, and whether it’s followed is entirely up to whoever helms the Judiciary Committee — in this case, Grassley.
<..snip..>
http://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/374317-grassley-dems-step-up-battle-over-judicial-nominee-tradition
