Posted on 09/08/2017 11:46:36 AM PDT by jazusamo
Oregon Sens.Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden have announced plans to block President Trump’s nominee for the San Francisco-based 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
In a letter to the White House on Thursday, the two Democratic senators said they do not intend to return blue slips for Ryan Bounds “or any other nominee that has not been selected through our judicial process.”
“As you are aware, in May we wrote you to explain Oregon’s long bipartisan tradition of working together to identify the most qualified candidates for judicial vacancies,” they wrote.
“As senators charged with the task for advice and consent in the selection of candidates, we take our responsibility to identify and recommend candidates to fill Oregon judicial vacancies very seriously.”
Under the “blue-slip” process, the home state senators of a judicial nominee can object to the nomination by refusing to return the blue-colored paper of support to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Merkley and Wyden said Trump has demonstrated he’s only interested in their input if they willingly pre-approve his preferred nominees.
"The judicial selection process is not a rubber stamp and the insinuation that our offices were purposely delaying the process is an indication of the partisanship with which you are pursuing this nomination,” they said.
Bounds, who currently serves as the assistant United States attorney for the District of Oregon, was part of Trump’s seventh wave of judicial nominations on Thursday.
Earlier this week, Minnesota Sen. Al Franken reportedly said he will oppose David Stras, Trump’s nominee to serve on the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Senate Democrats eliminated the minority party’s power to filibuster judicial nominees for lower courts in 2013 and Republicans eliminated the process for Supreme Court picks last year, leaving the blue-slip tradition the only way for senators to veto controversial nominees.
We have leadership? (in Congress)
Are you sure?
“:^)
Exactly. Texas and Alabama judge stacking for example.
Does this totally block the nomination, or merely delay?
Nearly all these so-called “traditions” only work to the benefit of 1 party.
It’s a big reason so much of the judiciary can be used to thwart conservative initiatives.
Time to place them in the circular file.
It’s taking a toll on the nation, as Obamacare rolls on and Tax cuts are non-existent.
We could have had a lower tax outlay in April 2018.
Our own party in Congress roadblocked it.
Agreed!
Amen. What these two jerks really mean is they’ll hold their blue-slip on anyone that isn’t a far left lib.
You’re right on! :-)
According to the tradition it blocks it untill the blue-slip is submitted.
But, but ... "Congress should do its job"! ... "the President's delegated power"! ... "two centuries of Senate tradition"! ...
Oh, right. That was the summer of 2016. Totally different.
Why the heck is Mitch not doing away with these unconstitutional traditions?
Change the Senate Rulz, these two droolz.
Time to get rid of the blue slip play. It’s stupid and has been changed many times.
So do Wyden and Merkley have an actual objection to the nominee other than Trump not saying “pretty please” to them?
“Why is it that the Democrats can always find a way to do something, and the Republican can never find a way to do anything?”
So very true, and so very frustrating...
Sure is!
Exactly!
it used to be “tradition” if a senator from that state objected to the judge they would be set aside. That is how the left becomes more left. There is no “law”
It is delay, they will eventually pass.
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