In the last 100 years, only two chairman of the past 18 chairmen (Eastland and Leahy) have adopted policies requiring two positive blue slips as a prerequisite for committee consideration of judicial nominations
Previous Republican and Democratic chairmen, including Senators Edward Kennedy and Joe Biden, held hearings on nominees without both blue slips.
The blue slip is not enshrined in any Senate or committee rule. Rather, it is a courtesy that has been applied based on the chairman’s prerogative since it was created in 1917...nip...On the other hand, some have argued that the blue-slip courtesy has no place in modern judicial confirmations. The L.A. Times recently suggested getting rid of the blue slip, as did the New York Times several years ago.
Even our Committee’s Ranking Member, Senator Feinstein, once advocated abolishing the blue slip. I disagree that we should abolish the blue slip.
The blue slip serves the important purpose of encouraging consultation between the White House and the Senate. The White House has an obligation to engage in good-faith consultation with home-state senators. I won’t allow the White House to just steamroll home-state senators. But, as I’ve said all along, I won’t allow the blue slip process to be abused.
I won’t allow senators to prevent a Committee hearing for political or ideological reasons. Using the blue slip for these purposes is not consistent with historical practice.
https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-maintain-historical-blue-slip-courtesy
My take on the 9th District court confirmation yesterday & the 3 just out of Committee waiting for the Senate’s return is that Feinstein is not going to be afforded undue courtesy after her recent actions re Kavanaugh.
>>The blue slip serves the important purpose of encouraging consultation between the White House and the Senate. The White House has an obligation to engage in good-faith consultation with home-state senators.<<
This “blue chip” practice is absolute nonsense because, for the sake of unnecessary “consultation” the President’s Constitutional authority to nominate Federal judges can be nullified by an adversarial Senator. NOTHING should be permitted to override the clear intent of the Constitution.