Free Republic

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley doesn't intend to make changes to Senate procedures that could make it easier for President Donald Trump's judicial nominees to be confirmed more quickly, despite calls from powerful voices inside and outside the Capitol to do so. The veteran Iowa Republican is under pressure to ditch the chamber's "blue slip" tradition that permits members of the minority party to have significant input into which judicial nominees are confirmed. "The Chairman of the Judiciary Committee will determine how to apply the blue slip courtesy for federal judicial nominees, as has always been the practice," said...

There was much in the news yesterday about Mitch McConnell ditching the blue-slip procedure in the Senate. But it's all smoke and mirrors McConnell is trying to fool conservatives and halt the donor backlash. Regarding blue-slips, McConnell will defer to Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, who will keep the blue-slip procedure (see story link below) so Mitch can say "wasn't me!" However, McConnell will not get rid of the 30-hour cloture debate rule, which is the REAL cause of delay within the Senate. From the Weekly Standard article (link below): The so-called “30 hours rule”—which provides for 30 hours of debate...

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley's office said Wednesday he is reviewing the chamber's "blue slip" tradition, after Majority Leader Mitch McConnell pledged to eliminate the tool used to block judicial nominees. "The chairman of the Judiciary Committee will determine how to apply the blue slip courtesy for federal judicial nominees, as has always been the practice," said Taylor Foy, Grassley spokesman, in an email to the Washington Examiner. "Over the years, chairmen have applied the courtesy differently, but the spirit of consultation has always remained." Under the Senate's blue slip procedure, a state's senators are consulted by the White...

The GOP leader may not personally be a fan of blue slips, but he’s not getting rid of them, says his spokesman. WASHINGTON ― Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) will continue to honor the blue slip rule ― an arcane but hugely consequential Senate tradition that lets lawmakers block a president’s judicial nominees from their home states ― even though a news article suggested he would get rid of it, his spokesman said. The Weekly Standard reported Wednesday that McConnell said in an interview that Democrats would no longer be allowed to use the rule to deny some of...