Fed-Up Trump Rips GOP Senate Leaders For Continuing ‘Blue Slip’ Tradition Blocking His Nominees

Trump didn’t mince words about Sen

The process involving blue slips starts in the Senate Judiciary Committee after the president nominates a candidate for a U.S. circuit or district court position. The committee chairman distributes blue slips of paper to the two senators from the state where the vacancy exists, requesting their evaluation of the nominee. If the senators give their approval, they send back the blue slip to the chairman, allowing the nominee to move forward. If the senators oppose the nominee, they either return the blue slip rejecting the nominee or do not return it at all.

Thus far, Grassley has upheld this tradition, although one of his predecessors, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), altered the procedure when he was chairman of the Judiciary Committee during Trump’s initial term. Under Graham’s leadership, a nominee no longer required consent from both senators of the home state for their nomination to proceed.