IMPORTANT: Senator Leahy's comments regarding BLUE SLIPS [View all]

[Tx4obama]

Leahy: “As long as the blue-slip process is not being abused by home-state senators, then I will see no reason to change that tradition.”

Rules Change Could Have Far-Reaching Impact on Judiciary

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Wheeler noted that Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee could more regularly slow-walk Obama’s nominees — just as they did on Thursday morning, when no GOP panel members appeared for an executive business meeting at which 10 of the president’s court choices were set to be considered.

On the Senate floor, Republicans could insist on using as much post-cloture debate time as possible on judicial nominees. Or, before a judicial nominee is moved through the committee process, Republicans could decline to return so-called “blue slips” that indicate they are supportive of a nominee. The blue-slip process has traditionally been used as a way to ensure that judges have the backing of both of their home-state senators.

“What the Republicans may do is, in the states where there’s at least one Republican senator, is to refuse to return the blue slip,” Wheeler said. “There may never be a nomination” that moves through the committee process.

Judiciary Chairman Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vt., “has no plans” at this time to change the process of seeking input from home-state senators, a Democratic committee aide said Thursday.

“I assume no one will abuse the blue-slip process like some have abused the use of the filibuster to block judicial nominees on the floor of the Senate,” Leahy said in a statement. “As long as the blue-slip process is not being abused by home-state senators, then I will see no reason to change that tradition.”

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