GOP Senate eyes major change in Judicial Confirmations [View all]

[Va Lefty]

"Senate Republicans are considering overhauling a long-standing tradition for processing judicial nominees to thwart potential Democratic obstruction of President Trump’s picks to fill the federal bench. Ironically, it’s a custom GOP lawmakers themselves took advantage of to block numerous judicial nominees under President Obama, creating the glut of vacancies on the bench they now seek to help Trump fill."

"The custom is known as the home-state “blue slip,” and it has allowed senators to block judicial nominees hailing from their own states. The “blue slip” refers to the physical blue slips the two senators representing the state from where a judge is being nominated must turn in for the nomination to advance to a committee hearing. In theory, the custom is supposed to encourage the White House to get input from the Senate in choosing federal judges. However, under Obama, GOP senators withheld blue slips to block nominees — even ones they previously backed — as a way of foiling his agenda and leaving the vacancies open for a future Republican president."

"Republicans fear that Senate Democrats will now give them a taste of their own medicine, amidst reports that Democrats like Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) and Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) were considering withholding blue slips from appeals court nominees from their respective states."

"We can’t allow Democratic senators to continue to obstruct this president’s agenda."... Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) said.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/republican-senators-blue-slip-changes-trump-judges

Nothing they do suprises me but it continues to infuriate me!!