Posted on 07/04/2017 6:45:42 PM PDT by T Ruth
Senate Democrats are turning to procedural tactics to delay confirmation of President Trump’s appeals court picks, and conservative groups are firing back with a new ad in Michigan trying to force two Democrats to clear a path for one embattled nominee.
***
The senators are flexing the chamber’s “blue slip” tradition, which gives individual lawmakers an exceptional amount of say in judges from their home state. Under the tradition, if both home-state senators don’t return their blue slips, signaling acceptance, Senate leaders will hold off on action on that pick.
Neither Ms. Stabenow nor Mr. Peters have returned their blue slips. Spokesmen for both senators say they’re still studying the issues on the Larsen pick.
***
“This is someone the citizens of Michigan have overwhelmingly approved as their Supreme Court Justice,” said Carrie Severino, chief counsel at the JCN. “It’s absurd [Democrats] would attempt to block her confirmation.”
Conservatives for months have fretted over the possibility that Democrats, denied the power to block judges by partisan filibuster, would find other ways to derail Mr. Trump’s court picks.
Justice Larsen and Minnesota Supreme Court Justice David Stras, who Mr. Trump picked for the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, had been seen as early test cases because both nominees come from states with two Democratic senators.
Neither Sens. Amy Klobuchar nor Al Franken have returned their blue slips signaling acceptance of Justice Stras. Both senators are currently reviewing his record.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Considering the left these day we need to specify WHICH sort of pink slips we are talking about, as some may be desired.
Don’t blame democrats for using this rule.
Blame Turtle McConnell for allowing it to continue.
They can stall but they are not the majority! Goodie goodie!
If only the Republicans could win control of the US Senate.
The turtle needs to start acting like a leader and not sit in his shell waiting for the Democrats to calm down. He needs to go find his spine.
Go on full court press notifying every citizen in Michigan of their Senator’s abusive behavior. Hit them hard where it counts.
So change the stupid rule already.
yes, indeed. blame the people that aren’t causing the problem, and ignore the people that are causing that problem.
that’s always a good idea. and it always works, too.
End this blue chip crap. It’s nowhere to be found in the Constitution.
L
You beat me by 2:36.
L
McConnell got Gorsech confirmed. Good job.
exactly.
I agree completely! Just put them thru. McConnell is the “boss”. He rarely does anything that takes guts and then hides in plain view. He should say “Due to the current situation in our country, we will hold votes immediately”. Use the Nuclear option. Don’t quit on us. Trump needs the help and the public will remember who is going against him.
Harry Reid destroyed the 60 vote margin when it came to appointing federal judges. He went nuclear in the Senate. When and if they become the majority the Demonicrats will go nuclear on everything.
It is time for Mitch McConnell to stand up and say, “The democrat party destroyed the tradition of The Senate. They will do it again if they are in power. From this day forward the 60 vote margin for a Senate Filibusterer is null and void and dead.”
Time for another Senate tradition to end. Civility is no longer an option. We need scorched earth for the next 7+ years, then we can see if it looks safe to be polite to America's enemies.
Exactly!
“Senate Democrats need pink slips, not blue slips.”
They only way they can get pink slips is for an increasingly radicalized, psychotic, adolescent electorate to stop voting for them.
IMHO
The Republicans could hold 90 seats in the Senate, and they would still allow the remaining Democrats to get their way.
So it's not even a rule, it's a tradition? Geez McTurdle, Just ignore the "tradition"!
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