Dems push for increased scrutiny of Trump's court picks
Last edited Mon Dec 24, 2018, 12:54 AM - Edit history (1)
A staunch ally of President Trump will soon wield the gavel on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Democrats are worried they will have little power to act as the first line of defense when the panel considers judicial nominees.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), the committee's most senior Republican member, is expected to take over as chairman after lawmakers convene for the 116th Congress in early January. He will succeed Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who has made judicial confirmations the panel's main focus during his tenure, drawing criticism from opponents for how quickly he moved nominees to the floor.
Democrats on the committee such as Sens. Mazie Hirono (Hawaii) and Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I.) want to see changes under Graham's leadership, chief among them the restoration of what's known as the blue-slip rule.
The slips are actual blue pieces of paper that senators are asked to submit if they're OK with a judicial nominee from their state who is under consideration by the Judiciary Committee. Declining to submit a blue slip has traditionally been a way for senators to object to a nominee.
Grassley, however, viewed blue slips as a courtesy, not a hard-and-fast rule, and refused to allow them to be used as a Democratic tool to block Trump's circuit court nominees.
While he was less likely to hold a hearing if blue slips were missing for district court nominees, Grassley forged ahead with confirmations of appeals court judges for whom blue slips were not returned.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/dems-push-for-increased-scrutiny-of-trumps-court-picks/ar-BBRmGnc?li=BBnb7Kz
= new reply since forum marked as read
