Reuters: Groups urge end to ‘blue slip’ tradition as judicial nominations slow
This excerpt is from a piece that originally ran on May 4, 2023.
Currently, senators must return so-called “blue slips” indicating their support for any district court nominee from their state for the nomination to advance to a committee vote. The 33 groups, including the American Constitution Society, Alliance for Justice and Demand Justice, said home state senators’ opposition should only block a nomination if a senator was not consulted by the White House on the candidate.
“Adopting this even-handed approach today would preserve home state senators’ role in the process while not allowing Republicans to delay or veto candidates in bad faith,” the letter released Wednesday reads. The groups noted that the same rule was used when Democratic U.S. President Joe Biden chaired the judiciary committee when he was a senator.