Republicans are pushing through President Trump’s judicial nominees in what is being considered by Democrats as a major controversy.
The Senate has discarded the blue-slip policy, and Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA) is furious about it.
However, when Democrats controlled the Senate, Feinstein was among the loudest voices to try to abolish the Senate tradition of blue-slip approvals.
The Blue Slip
Senator Feinstein is livid that a conservative judge was put on the 9th Circuit without having received a single blue slip for the state’s current senators.
The blue slip, for those of you unfamiliar with the practice, is a form of approval by a Senator for the approval of a nominee to the court in their home state.
This was a way for the Judiciary Committee to either pass over a candidate or open the floor for debate.
In past administrations, if both sitting Senators did not submit a blue slip, the nominee was not even discussed.
In other administrations, only one blue-slip approval was needed.
Point being, this is not an actual procedure but rather a tradition that has come with differing guidelines throughout history.
Since Trump appointed a conservative and both California Senators Harris and Feinstein are Democrats, any nominee Trump would have put forward would not have received a blue ship.
This “tradition” is why we have so many judicial openings today.
Feinstein Circa 2001
While Feinstein today whines about the tradition not being followed, she made a completely different pitch in 2001.
Then, Feinstein stated the blue slip “should hold no place” in the Senate.
Feinstein went on to make a very valid argument on why the blue slip should be abolished.
Her main point was that a single opposing party Senator could derail a nomination for political reasons rather than qualifying reasons.
She stated that every nominee deserved to be discussed, regardless of ideology, based on the merits of their career achievements and actual qualifications.
Feinstein stated, “The U.S. Senate is not a private institution.
“We are a public democracy.
“I have come to believe the blue slip should hold no place in this body.
“At the very least, the use of a blue slip to stop a nominee, to prevent a hearing and therefore prevent a confirmation, should be made public.”
That is a far cry from what Feinstein recently stated after the “tradition” has been abandoned by Republicans
She stated, “I think this breakdown in Senate traditions is really harmful.”
It is only harmful because Feinstein and Democrats are not getting what they want.
Specifically, they are upset that Trump is trying to level things out on liberal-oriented courts, such as the 9th Circuit in California.
You can read the full report on the Washington Examiner.
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