WASHINGTON — Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, mentioned Wednesday he’s “offended” by President Donald Trump publicly pressuring him to ditch an obscure committee custom so Trump can affirm extra of his judges.
Briefly remarks initially of a listening to, Grassley responded to Trump posting on social media late Tuesday that Grassley ought to “IMMEDIATELY” do away with the committee’s so-called blue slip rule, a customized distinctive to the judiciary panel that stops any U.S. district courtroom nominee or U.S. lawyer nominee from getting a listening to until each of that nominee’s home-state senators flip in a literal blue slip of paper to the committee, signifying their assist for that nominee.
It’s not a tough rule, however Republican and Democratic chairmen of the committee have upheld the custom to various levels once they’ve been within the majority.
“Last night, I was surprised to see President Trump on Truth Social go after me and Senate Republicans over what we call the ‘blue slip,‘” Grassley mentioned Wednesday. “The people in real America don’t care about what the ‘blue slip’ is but, in fact, it impacts in their states the district judges who serve their communities.”
“I was offended by what the president said, and I’m disappointed that it would result in personal insults,” he mentioned.
It’s not clear why Trump is instantly peeved that Grassley is honoring the blue slip custom. In his loud and prolonged social media publish, he recommended he can’t choose folks he desires for courtroom seats or U.S. lawyer posts in California, New York, New Jersey, Illinois and Virginia.
“He should do this, IMMEDIATELY, and not let the Democrats laugh at him and the Republican Party for being weak and ineffective,” Trump mentioned of Grassley. “The Democrats have broken this ridiculous custom on us, it’s time that we break it on them. Chuck, I know you have the Courage to do this, DO IT!”
A White Home spokesperson didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
Republicans completely abused blue slips when Joe Biden was president, and earlier than that, when Barack Obama was president. Throughout Trump’s first administration, Democrats returned greater than 130 blue slips and helped affirm 84 district judges in states with a minimum of one Democratic senator. In contrast, greater than two years into Biden’s presidency, Republicans had returned simply 13 blue slips.
The thought behind the committee’s custom is that senators ought to have a say in who presidents choose for lifetime federal judgeships primarily based of their states. However blue slips have been an impediment for presidents in each events, because it’s prevented them from advancing sure district courtroom picks who don’t have assist from the senators in these states.
Extremely, for all the instances that Republicans have caved to Trump’s calls for, senators’ dedication to maintaining their judiciary panel’s blue slip rule seems to be nonnegotiable.
“I don’t sense any rush to change it,” Senate Majority Chief John Thune (R-S.D.) informed reporters. He defended the customized and recommended Republicans are extra eager about “looking at options” for rushing up votes on nominees on the Senate flooring.
Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, informed reporters that he’d ask Trump to “back off” his calls on Grassley to ditch blue slips.
One other member of the judiciary panel, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), scoffed at Trump for desirous to scrap the blue slip custom for U.S. lawyer nominees.
“Whoever advised him on that policy has no brain on this subject,” Tillis informed reporters.
Progressive teams routinely raged at Sen. Dick Durbin (D-In poor health.) for not ditching blue slips when he chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee and when Biden was president. Durbin maintained that he was all the time on the lookout for “common ground” with Republicans to get nominees by means of.
On Wednesday, he informed Grassley he appreciated his protection of the blue slip rule in response to Trump attacking him over it.
“Maybe it’s inside baseball and too much minutiae, but it really relates to the relationship between the minority and the majority on this committee and the basic rights that we have given for district court judges to the senators that we serve with,” Durbin informed Grassley throughout the committee listening to. “I thank you for saying what you did this morning.”
“When they’ve asked me about this outside this room, I’ve said that you’ve given your word, as I have as well,” he mentioned. “I hope it continues to be the case.”
“Yes,” Grassley replied.
