Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 11 May 2018

Republicans override Dem objections to confirm federal judge

By KEVIN FREKING time it has happened this used negative or unre-
Associated Press year. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, turned blue slips as unilater-
WASHINGTON (AP) — The D-Wis., declined to return al vetoes. The most recent
political battle over Presi- her blue slip. exception was Democratic
dent Donald Trump’s judi- The move to go ahead Sen. Patrick Leahy of Ver-
cial nominees escalated on with a hearing for Brennan mont, who was chairman
Thursday when the Senate and a vote on the floor during the first six years of
took the rare step of con- had Democrats complain- Obama’s presidency.
firming the nomination of a ing that Republicans were “That was his prerogative,”
Wisconsin attorney to serve eroding one of the few Grassley said.
as a federal judge despite remaining customs in the Still, Democrats counter
the objections of one of his Senate that forced consul- that the blue slip has been
home-state senators. tation on judicial nomina- in use for more than a cen-
The Senate voted along tions. tury, and until this year, only
party lines to confirm Mil- They also noted that Re- a handful of judges had
waukee attorney Michael Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of N.Y., points to a publicans used the blue slip won confirmation without
Brennan to fill an opening question during a media availability after a policy luncheon on to block one of President two blue slips.
on the 7th U.S. Circuit Court Capitol Hill, Tuesday, May 8, 2018 in Washington. Barack Obama’s nominees Grassley said that under his
of Appeals. The tally was Associated Press for the very same judge- tenure, the blue slip will be
49-46. The seat has been ting a blue-colored form tion and almost always ship. used to ensure the presi-
open for more than eight called the “blue slip.” A stalls the nomination. “I’d admonish my friends dent consults with home-
years, the longest for the positive blue slip signals the Until this year, it had been on the other side of the state senators, but not as
nation’s appellate courts. Senate to move forward nearly three decades since aisle, this is a very danger- a veto for appellate court
The Senate gives lawmak- with the nomination pro- the Senate confirmed a ous road you’re treading,” nominees. He said he was
ers a chance to weigh in cess. A negative blue slip, judge without two positive said Senate Minority Lead- satisfied in Brennan’s case
on a judicial nominee from or withholding it altogether, blue slips. Brennan’s confir- er Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. that the White House con-
their home state by submit- signals a senator’s objec- mation marked the second “As everyone knows, the sulted with both of Wiscon-
winds of political change sin’s senators before the
blow swiftly in America. The president nominated him.
minority one day is the ma- Republicans have made
jority the next.” it a priority to confirm the
The warning was reminis- president’s nominees, par-
cent of the one that Re- ticularly those who will
publican Sen. Mitch McCo- serve on federal appeals
nnell issued when Demo- courts. It’s a top issue with
crats changed the rules to social conservatives lead-
lower the threshold neces- ing into this year’s midterm
sary to end a filibuster for elections. With Democrats
district and circuit court slow-walking many of
judges. Under the change, Trump’s nominees, McCon-
the Senate can cut off de- nell said last October that
bate with a simple majority the blue slip process should
rather than 60 votes. not be used to “blackball”
At the time, the Kentucky nominees.
Republican said, “You’ll re- For Democrats, it was par-
gret this, and you may re- ticularly galling that Sen.
gret this a lot sooner than Ron Johnson, R-Wis., used
you think.” his blue slip to object to
Sen. Chuck Grassley of Obama nominee Victoria
Iowa, the Republican Nourse to serve on the 7th
chairman of the Senate Circuit. She eventually with-
Judiciary Committee, said drew from consideration.
Democrats’ complaints “It’s an appalling double
were based on an incor- standard,” Schumer said.
rect understanding of the Johnson said more than 1
blue slip’s history. million of the state’s resi-
“The blue slip courtesy is dents had voted for him,
just that — a courtesy,” and he had no role what-
Grassley said. soever in the nomination of
He said past chairmen of Nourse, “so I decided not
the committee had rarely to return the blue slip.”q