Addressing Tuesday’s Senate Republican luncheon in the newly remodeled Rose Garden, President Donald Trump urged the GOP delegation to “look at” the long-standing “blue slip” tradition, arguing Democrat senators are using it to block his nominees for U.S. attorney and judicial posts.
Trump rebuked the “blue slip” policy as “unfair to the public” and “not constitutional,” taking away executive authority and ostensibly handing it to the “obstructionists” in the minority.
“Anytime you have a Democrat senator, not even two, just one, they’ll say, ‘We’re not approving that person,'” Trump lamented in his Rose Garden address that aired live on Newsmax and the free Newsmax2 streaming platform.
“Because of blue slip, I have to tell the person after three months, ‘I’m sorry, you’ll have to leave.'”
Trump said about 10 of his U.S. attorney picks — “phenomenal” candidates from top law schools — face being forced out after just months in office because of Democrat refusal to approve them.
“I’ve had Democrat senators say the only one will ever approve is a Democrat,” Trump lamented. “This is not constitutional.”
Trump urged Republican senators to change the process. He credited Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and GOP leadership for recent rule changes that sped up more than 175 confirmations in other areas and said similar action is needed on U.S. attorney appointments.
The blue slip practice — a Senate custom, not a formal rule — allows home-state senators to effectively block federal nominations by withholding their approval.
“I hope you can look at that blue slip thing,” Trump urged.
One recent example is the contested New Jersey top prosecutor appointment of Alina Habba, rejected by Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Andy Kim, D-N.J.
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