Political Quotes

“in January of this year, a former Democratic Senator penned an op-ed urging Democrats to do away with the Senate tradition of blue slips. This was followed within weeks by an editorial from the New York Times and an op-ed in the Washington Post making similar arguments. While the Democratic chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee has indicated his desire to maintain the blue slip process, talk of abandoning blue slips remains concerning, especially given Democrats' attempt last year to do away with the legislative filibuster, a mainstay of Senate procedure and a guarantor of minority party representation. Blue slips--so-called because they are literally blue slips of paper requesting perspective on judicial nominees from their home State Senators--are a longtime Senate tradition. They serve the important function of ensuring that Senators are consulted about judicial appointments from their State, and that is particularly relevant when it comes to nominees to serve as Federal district court judges. The Founders set up the Senate in such a way as to provide a voice for States in the national legislature, and Senators continue to provide a voice for a whole State in a way that a Representative in the House of Representatives does not simply because he or she only represents a single district. State representation is of particular relevance when it comes to the most numerous type of judicial nominee, and that is Federal district court judges.…”