Pete Sessions: “But the Democratic home State Senators refused to return their blue slips for any of these nominees for the Sixth…”

“But the Democratic home State Senators refused to return their blue slips for any of these nominees for the Sixth Circuit. President Bush renominated all four on January 2003. This time the Democratic home State Senators returned their blue slips--negative blue slips, opposing all four nominees. Despite this, on July 30, 2003, 629 days after the initial nomination and 204 days after his renomination, the Republican-controlled Judiciary Committee--Republicans had just taken control--held a hearing on Judge Saad's nomination. However, Democrats continued to delay the nomination for a year, until he was finally and favorably reported out of committee on a party-line vote. But it did not matter. The Democrats filibustered his nomination on the floor, and he never received an up-or-down vote in the Senate. He was filibustered, which was a changing of the ground rules. We had not filibustered judges before in the Senate. All this occurred after 2001. President Bush renominated Judge Saad in February 2005, but the Senate failed to act on his nomination, and he was never confirmed. Judges Griffin and McKeague eventually received hearings on June 16, 2004, 721 days after Judge Griffin had been nominated, and 951 days after Judge McKeague's original nomination.”