ISSUE BRIEF No. 4858 | MAY 24, 2018 Blue Slips for Judicial Nominations: Veto vs. Input Thomas Jipping our nominees to the U.S. Court of Appeals have then-Senator Joseph Biden (D–DE; 1987–1994). He Fbecome controversial because of an important, will hold a hearing for nominees if the White House but often misunderstood, feature of the judicial con- has adequately consulted with home-state Senators. firmation process. That feature, called the “blue-slip” courtesy, highlights the views of Senators from a state The Nominees in which a judicial nominee would serve. A dispute has Four of President Donald Trump’s nominees to arisen regarding whether the views of those home-state the U.S. Court of Appeals have become controversial Senators should dictate, or merely influence, whether because one or both of their home-state Senators have the Senate considers these nominees. More specifi- declined to return a blue slip.2 Chairman Grassley cally, the question is whether a negative or withheld decided to hold a hearing for each of them after being blue slip should be treated as a veto or as input. Any satisfied that those Senators had been adequately means of highlighting the views of home-state Senators consulted, and three have so far been confirmed. about judicial nominees is a courtesy and not required David Stras (Eighth Circuit). President Trump by any Senate rule. Each Judiciary Committee chair- first nominated Stras to the Eighth Circuit on May man, therefore, is free to decide whether, and how, to 8, 2017. Stras had served on the Minnesota Supreme incorporate those views into the confirmation process. Court since 2010, after practicing or teaching law since The blue-slip courtesy, by which home-state Sen- 2003. He received his law degree from the University ators traditionally expressed their views on a blue of Kansas in 1999 and served as a law clerk for judges piece of paper, was established in 1917 to play an on the Ninth and Fourth Circuits and for Supreme “advisory role” for the Judiciary Committee and Sen- Court Justice Clarence Thomas. On January 29, 2018, ate.1 Since then, only two of 19 chairmen have treated the Senate voted 57–41 to end debate and the next day it as a veto rather than as input. Current Chairman voted 56–42 to confirm the nomination. Then-Senator Charles Grassley (R–IA) is following the approach Al Franken (D–MN) did not support Stras. he outlined for the blue-slip courtesy, which mirrors Michael Brennan (Seventh Circuit). Presi- that of chairmen from both parties, including Senator dent Trump first nominated Brennan to the Seventh Orrin Hatch (R–UT; 1995–2000 and 2003–2004) and Circuit on August 3, 2017. Over the previous two decades, Brennan had practiced law as well as served as an Assistant District Attorney and a county cir- This paper, in its entirety, can be found at cuit court judge. He received his law degree from http://report.heritage.org/ib4858 Northwestern University and served as a law clerk The Heritage Foundation 214 Massachusetts Avenue, NE for a judge on the Seventh Circuit and a judge on the Washington, DC 20002 U.S. District Court in Wisconsin. On May 9, 2018, (202) 546-4400 | heritage.org the Senate voted 49–47 to end debate and the next Nothing written here is to be construed as necessarily reflecting the views of The Heritage Foundation or as an attempt to aid or hinder the passage of day voted 49–46 to confirm the nomination. Senator any bill before Congress. Tammy Baldwin (D–WI) did not support Brennan. ISSUE BRIEF | NO. 4858 MAY 24, 2018 Ryan Bounds (Ninth Circuit). President Trump judicial nominee by submitting a negative blue slip or first nominated Bounds on September 7, 2017. Bounds withholding one altogether. Those Senators typically had served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Portland, insist that a withheld or negative blue slip should veto Oregon, since 2008, after practicing or serving in the the nomination and prevent even Judiciary Commit- Justice Department since 2000. He received his law tee consideration. Since the courtesy is neither man- degree from Yale in 1999 and served as a law clerk for dated nor guided by any Senate rule, however, each a judge on the Ninth Circuit. The Judiciary Commit- chairman decides whether and how to incorporate the tee held a hearing on his nomination on May 9, 2018. views of home-state Senators into the process. Senators Ron Wyden (D–OR) and Jeff Merkley (D– Political scientists Sarah Binder and Forrest OR) do not support Bounds. Maltzman describe the creation of the blue-slip David Porter (Third Circuit). President Trump courtesy as “an early warning system, not an abso- nominated Porter to the Third Circuit on April 12, lute veto.”4 In other words, “a negative blue slip pro- 2018. Porter has practiced law in Pittsburgh, Penn- vided information to the chair about the potential sylvania, since 1994. He received his law degree from for strong floor opposition should the nomination be George Mason University in 1992 and served as a law reported favorably from the Judiciary Committee.”5 clerk to a judge on the Third Circuit. From 1917 to 1955, under five Democrat and six Senator Robert Casey (D–PA) does not support Republican chairmen, home-state Senators were Porter. given the opportunity to testify before the Judiciary Committee in a nominee’s confirmation hearing.A The Blue-Slip Courtesy negative blue slip, however, “was not intended to pre- The Constitution gives to the President the power vent committee action.”6 In other words, the blue- to nominate and, subject to the “advice and con- slip courtesy highlighted the views of home-state sent” of the Senate, to appoint officials to positions in Senators but did not control the process. the executive and judicial branches. After a judicial Senator James Eastland (D–MS) chaired the Judi- nomination is made, Judiciary Committee Chair- ciary Committee from 1956 to 1978. Unlike his pre- men solicit the views of individual Senators about decessors, he treated negative or withheld blue slips the nominee who would serve in their state. The Con- as “absolute vetoes by Senators”7 that would prevent gressional Research Service describes this practice, any committee consideration. Some scholars have which began in 1917, as an “informal custom” that said that Chairman Eastland, who began leading the has become a “central component” of how the com- committee during the Eisenhower Administration, mittee handles judicial nominations.3 converted the blue slip to a veto so that some south- Conflicts over the blue-slip courtesy arise when ern Senators could prevent consideration of judicial one or both home-state Senators signal opposition to a nominees who might favor racial desegregation.8 1. Ian Millhiser, “The Imaginary Rule That Keeps Obama’s Judges from Being Confirmed,” Think Progress, April 17, 2014, https://thinkprogress. org/the-imaginary-rule-that-keeps-obamas-judges-from-being-confirmed-2926a0c0452f/ (accessed May 23, 2018). 2. For more on how the controversy over blue slips might impact President Trump’s nominees, see Elizabeth Slattery, “What the Blue Slip Process Means for Trump’s Judicial Nominations,” Heritage Foundation Issue Brief No. 4718, June 16, 2017, https://www.heritage.org/courts/report/ what-the-blue-slip-process-means-trumps-judicial-nominations. 3. Mitchel A. Sollenberger, The History of the Blue Slip in the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Congressional Research Service Report for Congress No. RL32013, October 22, 2003, summary, https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL32013.pdf (accessed May 23, 2018). 4. Sarah A. Binder & Forrest Maltzman, Advice and Dissent: The Struggle to Shape the Federal Judiciary (Washington, DC: Bookings Institution Press, 2009, p. 52. 5. Id. at 50. 6. Sollenberger, The History of the Blue Slip, pp. 9–10. See also Binder and Maltzman, Advice and Dissent, p. 50 (“Before 1956…negative blue slips were treated as advisory to the committee and the full chamber, rather than as a single-handed committee veto exercised by a home state senator.”). 7. Sollenberger, The History of the Blue Slip, p. 9. 8. See Tuan Samahon, “Federal Judicial Selection and the Senate’s Blue Slip ‘Tradition’,” Nevada Lawyer October 2012, p. 12, https://www.nvbar. org/wp-content/uploads/NevLawyer_Oct._2012_BlueSlips-1.pdf (accessed May 23, 2018), and Jonathan Turley, “Time for Congress to End the Abusive ‘Blue Slip’ Process,” The Hill, November 14, 2017), http://thehill.com/opinion/judiciary/360328-time-for-chuck-grassley-to-end- the-abusive-blue-slip-nominee-system (accessed May 23, 2018). 2 ISSUE BRIEF | NO. 4858 MAY 24, 2018 Chairman Ted Kennedy (D–MA) criticized the committee to consider a nomination.17 This was not “one-member veto”9 and instead allowed the com- Chairman Leahy’s only departure from past blue- mittee to decide whether to consider a nominee who slip practice. For the first time by any Chairman, for lacked support of either home-state Senator.10 Chair- example, he used a negative blue slip from Senators man Strom Thurmond (R–SC) treated a withheld in one state to stop consideration of nominees from blue slip as no objection11 and held hearings on multi- another state.18 ple nominees to the U.S. District Court over the nega- Finally, current Chairman Charles Grassley has tive blue slip of one or both home-state Senators.12 returned to the approach taken by Chairmen Biden Chairman Joe Biden offered the clearest rejection and Hatch. On May 9, 2018, for example, he said on of the blue-slip courtesy as a single-Senator veto. In the Senate floor that “[n]egative or