{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/comment-of-senator-patrick-leahy-d-vt-on-senator-mcconnells-remarks-concerning-the-blue-slip-tradition", "Comment of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On Senator McConnells Remarks Concerning The Blue Slip Tradition", "2017-10-11", "2017", "2017-10", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "10.11.17\n\t\t\t Comment of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On Senator McConnell\u2019s Remarks Concerning The \u201cBlue Slip\u201d Tradition \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t[The Constitution requires presidents to seek both the \u201cAdvice and Consent\u201d of the Senate in appointing judges to lifetime posts on the federal courts.\u00a0 Blue slips distributed and collected by the Judiciary Committee are an enforcement mechanism for the \u201cadvice\u201d prong of the Senate\u2019s constitutional role.\u00a0 When a senator returns a favorable blue slip it demonstrates that the senator elected to represent that state with the judicial vacancy was consulted, and that the nominee is likely to be confirmed.]\r\n\u201cIt was not that long ago that Senator McConnell led a letter to President Obama, which was also delivered to me, stating that the Republican Conference expected the blue slip policy to be observed, \u2018even-handedly and regardless of party affiliation.\u2019 \u00a0I did just that as chairman of the Judiciary Committee. \u00a0While I was chairman no judicial nominee \u2014 district court or circuit court \u2014 received a hearing without the committee first receiving both home state senators\u2019 favorable blue slips. \u00a0I maintained this policy during both Republican and Democratic administrations, even in the face of significant pressure from within my party to abandon it, including from Senate leadership.\u00a0 This protected not just\u00a0the rights of both Republicans and Democrats, but it protected the Senate\u2019s unique institutional role in our democracy by making meaningful the Constitution\u2019s \u2018Advise and Consent\u2019 requirement.\r\n\u201cNow that a Republican is in the White House, Senator McConnell is trying to turn the Judiciary Committee into a rubber stamp for President Trump.\u00a0 But it is not up to Senator McConnell; it is up to the committee\u2019s chairman. Chairman Grassley has told me he will respect the blue slip tradition, just as I did.\u00a0 I trust him to keep his word.\u201d\r\n# # # # #\r\n\u00a0\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/comment-of-senator-patrick-leahy-d-vt-on-senator-mcconnells-remarks-concerning-the-blue-slip-tradition"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5734429471194744, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}