Feinstein Opposes Hearing for Nominee Without Any Blue Slips

Washington—Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today released the following statement on the nominations hearing scheduled for Ryan Bounds for the Ninth Circuit from Oregon, who has not received a blue slip from either of his home-state senators:

“I oppose Chairman Grassley moving forward with a hearing for a judicial nominee, Ryan Bounds, who does not have a blue slip from either home-state senator. The Congressional Research Service could not find a single instance where a nominee without at least one blue slip had a hearing or was confirmed by the Senate. This is a devastating blow to the blue-slip tradition, which ensures that senators have a role in advising on judicial nominees from their states.

“This would be the third nominee to move over the objection of Democratic home-state senators when he did not allow a single Obama nominee to move forward over the objection of a Republican senator. Democrats aren’t asking for special treatment, we’re only asking for the same treatment.

“My Republican colleagues need to think long and hard about whether they are prepared to permanently cede the Senate’s role in the judicial nominations process to the president.

“The Senate’s constitutional advice and consent role will only be preserved if senators put aside short-term partisan interests to protect the enduring interests of the Senate regardless of who’s in the White House.”

###