HuffPost: Dick Durbin Still Hoping For ‘Common Ground’ With GOP For Moving Biden’s Judges
This excerpt is from a piece that originally ran on April 18, 2023.
Progressive judicial advocacy groups are practically shouting at Durbin from the mountaintops to ditch blue slips. Republicans had no problem disregarding the rule for Trump’s court picks. For years, Democrats fumed helplessly from the sidelines as GOP senators ignored their opposition to nominees being tapped from their home states and confirmed against their wishes.
The result of ignoring blue slips back then? Trump confirmed a massive number of lifetime federal judges, most of whom are white, male, far-right ideologues who oppose abortion rights, LGBTQ rights and voting rights.
“If we’re truly going to protect our courts, it’s time to end the blue slip and make sure all qualified nominees receive a speedy hearing and confirmation,” said Kimberly Humphrey, legal director for federal courts at Alliance for Justice. “There’s still too much progress to make to allow the misuse of the blue slip tradition, which primarily serves Senate Republicans’ goal of obstructing nominees committed to equal justice for all.”