McConnell Moves to Speed Approval of Judges

Fred Barnes: “No longer will ‘blue slips‘ be allowed to deny a nominee a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing and vote on confirmation. In the past, senators have sometimes barred a nominee from their state by refusing to return their slip to the committee, thus preventing a hearing and confirmation.”

“The majority — that is, Republicans — will treat a blue slip ‘as simply notification of how you’re going to vote, not as an opportunity to blackball,’ McConnell told me. The use of blue slips, he noted, is not a Senate rule and has ‘been honored in the breach over the years.’ Now it won’t be honored at all.”

Said McConnell: “Regardless of what tactics are used by Democrats, the judges are going to be confirmed.”

Rick Hasen: “This is a serious escalation in the judicial wars.”