Tell Senate Democrats: Stop Letting Republicans Block Biden Judges
President Biden has successfully nominated over a hundred federal judges who reflect the diversity of this country – he has prioritized nominees who are women, people of color, and lawyers with diverse professional backgrounds (like public defenders, civil rights and reproductive health attorneys, and more). President Biden, along with Democrats in the Senate, have confirmed these judges at a historic pace, and their presence on the federal bench will go a long way towards counterbalancing the MAGA judges favored by Trump and their extreme ideologies.
However, Senate Democrats could do more to confirm federal judges. Right now, Democrats are handing significant power to Senate Republicans to effectively veto Biden’s nominees in certain states – they’re deferring to an archaic Senate rule called the “blue slip,” which allows an individual senator to withhold support for any person nominated to serve as a federal judge in their state. For example, if President Biden nominated someone to serve as a judge in Florida, either Sen. Marco Rubio or Sen. Rick Scott could block that person’s nomination by refusing to return their blue slip (something Marco Rubio has done in the past!). This has the effect of keeping a judicial vacancy open until a Republican can fill it with one of their favored anti-abortion, anti-democratic MAGA judges instead.
It will come as no surprise to you that Republicans did not follow this rule when they controlled the Senate under then-President Trump, and confirmed dozens of judges that Democratic senators opposed by withholding their blue slips. Yet Democrats continue to offer deference to Republicans and slow down one of President Biden’s signature achievements to date.
There is something Senate Democrats can do right now: DITCH THE BLUE SLIP AND KEEP CONFIRMING AS MANY JUDGES AS POSSIBLE. Like the filibuster, the blue slip rule is not in the constitution or the law. In fact, it’s even less real than the filibuster – it’s not in the formal Senate rules at all, it’s just a longstanding tradition, and Sen. Dick Durbin, the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, could ditch it any time he wants. Republicans don’t have control of the Senate or the White House, Democrats do. And they must stop giving Republicans the power to block our progress.
Fill out this form and we’ll connect you with your Democratic Senator. Tell them to support ditching the blue slip rule so we can keep confirming President Biden’s excellent judicial nominees.
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The blue slip rule has got to go.
Hello, I’m a constituent from [STATE] and I’m calling to tell Senator [NAME] that I oppose the blue slip rule that’s allowing Republicans to block President Biden’s judicial nominees.
I have been incredibly impressed by the caliber of President Biden’s nominees to the bench, and appreciate how much Senate Democrats have done to confirm his nominees at a historic pace. But I believe we could be doing more, if not for Republicans using the blue slip to effectively veto Biden’s nominees in certain states.
Republicans aren’t in control of the Senate or the White House, Democrats are. We shouldn’t allow the GOP to block our progress. I hope Senator [NAME] will oppose the continued use of the blue slip. I will be paying close attention to this issue and will follow up.
Your call to your Senator makes all the difference! Tell all your friends to call as well!