Majority Chief Chuck Schumer introduced Wednesday that he’ll use a Senate process that enables dwelling state senators to object to judicial nominees to try to dam President Donald Trump‘s picks for 2 key prosecutor positions: the U.S. Attorneys for the Southern and Japanese Districts of New York.
The blue slip course of, which has lengthy been honored by the Senate Judiciary Committee, asks for the signoff of home-state senators earlier than continuing with nominations for U.S. Lawyer positions.
Schumer, a New York Democrat, is refusing to return his blue slip for the nominations of Jay Clayton to be the U.S. lawyer for the Southern District of New York and Joseph Nocella Jr. to be the lead prosecutor within the Japanese District of New York.
Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer takes a query from a reporter following a weekly Democratic coverage luncheon on the U.S. Capitol, April 8, 2025 in Washington.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Photographs
“Donald Trump has made clear he has no constancy to the regulation and intends to make use of the Justice Division, the U.S. Lawyer places of work and regulation enforcement as weapons to go after his perceived enemies,” Schumer stated in an announcement. “Such blatant and wicked political motivations are deeply corrosive to the rule of regulation and leaves me deeply skeptical of the Donald Trump’s intentions for these vital positions. For that cause, I can’t return the blue slip for the U.S. Lawyer nominees for the Southern and Japanese Districts of New York.”
President Donald Trump arrives at a ceremony to current the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy to the US Naval Academy soccer workforce, the Navy Midshipmen, within the East Room of the White Home, April 15, 2025 in Washington.
Alex Brandon/AP
This blue slip custom within the Senate is simply that: a convention, not a regulation.
It will likely be as much as Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley whether or not he in the end honors this blue slip course of on this case.
Sen. Chuck Grassley attends a city corridor assembly in Lee County, Iowa, April 15, 2025.
ABC Information
“The Judiciary Committee has lengthy honored the standard blue slip course of for U.S. Lawyer nominees,” a spokesperson for Grassley, an Iowa Republican, instructed ABC Information when reached for touch upon Schumer’s intention to not return his blue slip on the 2 New York U.S. attorneys.
Grassley just lately instructed the New York Occasions he would honor the proper of Senators to refuse return of their blue slips.
“The reply is sure,” Grassley stated when requested whether or not he would honor the blue slip place of senators. “If they’re from the state the nomination comes from.”
