Grassley Responds to Trump Criticism Over ‘Blue Slip’ Agreement Stonewalling US Attorney Confirmations, Blames Noem

Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley responded to Trump’s criticism over the ‘blue slip’ agreement stonewalling the confirmations of the president’s US Attorneys.

On Monday, President Trump went off on Republican Senators for letting Democrats stonewall his appointees because of the ‘blue slip’ tradition.

The ‘blue slip’ custom defers the judicial nominations to the home state senators.

During the roundtable event, Trump blamed Grassley for allowing Democrats to stonewall the nominees.

“All because Senator Grassley with his ‘blue slip’ stuff will not let anybody go by! And by the way, the Democrats have violated blue slip provision on numerous occasions,” Trump said.

Moments later, President Trump was caught on a hot mic blasting the blue slip tradition after reporters left the room.

“You know I can’t appoint anybody! Trump fumed. “Everybody I’ve appointed, their time has expired! Then they’re in default, then we’re losing…” Trump said.

On Monday, Grassley responded to Trump’s criticism and said his Committee has processed more U.S. attorneys than the previous administration.

Grassley also blamed Trump’s aides and said they need to ‘get on the ball’ with paperwork and background checks for the nominees.

Grassley’s statement:

The Committee has also been quickly and efficiently processing nominations.

After this morning’s meeting, we’ll have voted on 84 nominees including the Attorney General, the FBI Director, six circuit judges, 24 district judges and 36 United States Attorneys.

We’ve advanced judicial nominees as fast as our Committee receives them, and we’ve confirmed more federal judges at this point than President Trump did in his first administration.

The Heritage Foundation recently reported that our Committee has held hearings for 96% of the judicial nominations it has received, which is higher than for any new president since 1980.

I’d like to process even more judicial nominees, but I’m waiting on the President to submit nominations.

Likewise, our Committee has processed U.S. Attorneys quickly and efficiently.

Despite relentless and unprecedented obstruction by the Democrats, we’ve reported more U.S. Attorneys out of Committee than the Biden Administration did at this point, and we’re confirming them at roughly the same rate.

As with judicial nominees, I’d like to process even more U.S. Attorneys, but I’m hamstrung waiting for background investigations and other paperwork from the administration that the Committee needs to advance the nominees we haven’t moved already.

In short, the Judiciary Committee has been hard at work advancing quality nominees and getting them to work for the American people.

As I’ve noted before, a recent nonpartisan study found that judges nominated by President Trump have outperformed those of other recent administrations in terms of productivity, quality and independence.

I look forward to that continued trend, and to advancing more excellent nominees in the coming year.

Grassley blamed DHS Chief Kristi Noem for declining to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee this month:

On another matter, I’d like to discuss this Committee’s invitation to Secretary Noem to appear for an oversight hearing.

I invited Secretary Noem to testify on December 2nd and then on December 10th. She declined both invitations. DHS has failed to provide alternative dates.

During her confirmation process, Secretary Noem committed to appearing before this Committee when invited.

I expect better cooperation from the Secretary early next year.

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