Two Conservative Nominees for the Powerful 9th Circuit Court has Top Democrats Fuming

Traditionally, the White House seeks to obtain a so-called “blue slip,” or approval, from a judicial nominee’s two home-state senators before pressing on with their nominations. But President Trump’s administration made the recent nominations to the 9th Circuit Court without input from either Dianne Feinstein or Kamala Harris, California’s two Democrat senators.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) expressed her displeasure saying:

“I take it that without notice or discussion, the blue slip is essentially dead. This change in practice not only harms the Senate, it harms the federal judiciary,” she said. “And I wish we could’ve had an opportunity to discuss it. I really believe it’s a mistake.”

If confirmed the two nominees, Ken Lee and Dan Collins would bring additional conservative viewpoints to a court known for its activist judges that frequently rule against the Trump administration. Something that Trump has complained about on several occasions, “It’s a disgrace what happens in the 9th Circuit.”

Based in San Francisco the appeals court, which covers California, Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and the eastern part of Washington state is the largest circuit court in the United States. Because of this, some lawmakers have sought to break up the 9th Circuit into smaller circuits. But this would take an act of Congress and in the past judges on the court have advocated against the break-up due to what some believe to be a “fear over the loss of power”.