WASHINGTON—In response to Senator Franken’s announcement that he would not return a blue slip on the nomination of David Stras to the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals and Senator Klobuchar’s statement that hearings should not go forward on the nomination, People For the American Way Executive Vice President Marge Baker issued the following statement.
“Senator Franken should be commended for standing up for his state and for the senate’s constitutional role in selecting judicial nominees. Neither Senator Franken nor Senator Klobuchar was meaningfully consulted by President Trump before this nomination was made. To make matters worse, as Senator Franken noted, President Trump put forth a nominee whose record shows a clear bias towards corporate interests and the wealthy. This kind of overreach is exactly what the blue slip process is designed to combat.
“As Senator Klobuchar made clear today, nominees should not move forward without the support of both home state senators. Not a single Obama nominee received a hearing before meeting that threshold. That means it’s up to President Trump to restart the process, working with Senators Franken and Klobuchar to find a mutually agreeable nominee.
“This is what our constitution demands, and that’s what Senator Franken stood up for today.”
People For the American Way is a progressive advocacy organization founded to fight right-wing extremism and defend constitutional values including free expression, religious liberty, equal justice under the law, and the right to meaningfully participate in our democracy.
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