(MENAFN- Live Mint) US President Donald Trump on Friday lashed out at an age-old Senate tradition, calling on Republicans to abandon a procedural mechanism known as the Blue Slip.

Describing the mechanism as "stupid and outdated" on Truth Social, Trump said it "precludes very talented and dedicated people from attaining High Office" and called for an end to an "old and ridiculous custom" that he accused the Democrats of exploiting.

Screengrab showing US President Donald Trump's post on Truth Social.What is the Blue Slip mechanism?

An informal practice within the Senate Judiciary Committee which has been in place for over a century, the Blue Slip mechanism has, over the years, provided appointed lawmakers with a way to endorse or oppose judicial nominees or US attorney nominees who would have jurisdiction over their home states.

In place since around 1917, the Blue Slip mechanism literally involves a blue form: when the US President nominates an individual for a federal judgeship, the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee sends a blue-coloured form-the so called 'Blue Slip'-to the two Senators who represent state the nominee is to be appointed in.

The purpose of the mechanism is to get the home state Senators' opinions on the individual nominated by the US President, and lawmakers can respond in the positive, oppose the appointment (negative Blue Slip) or refuse to return the form (withheld Blue Slip).

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Whether a negative or withheld Blue Slip can veto a nomination, however, depends on the committee chairman's policy, which has changed numerous times over the past few decades, depending on the political party of the US President and the Senate majority.

The idea behind the mechanism is that the US President should consult Senators representing their home states before nominating federal judges to serve in those states. The reason? It gives local representatives a say in who gets a lifetime appointment to a court that will directly impact their constituents.

"The major purpose of Blue Slips is to protect the nomination and confirmation prerogatives of home state minority party senators and the people whom they represent from presidents who might otherwise appoint incompetent or unsuitable prosecutors as the chief federal law enforcement officers in their states for four years, or similarly unfit judges who would enjoy life tenure on the federal bench," Carl Tobias, chair of the University of Richmod School of Law, was quoted as saying by Courthouse News Service.

'Careers have been badly hurt'

Trump's contention against the age-old practice is that it could be used to block his nominees from getting appointed.

"I have eight GREAT U.S. Attorneys, Highly Respected ALL, who will not be confirmed for their positions in various Highly Consequential States only because they're Republicans (sic)," the US President wrote, adding that the Democrats had convinced Republican Chuck Grassley, the second-highest ranking official of the Senate after the Vice-President, to honour the tradition.

And the President's concerns aren't perhaps unfounded: during Trump's second presidency, the Democrats have already used Blue Slips against some of the President's nominees, with the most recent being New Jersey Senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim blocking Trump's pick Alina Habba from becoming the US attorney for teh District of New Jersey.

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Similarly, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has also used the mechanism to block for Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chair Jay Clayton's nomination to the position of US attroney for New York.

That said, the mechanism is subject to the whims of the majority party, and history shows that lawmakers have tweaked the mechanism to suit their needs at different times.

For instance, during Trump's first presidency, Grassley, who was then the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, announced what called a "circuit exception" to the tradition, wherein he said that Senate Republicans would no longer honour Blue Slips from Democratic lawmakers hoping to block Trump's nominees for appellate courts. This exception paved the way for Trump to a set a record for the number of circuit judges confirmed during a President's first term.

Similarly, when the Democrats wrested control of the Senate in 2020, they refused to honour GOP Blue Slips for President Joe Biden's appellate nominees, a move they claimed was a fair response.

This tweaked tradition has since persisted with the Senate only acknowledging Blue Slips for federal district court nominees and nominees for the post of US attorneys.

Despite this friction between the two parties surrounding the tradition, both have refused to do away with the tradition.

Even with Trump calling for the dismantling of the mechanism, Senate Republicans thus far have refused to budge, with Grassley, again the top post holder in the judiciary committee, telling reporters on Wednesday that he had no intention of abandoning the practice.

Responding to Trump calling Democratic Senators withholding Blue Slips for his nominees as "sleazebags", Grassley on Wednesday said, "I was offended by what the President said. I'm disappointed that it would result in personal insults".

Will the impasse continue or will Republicans cave in to Trump's demands? We'll have to wait and find out.

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