Durbin Delivers Opening Statement On Blanche’s Ag Nomination, Blue Slip Process During Senate Judiciary Committee Nominations Hearing

Durbin Delivers Opening Statement On Blanche's Ag Nomination, Blue Slip Process During Senate Judiciary Committee Nominations Hearing

During his opening statement at a nominations hearing, Durbin scrutinized Todd Blanche's record as President Trump's personal attorney and emphasized the importance of the blue slip practice

WASHINGTON - During today's Senate Judiciary Committee nominations hearing, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered an opening statement scrutinizing Todd Blanche's record ahead of his nomination hearing to serve as Attorney General, as well as commenting on the longstanding blue slip practice.

In response to Republicans' shortsighted criticism about Democrats' use of the blue slip, Durbin corrected the record by explaining that Democrats have used the blue slip to work across the aisle during both Trump Administrations. During the first Trump Administration, Senate Democrats returned 130 blue slips for Trump district court nominees, leading to the confirmation of 84 nominees-almost half of all Trump district judges. However, during the Biden Administration, Senate Republicans returned only 54 blue slips, resulting in the confirmation of 32 district court judges-less than 30 percent of all Biden district court judges.

Key Quotes:

"The next time this Committee meets, it will be to consider the nomination of Todd Blanche to be Attorney General of the United States. Mr. Blanche is President Trump's former personal lawyer. And in his roles as Deputy Attorney General and Acting Attorney General, he has continued to play that role."

"Throughout his tenure at the Justice Department, Mr. Blanche has used the Department as a shield to protect the President and his MAGA allies and as a sword to attack his political opponents. He has led the cover-up of the Epstein files. As former Attorney General Pam Bondi herself has explained, Mr. Blanche was 'in charge of the process and the entire release of the Epstein files.'"

"Mr. Blanche also established the $1.8 billion slush fund for January 6th cop-beaters. And Mr. Blanche personally signed a document to provide the President, his family, and his businesses with immunity for federal tax law violations."

"Mr. Blanche has treated the Justice Department like a criminal defense firm whose sole client is President Trump. And he has abused the awesome prosecutorial power of our nation's top law-enforcement agency to target anyone who dares to cross the President."

"The President and Mr. Blanche's efforts to fill the Department with loyalists extend far beyond Washington. They have repeatedly bypassed this Committee to illegally appoint U.S. Attorneys whose resumes prove their devotion to the MAGA movement, rather than their experience or integrity."

"This leads me to the subject of blue slips. Last week, Chairman Grassley stated that as long as he is Chairman this Committee will continue to require blue slips from home-state Senators before considering district court and U.S. Attorney nominations. I am thankful that Chairman Grassley shares my commitment to preserving the blue slip. But the Chairman inaccurately accused Democrats of obstruction for refusing to return blue slips for some nominees. Now the rest of the story."

"For the past 18 months, this Committee has considered nominees to fill dozens of judicial vacancies in red states that Republican Senators held open for years by refusing to return blue slips during the previous Administration. Many Senate Republicans, though not all, engaged in unprecedented obstruction, despite good-faith efforts by the Biden White House to fill vacancies."

"While I encourage Senate Democrats to work in good faith with this Administration to fill vacancies in their state, it needs to be a two-way street. This Administration's approach frequently involves the President or White House announcing nominees as a take-it-or-leave-it proposition with zero prior consultation with home-state Senators."

"The Trump Administration has tried to install nominees in U.S. Attorneys' Offices in states like New York, New Jersey, and Virginia, with no attempt to consult the Democratic Senators representing those states. Many of these individuals have been disqualified from serving as U.S. Attorneys after courts found their appointments were unlawful. And many are simply unqualified to serve as U.S. Attorneys-including individuals who have zero criminal experience and whose principal qualification is political."

"Blue slips are an important part of the Senate's constitutional duty of advice and consent. And in the face of a lawless Administration, they help Senators defend the integrity of U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the independence of our judiciary."

Video of Durbin's opening statement is available here.

Audio of Durbin's opening statement is available here.

Footage of Durbin's opening statement is available here for TV Stations.

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