Protesters wearing blue fill hearing to protest Grassley ignoring 'blue slip rule'

Protesters wearing blue fill hearing to protest Grassley ignoring 'blue slip rule'
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Demonstrators dressed in blue crowded into a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting on Wednesday to protest Chairman Chuck GrassleyCharles (Chuck) Ernest GrassleySenate Democrats take step toward vote on overturning Trump's payroll-tax deferral Trump payroll tax deferral finds few takers among businesses Democrats flubbed opportunity to capitalize on postal delays MORE's (R-Iowa) decision to ignore the so-called blue slip rule and move forward with a hearing for one of President TrumpDonald John TrumpDHS to label white supremacists as the 'most persistent and lethal threat' to the US: report Buttigieg slams Trump over comments on fallen soldiers: 'He must think we're all suckers' White House tells federal agencies to cancel 'divisive' racial sensitivity training: report MORE's judicial nominees.

Grassley's decision to hold the hearing for Milwaukee lawyer Michael Brennan, who is up for a spot on the Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, came despite Sen. Tammy BaldwinTammy Suzanne BaldwinCher raised million for Biden campaign at LGBTQ-themed fundraiser Democrats seek balance in backing protests, condemning violence Over 300 LGBT leaders endorse Biden for president : 'The most pro-equality ticket in US history' MORE's (D-Wis.) refusal to return a blue slip. 

The blue slip rule allows senators from a federal judicial nominee's home state to essentially veto a nominee. Traditionally, the Judiciary Committee has declined to hold hearings for judicial nominees without approval from the individual's home state senator.

Zoe Tillman, a reporter for BuzzFeed News, posted a photo of the protest on Twitter on Wednesday.

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Grassley announced in November that he would ignore the blue slip rule to hold hearings for two other judicial nominees: David Stras, a nominee to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, and Kyle Duncan, a nominee to the 5th Circuit.

Protesters dressed in blue T-shirts similarly showed up at a Judiciary Committee meeting in November to oppose Grassley's decision.

Grassley has said he will keep the blue slip policy in place, but will not let it be abused for partisan or ideological reasons.

The move to ignore Baldwin's blue slip drew the ire of Democratic lawmakers on the committee, including ranking member Sen. Dianne FeinsteinDianne Emiel FeinsteinHillicon Valley: Russia 'amplifying' concerns around mail-in voting to undermine election | Facebook and Twitter take steps to limit Trump remarks on voting | Facebook to block political ads ahead of election Top Democrats press Trump to sanction Russian individuals over 2020 election interference efforts Overnight Defense: US sanctions ICC prosecutor amid probe of alleged US war crimes in Afghanistan | Senators urge Pentagon to keep Stars and Stripes running MORE (Calif.) who argued in her opening remarks Wednesday that Grassley had upended a century of precedent by ignoring the blue slip.

She also suggested that Grassley's decision was insulting to Baldwin. 

"I find it really very hard, and particularly for a woman senator who has tried so hard, who has worked with her state commission, for her view to be rebuffed in this manner," Feinstein said.