Blue slip

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A blue slip or blue-slipping is a legislative procedure in the United States Congress, with drastically different meanings in the House and the Senate.

1 House of Representatives
2 Senate
3 Sources
4 Footnotes

[edit] House of Representatives

In Article I, Section 7 of the United States Constitution, the House of Representatives in given the exclusive authority to introduce bills raising revenue by the clause "All bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives." Under House precedent, this includes bills "raising revenue and appropriating the same" and the House considers itself to be the only proper venue to originate any bills appropriating revenue. (The Senate has historically disagreed with the House, but to no avail.)

When, in the opinion of the House of Representatives, a Senate-introduced bill that raises revenue or appropriates money is passed by the Senate and sent to the House for its consideration, the House places a blue slip on the legislation which notes the House's constitutional prerogrative and immediately returns it to the Senate without taking further action. This blue-slipping procedure, done by an order of the House, is routinely completed to enforce its interpretation that the House is the sole body to introduce revenue or appropriations legislation. The failure of the House to consider the legislation means it cannot become a law. This tactic has historically proven of great use to the House and, as a practical matter, the Senate does not introduce tax or revenue measures to avoid a blue slip. ^[1]

[edit] Senate

In the Senate, a blue slip is an opinion written by a senator from the state of residence of a federal judicial nominee. Both senators from a nominee's state are sent a blue slip in which they may submit a favorable or unfavorable opinion of a nominee. (They may also choose not to return a blue slip.) The Senate Judiciary Committee takes blue slips into consideration when deciding whether or not to recommend the Senate confirm a nominee. It is a means through which the practice of senatorial courtesy is carried out.

Professor Brandon Denning has suggested that "the executive branch take a more active role in identifying and publicizing what it perceives to be abuses of the procedure during the confirmation process.”^[2]