Des Moines Sun

Senator Chuck Grassley, a senior Republican from Iowa and former chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, recently addressed topics ranging from college football to judicial nominations in a series of posts on his official X account.

On August 23, 2025, Grassley commented on Iowa State University's athletic achievement, posting: "Cyclones beat K State football in Ireland WAY TO GO ISU".

Two days later, Grassley shifted focus to the U.S. Senate's confirmation process for judicial nominees. On August 25, he wrote: "A U.S. Atty/district judge nominee without a blue slip does not hv the votes to get confirmed on the Senate floor & they don’t hv the votes to get out of cmte As chairman I set Pres Trump noms up for SUCCESS NOT FAILURE".

Later that morning, Grassley provided further details about a recent nomination withdrawal: "Habba was withdrawn as the President's nominee for New Jersey U.S. Atty on July 24 &the Judic cmte never received any of the paperwork needed for the Senate to vet her nomination".

The "blue slip" tradition referenced by Grassley is an informal Senate practice where home-state senators can approve or block federal judicial nominees by returning or withholding a blue slip of paper. This process has historically influenced whether nominations proceed in committee and on the Senate floor.

Grassley's remarks about setting nominations "up for SUCCESS NOT FAILURE" refer to his tenure as chairman of the Judiciary Committee during Donald Trump's presidency. During this period, Grassley played a significant role in advancing numerous federal judicial nominees through committee proceedings and onto full Senate votes.

The withdrawal of Habba as nominee for U.S. Attorney in New Jersey reflects ongoing procedural requirements for nominations. Without completed paperwork submitted to the Judiciary Committee, nominations cannot be properly vetted or considered.