WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The article, in this case published by The Washington Times, reflects a recent twist in White House communications strategy, in which truncated versions of media reports that reflect administration concerns are republished on the internet by the White House press secretary.
"The administration has been seeking consultation from home-state senators for months — even as senators frequently fail to return our calls, don’t respond to our inquiries and otherwise avoid our constant overtures," a Trump administration official, who asked not to be identified in order to speak about private communications, said.
Republicans in the US Senate will soon have to decide whether to proceed with several key circuit court picks over the reticence of home-state Democratic senators, the article explained.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley has signaled that he may end the tradition, the article noted.
The first tests are likely to come with state of Minnesota Supreme Court Justice David Stras, who was nominated to the 8th US Circuit Court of Appeals, and state of Michigan Supreme Court Justice Joan Larsen, who was nominated to the 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals, the article revealed.
Partisan bitterness forced Republicans, who hold a slim majority in the Senate, to end a another tradition of requiring 60 votes to confirm a Supreme Court justice in order to place Trump nominee Neil Gorsuch in the high court seat vacated by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.
