Making laws
blue slip
Two unrelated customs share the name: the Senate Judiciary courtesy giving home-state senators a say over judicial nominees, and the House's rejection of a Senate revenue bill.
In full
In the Senate, the Judiciary Committee traditionally sends a blue-colored form to a nominee's home-state senators, and a withheld slip has at times blocked a district judgeship entirely. In the House, blue-slipping means returning a Senate-passed revenue bill as unconstitutional, because the Origination Clause requires revenue measures to start in the House. The color is the only thing the two share.
Where to go next
Keep going
Browse every term in the glossary, or see the vocabulary in motion in the How government works walkthroughs.
A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.