The blue-slip rule — a precedent upheld by Senate tradition — has historically allowed a home-state senator to stop a lower court nominee from being confirmed by refusing to return the blue slip to the Judiciary Committee. How strictly the precedent is upheld is decided by the committee chairman, and enforcement has varied depending on who wields the gavel.

But Republicans argue that the blue slip, a sheet of paper that indicates whether a senator supports a nominee, shouldn't be allowed to blackball an appeals court pick because circuits cover multiple states.

Bress is the 42nd Trump circuit court nominee confirmed by the Senate since 2017, as Republicans have set a record pace for sending picks to the influential courts.

He's also one of several nominations Republicans have moved despite objections from both home-state senators, including confirming Daniel Collins and Kenneth Lee to California seats on the 9th Circuit.

Neither Feinstein nor Harris supported any of their nominations to the 9th Circuit.

Republicans praised Trump's pick for the court, which has been a perennial source of annoyance for conservatives who view it as too liberal and too large.

Sen. Lindsey Graham Lindsey Olin GrahamSteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Hillicon Valley: Subpoenas for Facebook, Google and Twitter on the cards | Wray rebuffs mail-in voting conspiracies | Reps. raise mass surveillance concerns Key Democrat opposes GOP Section 230 subpoena for Facebook, Twitter, Google MORE (R-S.C.) called Bress a "fine man," adding that he's "very pleased that the United States Senate has confirmed Daniel Bress to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals."