Judge Marilyn Horan

U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey's office is saying the senator is not holding up the nomination to the federal court of Butler County Judge Marilyn Horan.

Horan in July was nominated by President Barack Obama to the federal bench in Pittsburgh. Once the president nominates a candidate, the Senate Judiciary Committee does investigations on that person.

The investigation has begun, but Toomey has not submitted a “blue slip,” which is a blue sheet of paper that shows a senator's support for the nominee. In this case, that is Horan.

Before the Judiciary Committee forwards any nomination to be voted on the senate floor, it needs blue slips from both senators from the nominee's home state.

According to a Toomey staffer, the senator will not submit the blue slip for any judicial candidate until the investigation is done, just to make sure the candidates are clear. If any problems turn up in the investigation and the blue slip already is turned in, there is nothing to stop a vote on the nominee, the staffer said.

Once the background investigation is done, Toomey submits the slip. Toomey's office told Horan of this early in the process.

A statement provided by Toomey restated his support for Horan and said he “remains fully committed to getting her confirmed as soon as possible.”

However Christine Stone, co-chairman of the Why Courts Matter-Pennsylvania coalition, said this procedure is holding the nomination process up.

“It's not the typical operating procedure with other senators,” Stone said.

She said that Horan already has been vetted by the White House. When Toomey and Sen. Bob Casey submitted Horan to Obama to be nominated, the White House and Justice Department did a background investigation before Obama nominated her.

The coalition is run by Keystone Progress and the National Council of Jewish Women, and its goal is to halt obstruction of Obama's federal court nominees.

Casey turned in his blue slip in August.