senatorial courtesy

American  

noun

1. the practice in the U.S. Senate of confirming only those presidential appointees approved by both senators from the state of the appointee, or by the senior senator of the president's party.

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Etymology

Origin of senatorial courtesy

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85

Example Sentences

Biden was a longtime senator and still adheres to senatorial courtesy.

From Washington Post • May 11, 2022

As the two lawmakers clashed over interruptions and Senate protocol, Mr. Brown chided his Republican colleague, “Senator Kennedy, senatorial courtesy is also not doing character assassination.”

From Washington Times • Nov. 18, 2021

This practice is known as senatorial courtesy, and it amounts to an unwritten rule that is closely followed in the Senate.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2016

On entering office, Hoover had declared that he intended to end the practice of awarding judicial appointments based on senatorial courtesy and instead vowed to raise the standards and requisite qualifications for lower-court ap­pointments.

From Salon • Mar. 30, 2013

That fine old term "senatorial courtesy" has lost much of its meaning as a result of the brusque and breezy manner of the time.

From Fifty Years of Public Service by Cullom, Shelby M.