Senator Patty Murray vows to block confirmation of Trump's nominee for US Attorney in Washington state

US Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) plans to block the confirmation of Pete Serrano, who has been appointed interim US Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington by the Trump administration. Serrano, the former mayor of Pasco, was appointed by US Attorney General Pam Bondi on August 6 and sworn in on August 11. He can serve up to 120 days in the position while awaiting Senate confirmation.

“Pete Serrano has tried to rewrite the history of the violent January 6th insurrection, thinks the Supreme Court overturning Roe and allowing states to pass criminal abortion bans was ‘the right decision,’ and has fought in court to unleash dangerous assault weapons on our streets,” Murray said in a statement, per The Washington State Standard. “His extreme right-wing views are far out of step with the people of Washington state, and I will be using every legislative tool I have to block his confirmation.”

Murray’s office confirmed that she plans to use a Senate tradition known as the “blue slip” to stop Serrano’s confirmation. The blue slip is a consent form sent by the Senate Judiciary Committee to senators from the nominee’s home state. If the senators refuse to return the form or issue a negative response, the chair of the Judiciary Committee may choose not to advance the nomination.

The process has been criticized by some, including President Donald Trump, who has called it “old and outdated.” Still, it remains a tool for senators to block judicial and attorney appointments within their own states.

Serrano, 44, acknowledged Murray’s opposition would make his confirmation “an uphill battle” but said he intends to focus on his current responsibilities. “There is a process and I am letting it play out,” he said in an interview with The Standard Tuesday night. “For now, I’m going to do my job serving the people of the Eastern District as best I can. If that’s not good enough, I guess I don’t know what is.”

Serrano noted that the 120-day appointment leaves time for political circumstances to shift. “One hundred and twenty days is a long time,” he said. “This situation could drastically change well before the 120 days are up.”

Before his appointment, Serrano was mayor of Pasco, Washington, and was previously the Franklin County Republican Party chair. In 2020, he lost a bid for Washington State Attorney General.

He co-founded the Silent Majority Foundation in 2021, which has pursued litigation challenging Washington’s COVID-19 mandates and gun restrictions. He previously worked as an environmental lawyer for the US Department of Energy and at Energy Northwest.

Now, as interim US Attorney, Serrano supervises a staff of roughly 79 prosecutors, litigators, and support personnel in prosecuting federal crimes and handling civil litigation in the Eastern District of Washington. If Serrano is not confirmed, his interim appointment will expire on December 9.