Todd Blanche’s nomination to become the U.S. Attorney General will now advance to a full Senate vote after Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to approve his nomination.
Tuesday’s 12-10 vote along party lines comes after weeks of standoffs and delays, with Republican Sens. Thom Tillis and John Cornyn threatening to block his nomination permanently.
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Previous holdups
Cornyn and Tillis previously blocked the committee from voting on Blanche’s appointment, saying they wanted stronger assurances that a proposed settlement of Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS would not shield him or his family from future tax audits.
They also wanted a formal statement from Blanche that President Donald Trump’s proposed “Anti-Weaponization Fund” would not be established.
Trump pushed back, saying he would work hard to get a bill passed that would create the fund. He also threatened to rescind Blanche’s nomination until Tillis and Cornyn left Congress next year.
On Sunday, however, Blanche said he and the Senate committee reached a deal, and he “officially” rescinded the fund.
In a statement Monday morning, Tillis and Cornyn announced that they would vote to advance Blanche’s nomination following his order.
Next steps for Blanche
With approval from the Senate committee, Blanche’s nomination now heads to the full Senate floor, where Republicans hold 53 seats.
Blanche could still face hurdles, with several key GOP senators still undecided over his nomination. Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska are both undecided.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., who has fought Trump on several issues, is also considered a swing vote.
“I have to make sure that he is the attorney general who used to be the president’s personal attorney, not the personal attorney who’s also the attorney general,” Cassidy said.
The full Senate is expected to vote on Blanche’s nomination within the coming days.
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