Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, announced Tuesday she will vote against the confirmation of Todd Blanche as attorney general, presenting a significant hurdle for the nominee and potentially jeopardizing his path to leading the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Collins stated that while she considers Blanche a capable lawyer, she believes the DOJ has become increasingly politicized. She cited several actions by Blanche that she contends have eroded the department's independence as the basis for her opposition. These include his approval of audit protection for former President Donald Trump, his sons, and family, as well as the establishment of a nearly $2 billion anti-weaponization fund. Collins also pointed to Blanche's promises to anti-abortion organizations to halt mailed abortion medication and his attempted indictments of Sens. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., and Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., for videos encouraging resistance to unlawful orders. The opposition from over 1,200 DOJ employees was also a factor in her decision.
Collins' decision follows a key committee vote where Blanche's nomination advanced. However, her defection means that Republicans can now only afford to lose one more vote in the full Senate before the confirmation fails. The absence of Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., due to illness, and the uncommitted stances of other Republicans, such as Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, John Curtis, R-Utah, and Bill Cassidy, R-La., add to the uncertainty surrounding Blanche's confirmation.
Blanche and the DOJ had previously reached an agreement with Sens. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and John Cornyn, R-Texas, to secure their support in the Senate Judiciary Committee. This deal specified that the anti-weaponization fund would be terminated and narrowed the scope of audit immunity for Trump and his family. However, some senators have raised concerns that there is no binding mechanism to ensure that these concessions would be upheld after Blanche's confirmation.
The developments complicate plans by Senate Republican leadership to swiftly confirm Blanche before a nearly month-long August recess.