Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche met with Republican Sens. Bill Cassidy and Lisa Murkowski on Capitol Hill Wednesday as they weigh his nomination to serve as attorney general. The meetings come as the Senate prepares for a confirmation vote on Blanche's nomination, which faces potential opposition from within the Republican party.
Sen. Susan Collins announced Tuesday that she would vote against Blanche's nomination. With Republican leadership absent and all Democrats expected to vote against him, a "no" vote from either Cassidy or Murkowski would prevent Blanche's confirmation.
Cassidy has expressed concerns about "lawfare" within the Department of Justice and wants assurances that Blanche will serve as an attorney general for the nation, rather than primarily as President Trump's personal attorney. "I've got to be convinced that he is an attorney general who just happens to have once been President Trump's personal attorney, as opposed to President Trump's personal attorney who is now the attorney general," Cassidy told SiriusXM on Wednesday.
Murkowski has remained noncommittal regarding Blanche's nomination, stating Wednesday that she had not yet made a decision. "There will be news forthcoming but until such time we’re not commenting," she told reporters.
Committee Vote
The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Blanche's nomination on Tuesday with a 12-10 party-line vote, sending it to the full Senate for consideration. Republican Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis, who had previously voiced opposition over concerns related to the Trump administration's IRS immunity deal and a controversial "Anti-Weaponization Fund," ultimately voted to advance the nomination. They stated they were satisfied with an agreement reached with Blanche concerning the fund, which Cornyn noted the DOJ has consistently asserted is defunct. "And of course, I expect them to live up to that in any future litigation," Cornyn said.
