A pivotal Senate vote on the nomination of Todd Blanche to serve as Acting Attorney General was postponed Wednesday as two Republican senators, John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, blocked the confirmation process. The hold-up centers on demands for explicit, written modifications to a settlement agreement between the IRS and President Donald Trump and his family reached earlier this year.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota had hoped for a resolution to allow the confirmation to proceed, with a floor vote eyed for the following week. However, the Department of Justice (DOJ) failed to provide the necessary written proposals by the Wednesday deadline. Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley of Iowa subsequently postponed the hearing until a later date.
Cornyn and Tillis have focused their objections on two main points within the settlement: a now-defunct nearly $2 billion anti-weaponization fund and President Trump's audit immunity. Critics from both parties had raised concerns about the fund, particularly regarding potential allocations to individuals involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. The audit immunity clause, which would prevent the IRS from auditing Trump, his family, or affiliated companies, also drew scrutiny.
Cornyn, who is in his final Senate term, has been a vocal opponent, stating that written proposals to alter the settlement were expected from the outset. He indicated that two scheduled meetings with the DOJ had been canceled due to a lack of responsiveness. "We need to conform the actual document to what Todd Blanche testified under oath as the president’s acting attorney general," Cornyn said.
Tillis stated he did not have a personal issue with the DOJ or Blanche but emphasized the need to get the language right. He acknowledged the complexity of obtaining such written proposals, noting that the settlement may have been signed by Trump's lawyer rather than the president himself, requiring a broader approval process.
President Trump, when asked about the stalled nomination, expressed confidence in Blanche, calling him "outstanding" and suggesting the confirmation process was "pretty routine." He speculated that Cornyn might be reacting to his own decision not to endorse the Texas senator. "So, I don’t know, maybe John Cornyn is upset with me because I didn’t endorse him. I don’t know what it is, but I haven’t heard that there’s a problem," Trump told reporters.
Blanche's nomination has faced a challenging path, with this latest development adding another hurdle to his confirmation as the replacement for former Attorney General Pam Bondi.