Cassidy and Murkowski weigh Blanche attorney general nomination after fund deal

Bill Cassidy and Lisa Murkowski met with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche as both Republican senators weighed whether to back his nomination, a decision that could determine whether Blanche clears the full Senate. Susan Collins has already said she will vote no, making the votes of Cassidy of Louisiana and Murkowski of Alaska unusually important in a chamber where Blanche’s support is already tight.

Blanche’s nomination advanced out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Aug. 4 by a 12-10 party-line vote after hearings held July 15 and July 16. The panel’s action sent him to the Senate floor, but the size of the Republican margin and the public defection of Collins underscored how few votes Blanche can afford to lose as he seeks confirmation to serve as attorney general.

The holdup centered on the so-called Anti-Weaponization Fund, a proposed $1.8 billion pool tied to a settlement issue that drew objections from Republicans. NBC News reported that two GOP senators were withholding support over concerns about the settlement, which gave Trump tax audit immunity and created the fund. Reuters said Blanche cleared a key nomination hurdle after a deal won senators’ votes, and NBC reported that the standoff had delayed the nomination until the fund dispute was resolved.

CBS News reported that Blanche overcame skepticism from Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina over the fund, showing how the dispute reached beyond the committee room and into the broader Republican conference. The result left Blanche with a narrower but still viable route to confirmation, one that depends on whether undecided Republicans settle on support or decide the political cost is too high.

Murkowski remained undecided, ABC News reported, and Alaska coverage said her vote could make or break Trump’s attorney general nomination. Cassidy’s meeting with Blanche suggested the Louisiana senator was still weighing the same question as Murkowski: whether the fund deal and the rest of Blanche’s record were enough to satisfy senators worried about the Department of Justice’s independence and the balance of power between Congress and the executive branch.