Republican Sens. Bill Cassidy and Lisa Murkowski met on Capitol Hill Wednesday afternoon with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche as they weigh whether to support Blanche’s nomination to serve as attorney general, sources told ABC News.
Republican Sen. Susan Collins said Tuesday she would vote against Blanche’s nomination when it reaches the Senate floor, possibly by the end of the week. With GOP Sen. Mitch McConnell’s absence and Democrats voting against him, a “no” vote from either Cassidy or Murkowski would sink Blanche’s nomination.
Cassidy has said he’s worried about the “lawfare” at the Department of Justice, referencing those who have been prosecuted because “somebody in high office is angry at them,” presumably referring to President Donald Trump.
Cassidy also wants assurances that Blanche doesn’t just view himself at a lawyer for President Trump.
“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,” he told SiriusXM Wednesday.
Murkowski, who has been noncommittal about whether she will support Blanche, said Wednesday she hasn’t made up her mind on Blanche.
Asked going into the meeting if she supported Blanche, Murkowski said, “I have chosen not to comment on Mr. Blanche’s nomination today. There will be news forthcoming but until such time we’re not commenting.”
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted by a 12-10 party line vote Tuesday to advance Blanche’s nomination for a vote by the full Senate later this week.
Republican Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis, who had said they wouldn’t vote to confirm Blanche over concerns over President Donald Trump’s IRS immunity deal and the administration’s so-called $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” voted to advance Blanche out of the committee and to a vote on the Senate floor after they said they were satisfied with an agreement reached with Blanche.
Despite the fact that the agreement reached has no language preventing the resurrection of the controversial fund under a different name or method, Cornyn said the DOJ has been “consistent” about its assertions that the fund is dead.
“And of course, I expect them to live up to that in any future litigation,” Cornyn said.
