Sen. Bill Cassidy said he supports confirming President Donald Trump’s attorney general nominee, Todd Blanche, hours after Sen. Lisa Murkowski announced that she would oppose.
Cassidy's support likely clears the way for Blanche's confirmation as the full-time attorney general. Cassidy has expressed concerns about a Justice Department led by Blanche, but said he would support his nomination after conversations with the acting attorney general.
Blanche, a Senate-confirmed deputy attorney general who is currently serving as acting attorney general, needs 51 votes in the Senate to win confirmation. In addition to Murkowski, Sen. Susan Collins previously announced that she would oppose Blanche’s confirmation.
With Republicans holding 53 seats in the Senate, there is little margin for error. With Murkowski and Collins opposed, and Sen. Mitch McConnell in Kentucky undergoing rehabilitation, Republicans cannot afford another defection.
With Cassidy's support, Blanche likely has the 50 votes needed to force Vice President JD Vance to act as the tie-breaking vote.
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One lingering issue has been a so-called “anti-weaponization fund.” The fund would have provided $1.8 billion to people who believed they were unfairly targeted by the Department of Justice. Critics have said the fund could have allowed people who rioted at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to receive compensation, a claim the Trump administration has not disputed.
“The country needs an attorney general who will check the worst impulses of this administration. I hope Mr. Blanche is able to achieve that, if confirmed, but I simply do not have confidence that will be the case,” Murkowski said.
To help secure support for Blanche’s nomination, the Trump administration agreed to drop the fund. After the administration said it would no longer pursue the $1.8 billion proposal, Republican Sens. Thom Tillis and John Cornyn said they would support Blanche’s confirmation.
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