Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana announced Friday morning that he will support Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general, all but ensuring the controversial nominee will have the votes needed to be confirmed to lead the Justice Department.
“All considered, I will vote for Mr. Blanche,” Cassidy said on the Senate floor, ending days of suspense about how the final undecided Republican senator would cast his ballot.
Cassidy’s support gives Blanche the 50 votes he needs, according to The Guardian and other outlets tracking the count. With Senate Majority Leader John Thune holding an effective majority of only 52 seats due to Sen. Mitch McConnell’s absence from the chamber for a serious health issue, and all 47 Senate Democrats expected to vote against Blanche, Cassidy’s vote became the deciding factor.
Two other centrist Republicans, Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, announced opposition to Blanche on Friday. Collins announced her “no” vote earlier in the week, citing concerns that the Justice Department under Blanche’s leadership has “become increasingly political” and that he approved protections shielding Trump and his family from IRS audits. Murkowski released her opposition statement Friday morning, stating she was not confident Blanche would serve as an effective check on Trump, his former personal criminal defense lawyer.
Cassidy said he had raised concerns with Blanche in recent weeks about allegations of “lawfare” at the Justice Department, including efforts to indict former Trump White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson, who testified against Trump in the 2022 House investigation of the January 6 Capitol attack. The Louisiana senator met with Blanche in the Capitol basement on Wednesday to discuss these concerns before making his decision.
Blanche’s path to confirmation was cleared after resolving an earlier standoff with Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina. Both senators had delayed a committee vote in late July, demanding written assurances that a controversial $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund would be rescinded. On August 4, Blanche issued an order confirming “beyond any doubt, that there is no Fund,” resolving the impasse and allowing the Trump’s DOJ scraps $1.8B anti-weaponization fund to clear Blanche’s path to AG committee to advance his nomination on a party-line vote Tuesday.
Senate Republicans hope to hold a final confirmation vote this week before the August recess. Cassidy’s announcement removes the last obstacle to Blanche’s confirmation, though Collins and Murkowski’s opposition will not prevent the nomination from advancing given the Republican majority and Cassidy’s “yes” vote.
Sources
- The Hill — Cassidy’s announcement of support for Blanche and the vote count needed for confirmation
- The Guardian — Cassidy’s vote bringing Blanche to 50 votes with Murkowski and Collins voting no
- NBC News — Cassidy’s morning announcement and confirmation dynamics
- CNBC — Blanche’s vote requirements and Cassidy’s support
- NPR — Earlier delay in July over settlement changes demanded by GOP senators
- Federal News Network — Blanche’s August 3 order rescinding the anti-weaponization fund after negotiations
- Roll Call — Cornyn and Tillis voting to advance Blanche after the fund rescission deal
