Nothing says "party unity" quite like two Republican senators telling their own president's attorney general nominee to sit back down. As Trending Politics reported, Senators Thom Tillis of North Carolina and John Cornyn of Texas have thrown a wrench into Todd Blanche's confirmation by refusing to advance his nomination out of the Judiciary Committee.
Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa pulled the plug on Thursday's scheduled vote late Wednesday night after what can only be described as a political soap opera. A spokesman for Grassley's office put out a statement saying the chairman "works to set President Trump's nominees up for success in committee, not failure." Translation: we're not going to hold a vote just to watch it crash and burn on live television.
So what's the holdup? Both Cornyn and Tillis have been demanding written guarantees from the Department of Justice regarding a settlement between the DOJ and Trump connected to a lawsuit he filed against the IRS. That settlement created a $1.776 billion "anti-weaponization" fund designed to compensate people who were allegedly targeted by politically motivated prosecutions during the Biden Administration, including January 6 protesters, pro-life activists, and other conservative individuals. Blanche, currently serving as acting attorney general, previously said the fund wouldn't move forward. But apparently saying something out loud isn't enough for these two senators, who want it in writing, signed, notarized, and probably laminated.
Cornyn was gloriously blunt with reporters on Capitol Hill Wednesday. "I'm not prepared to vote yes. Let me put it that way," he said, which is Senate-speak for "absolutely not." He went on to say his office literally sent the DOJ a redlined document showing exactly what language they needed. "We're trying to make it easy for them. They won't take the help," he added. When asked why the DOJ hadn't resolved his concerns, Cornyn delivered a gem: "Beats me. Maybe they think I'm just going to give up or, you know, go along, but they're mistaken." He also said the department had "simply refused to cooperate" and that "they better get real."
Tillis took a slightly different approach to his rebellion, suggesting he might just not show up to the vote at all, effectively denying a quorum and torpedoing the whole proceeding. That's the legislative equivalent of taking your ball and going home.
Here's the math that makes this whole situation particularly spicy: Republicans only hold a two seat majority on the Judiciary Committee, which means even one GOP defection is enough to block the nomination. Two defections? That's basically a hostage situation with extra paperwork.
As of Wednesday evening, negotiations between the DOJ and the holdout senators were still ongoing. The Justice Department says it has offered proposals and remains open to further discussion. No new date for a committee vote has been set. So Blanche, who is already doing the job as acting AG, gets to keep doing the job without actually being confirmed to do the job. Welcome to Washington, where nothing makes sense and the votes don't matter until they suddenly do.
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