Two lame-duck GOP senators stall confirmation of Todd Blanche for AG

President Trump’s pick for Attorney General, Todd Blanche, is facing roadblocks in his confirmation process as the vote was called off 24 hours before it was set to be held after two Republican senators threatened to obstruct the acting AG’s road to becoming the permanent chief law enforcement officer, per The New York Post.

Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Tom Tillis (R-N.C.), both of whom are set to leave their posts next year, have been a thorn in the side of Blanche, who previously served as deputy attorney general under Pam Bondi, as he likely needs their votes in the slim Republican-held Senate majority, especially as both senators sit on the Senate Judiciary Committee, where a single "no" vote would derail Blanche entirely.

Both senators, who have had intense run-ins with the President over the first half of his term, have demanded a list of what they call “written assurances” from Blanche before they vote to confirm the Colorado native.

Some notable requirements on that list come from North Carolina Sen. Tom Tillis, who said that though he leans toward confirmation, in order for the acting AG to earn his vote, he has two weeks to meet with victims of the infamous financier Jeffrey Epstein.

“I have a positive predisposition, just so that everybody knows. I have not made a final decision,” Tillis said according to the New York Post. “But Mr. Blanche said very quickly yesterday that he would meet with the victims, the Epstein victims, today, if it could be arranged. Because it seemed to me that Mr. Blanche was willing to say that he would meet with them and counsel — I understand the restriction that counsel has to be present — I expect that meeting to occur before I’m willing to vote out of this committee.”

Cornyn, for his part, along with Tillis, has demanded that the administration formally declare the $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund proposal by the White House dead, along with narrowing tax immunity provisions for the Trump family.

Cornyn, who was defeated in a noncompetitive Republican primary runoff election by Trump-endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, has said he needs explicit legal language from Blanche before the Thursday vote to confirm. Politico reports.

“We actually sent them a red-line strikeout of what we need, and they just need to make a decision,” Cornyn said Wednesday.

President Trump, who has faced some difficulties corralling a particularly unruly Republican Senate to vote for his agenda items, when asked about the hold-up, suggested that Cornyn was upset with him due to his endorsement of Paxton for the Texas Senate, Politico reports.