Blanche AG Confirmation Secured After Cassidy Backs Nominee

Todd Blanche’s confirmation as Attorney General is effectively secured after Senator Bill Cassidy announced he will support the nominee, providing the threshold needed for approval. The development moves the nomination toward final confirmation despite continued resistance from Senator Lisa Murkowski and Senator Susan Collins.

Cassidy’s decision shifts the vote math decisively in Blanche’s favor, officials said, making further defections less likely to change the outcome. The confirmation process is nearing its conclusion after a stretch of uncertainty over leadership at the Department of Justice following the dismissal of the previous interim Attorney General.

Senators cite oversight, Justice Department actions, and policy concerns Murkowski said her opposition centers on whether Blanche would be able to provide independent oversight of the administration. She pointed to Justice Department actions involving immunity grants and the handling of sensitive investigative files as specific areas that, in her view, raise questions about the nominee’s independence.

Collins also remains opposed, citing Blanche’s position on abortion pill distribution. She additionally pointed to unresolved issues linked to a $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund, which has been a focal point of negotiations and scrutiny during the confirmation process.

The $1.8 billion fund and a settlement that has not been formally changed To secure initial advancement from committee, Blanche agreed to terminate the anti-weaponization fund that was created under an IRS settlement. That concession helped the nomination clear an early procedural hurdle, but it did not eliminate all institutional concerns tied to how the fund was established and how it could be handled in the future.

Officials involved in the process said a remaining risk is procedural rather than immediate: the President has not formally modified the underlying settlement. Without that formal change, the possibility remains that the fund could be reactivated, keeping the issue alive even after the confirmation vote.

Confirmation closes a leadership gap at the Justice Department The nomination has unfolded against a backdrop of disruption at the Justice Department, with the process taking on added significance after the prior interim Attorney General was dismissed. The impending confirmation would place Blanche at the head of an agency responsible for federal law enforcement and sensitive investigative decision-making.

Even with the vote count effectively secured, the stated objections from Murkowski and Collins underscore the issues likely to follow the department’s next leadership team. Questions about oversight, the handling of sensitive files, and the durability of commitments made during the confirmation process remain central to how senators frame the stakes of the appointment.