Senate committee advances Todd Blanche for Attorney General confirmation

The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote this morning on the nomination of Todd Blanche to serve as U.S. Attorney General, after two Republican senators withdrew their opposition following a written commitment from the Department of Justice.

Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina said they ended their resistance after the department provided a formal written pledge to terminate a proposed compensation fund for people who claim they were unfairly prosecuted.

Republican holdouts sought a binding DOJ commitment The Senate Judiciary Committee The disagreement focused on concerns that the proposed fund could open the door to payments for individuals involved in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Cornyn and Tillis pressed the department for a binding step that would eliminate the initiative rather than rely on informal assurances. Blanche had previously signaled that the department would abandon the plan. However, the senators insisted on a written order, arguing that an explicit document would make it harder for the policy to return later under future administrative pressure. Talks ended a delay and cleared a procedural hurdle Officials said the written commitment concluded several days of negotiations between the senators and the Department of Justice. The impasse had slowed the nomination process and contributed to a delay last week.

With Cornyn and Tillis no longer objecting

With Cornyn and Tillis no longer objecting, the committee is expected to advance Blanche’s nomination to the full Senate, where a confirmation vote would be the next step. Compensation fund issue removed from the nomination fight The agreement also locks in the Justice Department’s current policy position on the disputed compensation fund by formally ending the proposal, according to the senators’ demand for a written commitment. That outcome removes a flashpoint that had drawn attention beyond the nomination itself.

What remains unclear is how quickly the full Senate will schedule confirmation proceedings once the committee acts, and whether additional concerns unrelated to the fund will surface as the nomination moves forward.

The immediate effect of the deal is to neutralize a point of bipartisan contention over the proposed fund ahead of the upcoming leadership transition, while keeping the nomination on track for the next procedural stage.