Sen. Lisa Murkowski announced Friday that she will oppose confirming President Donald Trump’s attorney general nominee, Todd Blanche, raising more questions about whether Blanche can be confirmed.
Blanche, a Senate-confirmed deputy attorney general who is currently serving as acting attorney general, needs 51 votes in the Senate to win confirmation. In addition to Murkowski, Sen. Susan Collins previously announced that she would oppose Blanche’s confirmation.
With Republicans holding 53 seats in the Senate, there is little margin for error. With Murkowski and Collins opposed, and Sen. Mitch McConnell in Kentucky undergoing rehabilitation, Republicans likely cannot afford another defection. If Collins and Murkowski are the only Republicans to vote no, Vice President JD Vance would cast the tie-breaking vote.
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“The country needs an attorney general who will check the worst impulses of this administration. I hope Mr. Blanche is able to achieve that, if confirmed, but I simply do not have confidence that will be the case,” Murkowski said.
One lingering issue has been a so-called “anti-weaponization fund.” The fund would have provided $1.8 billion to people who believed they were unfairly targeted by the Department of Justice. Critics have said the fund could have allowed people who rioted at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to receive compensation, a claim the Trump administration has not disputed.
To help secure support for Blanche’s nomination, the Trump administration agreed to drop the fund. After the administration said it would no longer pursue the $1.8 billion proposal, Republican Sens. Thom Tillis and John Cornyn said they would support Blanche’s confirmation.
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Questions now remain about how Sen. Bill Cassidy might vote. Cassidy has expressed concerns about a Justice Department led by Blanche.
Even if Cassidy votes no and the confirmation stalls, Blanche could remain in charge of the Justice Department on an interim basis.
