Blanche’s path to confirmation appears clear after winning key Republican’s support
News
President Trump’s nominee for attorney general will likely squeak by in his Senate confirmation, after securing key support from Sen. Bill Cassidy.
The Louisiana Republican said he’s spoken multiple times with Todd Blanche, who has been serving as acting attorney general and has faced an uphill battle in his nomination process.
“I’ll be criticized for this vote,” Cassidy said in remarks Friday from the Senate floor. “What’s new?”
Details
Cassidy acknowledged concerns over Blanche’s judgment in exempting the president from IRS audits and said he was particularly troubled by the Department of Justice bringing suits against the president’s perceived political enemies.
“A never-ending cycle of prosecuting political enemies undermines the rule of law, degrades the public’s trust in our institutions, and makes our politics more extreme,” he said.
Cassidy, who’s been increasingly vocal about opposition to the administration after he lost his renomination bid to a Trump-backed challenger, said that his decision is not a referendum on the president.
Analysis
“Mr. Blanche is not perfect, and he will tell you this,” Cassidy said. “But the choice is not between perfection and Mr. Blanche. It is between Mr. Blanche and another acting attorney general who may not run the department effectively under President Trump and who indeed may not be as good as Mr. Blanche.”
Cassidy’s support is a major win for the White House.
His announcement came on the heels of fellow Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska announcing she would not support Blanche’s nomination.
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