Senate Judiciary Committee Postpones Vote on Todd Blanche for Attorney General Amid Republican Holdouts

The Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday postponed a planned vote on the nomination of Todd Blanche to serve as attorney general after two Republican senators withheld their support over unresolved concerns about a controversial Justice Department settlement involving President Donald Trump and the IRS.

Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley’s office confirmed late Wednesday that the Thursday markup had been canceled. A spokesperson said Grassley “works to set President Trump’s nominees up for success in committee, not failure,” and that Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina “want written assurances from the Department of Justice regarding the Trump-IRS settlement.” The statement added that the vote was postponed “as work continues to secure sufficient support in committee to favorably report Attorney General-nominee Todd Blanche, who is highly qualified for the job.”

Cornyn and Tillis have pressed the administration for concrete, written commitments that the Justice Department will permanently abandon a roughly $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund created as part of the settlement of Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS. The fund was intended to compensate individuals the administration viewed as victims of prior politicized enforcement. The senators have also sought narrower language on protections shielding Trump, his family, and related business entities from certain IRS audits or enforcement actions tied to returns filed before the settlement. Cornyn said verbal assurances were insufficient and that he had not received a single piece of writing addressing his requests. He canceled a scheduled meeting with Blanche after the department failed to deliver the documentation he sought.

Because Republicans hold only a narrow majority on the Judiciary Committee, opposition from even one or two members can prevent the nomination from advancing to the full Senate. Blanche, who has been serving as acting attorney general, oversaw aspects of the settlement while in that role. The Justice Department said it looks forward to continuing discussions with senators to address concerns.

President Trump publicly downplayed the obstacles, describing Blanche as “outstanding.” Negotiations between the department and the two senators continued Wednesday without an announced breakthrough. With the Senate approaching its August recess, the postponement leaves the timeline for advancing the nomination uncertain. Further talks will determine whether the committee can schedule a new vote or whether the nomination remains stalled until additional written guarantees are provided.