The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 12-10 along party lines Tuesday to advance acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to a full Senate confirmation vote, clearing a major hurdle in his bid to become the nation’s permanent attorney general.
Senate Republicans are now expected to hold a confirmation vote before lawmakers leave Washington later this week, according to a Senate Republican source.
The vote came after Republican Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC) and John Cornyn (R-TX) — who had previously withheld support — voted to advance Blanche after receiving written commitments that the Justice Department would formally rescind the controversial Anti-Weaponization Fund.
“They’ve been consistent about their assertion on behalf of the United States of America that the weaponization fund is dead, and of course I expect them to live up to that in any future litigation.”
Cornyn told the committee the agreement provided the assurances he had been seeking. He argued that confirming a permanent attorney general would provide stability for the Justice Department.
Tillis had also pressed Blanche to meet personally with victims connected to Jeffrey Epstein and work with lawmakers to ensure the fund could not be revived. Both senators ultimately voted yes.
Democrats remained unanimously opposed.
Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) claimed Blanche failed to demonstrate he would be willing to stand up to President Trump when necessary.
“Throughout the decades since the Watergate crisis, both parties have consistently recognized the importance of an attorney general who can and will stand up to the president and say no, and serve as an attorney general in defense of the Constitution, not just the agenda of any one president,” Coons said. “Will acting Attorney General Blanche meet that standard? We have clear evidence he will not.”
Coons also argued that Blanche’s agreement to eliminate the Anti-Weaponization Fund was insufficient, saying nothing would prevent him from reinstating it after confirmation.
The committee’s top Democrat, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), focused his criticism on the Justice Department’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files. Durbin accused Blanche of overseeing efforts to review the files for references to Trump and criticized the department’s release of documents containing identifying information about Epstein survivors while allegedly shielding powerful associates.
“Mr. Blanche refused to tell me who gave this order, but former Attorney General Bondi made it clear, saying Blanche was in charge of the Epstein files,” Durbin said.
Durbin also criticized Blanche’s recent meeting with Epstein survivors, calling it a “box-checking exercise” and accusing him of refusing to pursue investigative leads suggested by the victims.
Blanche has consistently defended the department’s handling of the Epstein investigation.
He argues the Justice Department has been transparent and remains committed to prosecuting anyone found to have committed crimes connected to Epstein.
“We have been extraordinarily transparent. There are no closed investigations,” Blanche told lawmakers earlier in the confirmation process. “If we learn today, if we learn next week, if we learn next month that there’s an individual who we can investigate, indict, and prosecute out of the Epstein files, you better believe that we will.”
Republicans also questioned Blanche on the Justice Department’s review of the D.C. Five case involving five aborted babies recovered from a Washington abortion clinic in 2022.
Earlier this month, more than 50 Republican lawmakers urged Blanche to investigate whether the babies were victims of illegal partial-birth abortions or infanticide. The Justice Department has since said it is reviewing the matter and will investigate any credible allegations of criminal conduct.
President Trump strongly backed Blanche’s nomination throughout the confirmation process, praising his performance as acting attorney general.
“Todd has done a PHENOMENAL job,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “He is tough, brilliant, and 100% LOYAL to our Constitution, and the American People.”
The full Senate vote is expected before the August recess begins.
