Murkowski Puts Blanche Confirmation in Jeopardy

Todd Blanche's path to becoming attorney general just got a lot rockier. Sen. Lisa Murkowski said Friday she will vote no on Blanche, making her the second Republican to break with the party after Sen. Susan Collins, reports Axios. Blanche cannot afford to lose any more Republican votes, and Sen. Bill Cassidy has not said which way he will vote. The confirmation may come down to the outgoing Louisiana senator, notes Politico. The GOP holds a 53-47 majority in the chamber, but Mitch McConnell's absence leaves them shy of a crucial vote. For the record, McConnell has not said which way he would vote, either.

"The country needs an Attorney General who will check the worst impulses of this administration," Murkowski wrote Friday on X. "I hope Mr. Blanche is able to achieve that, if confirmed, but I simply do not have confidence that will be the case." She is particularly worried that he will revive the $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization fund," though Blanche has declared in writing that it's dead. That declaration was key to getting his nomination out of committee and before the full Senate. Majority Leader John Thune says he still plans a vote before the August recess and remains "hopeful and optimistic."