Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche faces a critical test from a key Republican vote as Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) signals he will condition his support on guarantees that Blanche will aggressively restrict access to mifepristone, the abortion pill.
According to Politico's Alice Miranda Ollstein, Blanche's path to confirmation is already fraught with peril. He faces hostile Democrats and a growing contingent of Republicans still seething over his backing of Trump's $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization fund"—a proposal that collapsed after a GOP revolt.
Now, Hawley is adding another roadblock, Politico is reporting. In an interview on Wednesday, the Missouri senator made clear he wants assurance that Blanche, a staunch abortion opponent, will settle multiple lawsuits over mifepristone and "clear the way for potential restrictions on the medication."
Hawley currently leans toward supporting Blanche's confirmation, but with conditions.
"It would be a shock to me if he says, 'No, we're not going to do that,'" Hawley told Politico, citing Blanche's pro-life record. "He's been very, very good on pro-life issues, so I'm sure he'll be good on this."
The Missouri conservative added he's "interested in what [Blanche's] timeline is and how he gets there," signaling that an unsatisfactory answer could flip his vote during confirmation proceedings.
"It's important to my state, and certainly important to pro-lifers," Hawley said.
Trump's Justice Department is already fracturing on abortion policy. The administration is not defending the FDA's policy allowing telehealth prescription and mail delivery of mifepristone—a position that has infuriated pro-life lawmakers and activists who expected Trump to move aggressively against the drug.
The stakes are existential for Blanche's nomination. On the Senate Judiciary Committee, a single Republican vote against confirmation could block him from ever reaching the Senate floor.