The Senate Judiciary Committee is delaying the vote to advance Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, according to breaking news.
Andrew Desiderio, the senior congressional reporter for Punchbowl News, shared the news on a post on X alongside a copy of a Senate Judiciary Committee agenda with Blanche's nomination on it. The copy also had the red letters "POSTPONED" across the top.
The committee was initially scheduled to vote on Blanche's confirmation on Thursday, which is a key procedural hurdle the acting attorney general needs to cross before he is confirmed.
The news comes after speculation swirls about whether Blanche will secure the job as President Donald Trump's attorney general, with some GOP senators leaving it uncertain how they'll vote. Blanche can't afford to lose even one GOP vote on the Judiciary Committee if every Democrat votes against him.
Fox News chief congressional correspondent Chad Pergram wrote in a post on X that a spokesperson for Sen. Chuck Grassley, the Judiciary Committee chair, said, "Chairman Grassley works to set President Trump's nominees up for success in committee, not failure."
The statement from Grassley's office mentioned Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), who left it unclear whether they'll vote to advance Blanche.
"Senators Cornyn and Tillis want written assurances from the Department of Justice regarding the Trump-IRS settlement," according to the statement shared by Pergram. "Tomorrow’s markup is 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."
