Cornyn to back Blanche after deal with DOJ

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) said Tuesday he will vote to advance Todd Blanche's nomination to be attorney general after reaching a deal limiting a controversial legal settlement the Justice Department brokered to resolve President Trump's lawsuit against the IRS.

"While this may sound like nitpicking to some, it's critically important — not only to me but to other members of the Senate," he said ahead of a Judiciary Committee vote on Mr. Blanche's nomination.

Sens. Cornyn and Thom Tillis (R-NC), both of whom are leaving office in January, had demanded written assurances that the settlement no longer includes a controversial $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund and narrows the scope of the president's IRS immunity deal. Without those assurances, the pair threatened to vote against Mr. Blanche's nomination in the Judiciary Committee, which would have blocked it from reaching the Senate floor.

"Given this agreement with Mr. Blanche, I expect the department to live up to this in future litigation, and I will vote to advance him out of the committee today. But my vote to advance Mr. Blanche’s nomination goes beyond this document," Sen. Cornyn said.

"We need a stabilizing force at the Department of Justice, and Mr. Blanche deserves the opportunity to provide that, as opposed to continuing to serve in an acting capacity and as the deputy attorney general. The Department of Justice does not need a temporary, unconfirmed nominee as our nation's top law enforcement officer."

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