The Maine senator became the first Republican to reject President Donald Trump’s nominee, leaving Todd Blanche able to lose only one additional GOP vote if every Democrat remains opposed.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said Tuesday that she will vote against President Donald Trump’s nomination of Todd Blanche for attorney general, becoming the first Senate Republican to publicly oppose the nominee and sharply reducing the administration’s margin for securing confirmation.
Collins acknowledged that Blanche is “a capable lawyer” but said she could not support his elevation to lead the Justice Department because she believes the agency has “become increasingly political” under his leadership.
With Democrats expected to vote against the nomination, Blanche can afford to lose only one more Republican senator. Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota is operating with an effective 52-seat Republican majority because Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky remains absent while recovering from a serious health issue.
Collins based her decision on several actions she said had weakened the Justice Department’s institutional independence. She argued that the department’s conduct under Blanche had “further eroded the department’s independence” and pointed to a series of decisions involving the Trump family, abortion policy, Democratic senators and compensation for alleged political prosecutions.
Among the actions Collins cited was Blanche’s approval of an order protecting Trump, his sons and the Trump Organization from Internal Revenue Service audits. Collins said comparable safeguards are not available to other taxpayers.
She also criticized Blanche’s role in approving a nearly $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund intended to compensate Trump allies who said they had been unfairly prosecuted during former President Joe Biden’s administration.
Collins additionally objected to Blanche’s reported commitment to an anti-abortion organization that he would attempt to impose a nationwide prohibition on mailing abortion medication.
Another concern involved efforts by federal prosecutors under Blanche to indict Democratic Sens. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan over a video in which they encouraged members of the U.S. military to refuse unlawful orders.
Although Collins called the senators’ remarks “ill-advised,” she said they were “constitutionally protected” and should not have resulted in attempted federal prosecutions.
Collins also cited opposition from more than 1,200 former Justice Department employees who have argued that Blanche damaged the institution and should not be confirmed as attorney general.
Her announcement placed greater attention on Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, neither of whom had disclosed a final position on the nomination as of Tuesday.
Murkowski said she wanted to have further conversations with Blanche before deciding how she would vote. She also said she appreciated his recent trip to remote communities in Alaska, where he discussed law enforcement problems affecting tribal villages.
The Alaska senator has previously criticized a Justice Department settlement involving the IRS and is a supporter of abortion rights, two issues that could influence her consideration of the nomination.
Cassidy has questioned whether Blanche would be capable of acting independently after serving as Trump’s personal attorney. He has also expressed concern about a reported criminal investigation involving former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson.
“I have to make sure that is the attorney general who used to be the president’s personal attorney, not the personal attorney who’s also the attorney general,” Cassidy said last week.
While Collins announced her opposition, two other Republicans who had previously been viewed as possible swing votes said Tuesday that they would support Blanche.
Sen. John Curtis of Utah said he would vote for the nominee following what he described as productive discussions during the confirmation process.
Sen. Jon Husted of Ohio also announced his support after an agreement was reached to rescind the order creating the nearly $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund.
Husted said the decision to withdraw that order had addressed concerns raised by numerous senators and appeared to create a path for Blanche to be confirmed before the end of the week.
The nomination now rests heavily on Murkowski, Cassidy and any other Republicans still weighing their positions. With Collins opposed and the GOP’s working majority reduced by McConnell’s absence, one additional Republican defection could place Blanche’s confirmation in jeopardy if Democrats remain united against him.
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