Senate Judiciary Committee Advances Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s Nomination

August 04, 2026 11:03 AM ET The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Tuesday to advance acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s nomination after two Republicans threatened the confirmation process. The committee cleared his nomination after the holdouts, Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, voted “yes” on the advancement. The senators were initially hesitant to support the nomination as they demanded that the Department of Justice (DOJ) formally end the $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund in exchange for their support. Cornyn and Tillis announced Monday they would vote in favor of Blanche after the DOJ released written documentation confirming the fund had been rescinded, which intended to provide compensation for those claiming the government was weaponized