Senators Must Ask Blanche About the 'Smoking Gun' Memo Before Thursday's Vote
Darline Graham's arrival hands Republicans a 12-10 edge — leaving Cornyn and Tillis holding the AG vote over the memo typed the morning Blanche met Maxwell.
Chuck Grassley gavels the Senate Judiciary Committee to a vote Thursday morning on Todd Blanche's nomination for attorney general. The math changed two weeks ago. Darline Graham took her late brother's Judiciary seat on July 21. She restored the Republicans' 12-10 edge, and she counts as a likely yes. That leaves two Republicans holding the outcome: John Cornyn and Thom Tillis.
Cornyn wants Blanche's commitments in writing — kill the $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund, tighten Trump's audit-immunity deal. Asked whether Blanche should count on his vote without them, Cornyn said: “That is correct.” Tillis says he still lacks what he needs. Both men run their stated doubts through Blanche's handling of the Epstein files. Grassley already recessed one committee vote when his own members failed to show. “Kind of rude,” he said.
