Todd Blanche's nomination to become attorney general suffered a new obstacle after the Senate Judiciary Committee postponed the vote scheduled for this week, amid differences between Republican lawmakers and the Department of Justice (DOJ) over the agreement reached between President Donald Trump and the IRS.
The decision was announced by the office of Senator Chuck Grassley, chairman of the committee, who explained that there are not yet the necessary votes to issue a favorable recommendation on Blanche's appointment.
Republicans demand written guarantees
The main point of disagreement revolves around the documentation related to the out-of-court agreement between Trump and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), in addition to the so-called “Anti-Armment Fund”, a program promoted by the DOJ that has been questioned by conservative legislators.
Senator John Cornyn, whose vote is key for the candidacy to advance, assured that the Department of Justice has not delivered the documents that support the commitments made by Blanche during her confirmation hearing.
“There is no real need for a meeting if they simply present the documentation that we have requested,” Cornyn told reporters.
The legislator explained that he seeks to ensure that the commitment to eliminate the so-called fund is formally established and that the scope of the agreement related to the tax audits of Trump, his family and his companies is also modified.
The candidacy is on pause
Another of the Republicans who maintains reservations is Senator Thom Tillis, who stated that there has been progress in the negotiations, although they are still not enough to support the nomination.
“We're not there yet, and on this issue, I fully support what Cornyn is trying to do,” Tillis stated.
Meanwhile, Blanche held private meetings with several senators on Capitol Hill, although a planned meeting with Cornyn was canceled due to lack of progress.
The Justice Department delivered a draft to eliminate the controversial fund of approximately $1.8 billion, but it did not incorporate the requested changes regarding the agreement with the IRS, which keeps the process stalled.
Cornyn even hinted that the White House could be intervening in the negotiations and rejected Trump's statements, who suggested that the senator's opposition was due to political differences arising from the Republican primaries.
For now, the Judiciary Committee will continue negotiating with the Justice Department before setting a new date to vote on Blanche's candidacy.
