Two Republican senators dropped their opposition to Todd Blanche's nomination for US attorney general on August 4, 2026, after Blanche formally ended a Department of Justice fund that had upset lawmakers from both parties. The Senate Judiciary Committee — the group of senators that reviews nominees before the full Senate votes — was set to vote on the nomination that same morning, after a one-week delay. The Guardian

Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina said they would now vote to move Blanche's nomination forward. The two had wanted guarantees from the Justice Department and the White House related to President Donald Trump's settlement with the IRS. They had refused to support Blanche for the permanent attorney general job without official proof that the fund was being shut down. The Guardian

Blanche issued a written order late Sunday ending the fund after days of talks with the two senators. He had said before that the Justice Department was getting rid of the fund. The fund had drawn anger from both Republicans and Democrats because people who violently attacked police at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 could have been considered for payments. The Guardian

The deal removes the last Republican objection to a nomination that had seemed on track before the August break, according to Republican insiders. The White House sent Blanche's nomination to the Senate on June 8, 2026, and the Judiciary Committee held hearings on July 15 and 16. Senator Dick Durbin entered a statement into the official record saying he had voted against Blanche's confirmation as Deputy Attorney General a year earlier. The Guardian; The White House; Ballotpedia

Blanche, who served as the 40th Deputy Attorney General and has been working as Acting Attorney General, told lawmakers during his hearings that the fund was dead. A group of law enforcement organizations endorsed him for the permanent role. Veterans, legal scholars, and newspaper editorial boards had also urged his confirmation. The White House released a statement on July 31 pushing the Senate to confirm him without delay. The White House; The White House; The White House

The broader context here is tension within the Justice Department's leadership. Blanche, who was President Trump's personal lawyer before joining the government, has faced two challenges at once: winning Senate confirmation and dealing with political fallout from Trump administration policies. The compensation fund became a sticking point when Cornyn and Tillis wanted formal proof it was being eliminated, not just verbal promises. The written order issued late Sunday gave them the concrete action they needed. Reuters; Reuters

The confirmation fight also played out against a busy political backdrop. The Senate voted 89-4 to begin work on a temporary spending bill — a short-term fix that keeps the government running when a full budget hasn't been passed — that would fund the government through December 11. A group of 25 states sued the Trump administration over new tariffs, or import taxes, of 10% to 12.5% on goods from 60 trading partners. Trump declined to call for Representative Max Miller's resignation after his ex-wife Emily Moreno made allegations of domestic abuse. Trump also accused US Attorney Jeanine Pirro of having "folded like an umbrella" after she dropped vandalism charges against a former Olympian accused of damaging the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool. Michigan voters were also choosing between a progressive candidate supporting universal healthcare and a moderate backed by the party establishment in a Democratic Senate primary. The Guardian

For anyone watching this nomination closely, the dynamic between Cornyn, Tillis, and the DOJ shows how much power individual senators can have over executive branch appointments when they join forces around a specific demand. Two Republican senators held up a Republican president's pick for the country's top law enforcement job — and got a written policy change in return for their votes. That illustrates the ongoing tensions between the White House and Congress over the direction of the Justice Department. The elimination of the compensation fund, especially given the concern from both parties about potential payments to January 6 rioters, is a notable policy reversal achieved through the confirmation process rather than through a new law or executive action.