Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a moderate Republican from Alaska, said early Friday she will not vote to confirm President Donald Trump's pick to be U.S. attorney general, Todd Blanche, a decision that further shrinks the GOP's room for error in the closely divided Senate.
Why Murkowski opposed the nomination
Murkowski framed her opposition around concerns that the administration could still move forward with a proposed compensation program aimed at people prosecuted after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack. The plan — widely reported as a roughly $1.8 billion fund — was described by critics as a means to reimburse political allies who have been targeted by Department of Justice prosecutions.
Although Blanche submitted a written assurance that the payout program was dead and later issued a formal order terminating the initiative, Murkowski said she does not trust that the policy could not be resurrected by the administration. She argued the Senate retains leverage over the issue so long as Blanche’s nomination remains pending.
“The country needs an Attorney General who will check the worst impulses of this administration. I hope Mr Blanche is able to achieve that, if confirmed, but I simply do not have confidence that will be the case,”
Her statement, posted on X, reiterated a position she had signaled earlier in the week and made explicit on Friday. The shift matters because Blanche’s path to confirmation is already narrow: Republicans control the Senate by a 53-47 margin, but the chamber’s functional majority is reduced by the absence of Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell, who is not currently attending sessions for health reasons.
Confirmation dynamics and recent developments
Blanche, who had been serving as acting attorney general, won a 12-10 vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier in the week after persuading Republican holdouts he would not pursue the payout fund. That backing from committee Republicans came after negotiations with two GOP senators — Thom Tillis and John Cornyn — who had been blocking the nomination but were eventually swayed.
Late Sunday, Blanche issued a formal order terminating the proposed fund, a move that followed weeks of discussions with senators who expressed concern. Despite that action, Murkowski and others argue the written assurances and order do not provide sufficient guarantees that the program could not be reinstated if Blanche is confirmed.
- Key hinge points: Blanche’s confirmation would shift him from acting to permanent attorney general, granting the administration steadier control of the Justice Department.
- Senate arithmetic: With a narrow GOP majority and at least one high-profile absence, every Republican senator’s vote is consequential.
- Policy leverage: Senators cited the pending nomination as leverage to force Blanche’s disavowal of the fund; Murkowski said that leverage remains reason enough to withhold support.
| Senate Composition | Number |
|---|---|
| Republicans | 53 |
| Democrats | 47 |
| Not currently attending (Sen. McConnell) | 1 |
Consequences and context
Murkowski’s opposition illustrates the precarious balance Senate Republicans face when confirming high-profile executive branch nominees. Even with committee approval, floor confirmation can be derailed if the chamber’s majority is effectively reduced or if additional GOP senators decide to join Murkowski in opposition.
The dispute spotlights broader questions about the Justice Department’s independence and the extent to which political pressure and presidential priorities may shape prosecutorial decisions. For senators who demanded Blanche’s assurances, the pending nomination was a bargaining chip to secure a formal end to the proposed compensation program. Murkowski’s refusal to vote for confirmation underscores skepticism that those assurances are durable once a nominee is installed as the department’s permanent leader.
The move also tightens the timeline for Republican leaders seeking to marshal votes. With Blanche’s committee vote completed and the administration eager to solidify leadership at Justice, attention now turns to floor scheduling and whether Blanche can bridge remaining doubts among Senate Republicans.
As the confirmation fight proceeds, the debate over the proposed fund and its implications for rule of law and accountability will remain central to lawmakers’ evaluations of Blanche and the broader direction of the Justice Department.
Reporting contributed by The Associated Press.
