Collins will oppose Blanche, narrowing nominee’s path to confirmation

Senator Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine, has announced that she will vote against Todd Blanche's nomination for attorney general. This move narrows Blanche's path to confirmation, as he can now only afford one more Senate Republican defection and still get confirmed.

Blanche was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee with a 12-10 vote, with all Republicans voting in favor and all Democrats opposed. The committee vote came after Blanche provided written assurances that a controversial fund was ended. However, some Democrats, including Senator Richard Blumenthal, expressed concerns that the fund could still be revived.

To be confirmed, Blanche will need to receive 50 votes on the Senate floor. Several GOP senators, including Lisa Murkowski and Bill Cassidy, have not committed to voting for him. Senator Cory Booker criticized Blanche ahead of the committee vote, saying that the Senate would "rue the day" if Blanche were given more power under President Trump.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Hill, CNBC World, Live Mint, CBS News, CNBC — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.