Murkowski will oppose Blanche nomination, narrowing his path to confirmation

Senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republican from Alaska, has announced that she will oppose the nomination of Todd Blanche as Attorney General. According to NPR, Murkowski stated that she doesn't have confidence that Blanche can check the "worst impulses" of the administration. This move narrows the confirmation path for President Trump's pick to lead the Justice Department.

Murkowski's decision was reported by multiple outlets, including The Hill, CBS News, and Associated Press. The Associated Press also noted that Murkowski expressed concerns about the Trump administration's proposed fund to compensate January 6 rioters, which Blanche has pledged to shelve. However, Murkowski believes that the Senate's leverage over the fund would be lost if Blanche is confirmed.

With Murkowski's opposition, Blanche's nomination now faces an uncertain future. According to Associated Press, Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine has also said she will oppose his nomination, and another key Republican, Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, has not indicated how he will vote. Blanche won over the Senate Judiciary Committee with a 12-10 vote, but he can only afford to lose two Republican votes if all Democrats oppose him, given that Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky is not attending Senate sessions.

Brief written by urgent.news from NPR, The Hill, CBS News, Associated Press — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.