Todd Blanche’s nomination to become attorney general is set to clear the Senate Judiciary Committee tomorrow and could get through the full Senate by week’s end.
After Republican Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina and John Cornyn of Texas said they’d support Blanche, Majority Leader John Thune said this afternoon that “hopefully” a final confirmation vote can happen before the chamber leaves Washington until September.
“I’d like to figure out a pathway to get him done,” Thune said.
With the absence of Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Thune will need 50 of the 52 GOP senators to vote for Blanche (assuming full Democratic opposition).
Without a time agreement among all 100 senators, and if Democrats fight Blanche as hard as they can, he wouldn’t get confirmed until Saturday.
Still, Blanche’s confirmation prospects are looking much brighter.