Senate votes to confirm Todd Blanche as attorney general

The Senate narrowly confirmed Todd Blanche to be Attorney General by a vote of 50-49 early this morning. As expected, Republican Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski were the only two Republicans to vote against Blanche's nomination. Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy voted with the rest of his GOP colleagues in favor of Blanche after announcing his intention to do so in a floor speech Friday morning. All Democrats opposed the nomination. Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell was absent from the vote. The vote was gaveled down at 4:31 a.m. There was light applause in the chamber. All eyes were on Cassidy after two other Republican senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, announced their opposition to President Donald Trump's nominee. Cassidy, in a speech on the Senate floor, said that he is supporting Blanche because he sees him as more favorable than potential alternatives. "Mr. Blanche is not perfect, and he will tell you this. But the choice is not between perfection and Mr. Blanche. It is between Mr. Blanche and another acting attorney general, who may not run the department effectively under President Trump, and who indeed may not be as good as Mr. Blanche," the senator said. "This puts at risk the progress made fighting violent crime, human and drug trafficking and fraud. And this does not serve the American people well." "This is not a referendum on President Trump. It is a decision regarding Mr. Blanche and very specific circumstances. All considered, I will vote for Mr. Blanche. I'll be criticized for this vote. What's new?" Cassidy said. Murkowski said in a statement released Friday morning that she had "numerous constructive meetings" with Blanche and described him as "decent and capable." "Ultimately, however, I will oppose his nomination," Murkowski said in a statement, citing concerns about what she described as the politicization and "weaponization" of the Justice Department. "The politicization -- even weaponization -- of the Department did not start with this administration but has accelerated during it," Murkowski said. Among the issues she cited were the handling of the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, what she called "sweeping immunity protections" granted to the president, his family and their businesses, statements made to anti-abortion groups, and what she described as the repeated targeting of individuals ranging from former administration staff to sitting U.S. senators. "The country needs an Attorney General who will check the worst impulses of this administration," Murkowski added. "I hope Mr. Blanche is able to achieve that, if confirmed, but I simply do not have confidence that will be the case." Earlier this week, Collins said in a statement that she would vote no on Blanche's nomination. "While I believe Mr. Blanche is a capable lawyer, the Department of Justice has become increasingly political," Collins said in a statement. "Mr. Blanche has taken several actions that have further eroded the Department's independence, and that is the basis for my vote to oppose his confirmation."