Crisis in the Senate: Two Republicans put Trump's attorney general nominee on the defensive

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, a Republican, postponed a scheduled committee meeting Wednesday night to consider the nomination of Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, after opposition from Republican Senators Thom Tillis and John Cornyn threatened to derail the confirmation process. "Chairman Grassley works to set President Trump's nominees up for success in the committee, not for failure. Senators Cornyn and Tillis want written assurances from the Department of Justice regarding the agreement between Trump and the IRS. Tomorrow's session to consider the nomination has been postponed while efforts continue to secure sufficient support on the committee to issue a favorable report on Attorney General nominee Todd Blanche, who is highly qualified for the position," a spokesperson for Grassley said in a statement.

Both Tillis and Cornyn have made their support contingent on the Department of Justice formally confirming in writing that it will permanently abandon a $1.77 billion compensation fund, previously proposed for individuals who claim to have been victims of alleged "political manipulation" by the Department of Justice.

Speaking to the press, Tillis warned that moving forward with the committee meeting scheduled for Thursday without reaching an agreement could be counterproductive and said he would not attend if the dispute remained unresolved. "If there is pressure to hold the session, I don't want the chairman to have a failed session. So I simply wouldn't be there to provide a quorum, so he wouldn't have to face that eventuality," Tillis said.

Cornyn accused the Department of Justice of refusing to respond to requests he had been making for months, adding that "they have simply refused to cooperate." Since both senators serve on the Judiciary Committee, a "no" vote from either of them could block Blanche's nomination from moving forward.

Blanche spent part of Wednesday on Capitol Hill meeting with lawmakers, while Republican senators sought a written compromise that would officially end the proposed compensation fund. Hours earlier, Cornyn explained that he had sent the Justice Department what he described as a "red line" proposal, detailing the language he wanted included. Although Blanche has insisted that the Department of Justice will drop the proposal, it has not yet provided written confirmation to lawmakers.