Senate Adjourns Without Vote on Todd Blanche's Attorney General Nomination

Bill Cassidy has a chance for a John McCain moment, Eric Garcia writes. Will he take it? The Senate adjourned late Thursday without any plan to vote on Todd Blanche's confirmation to be attorney general.

By early Friday morning, it became clear why: Sen. Lisa Murkowski, the moderate Republican from Alaska, announced she would not vote to confirm Blanche. Murkowski specifically cited four problems: The Department of Justice's handling of files related to Jeffrey Epstein; President Donald Trump's settlement with the IRS that would prevent audits of him, his family and companies; her lack of credulity that the supposed $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization fund" for Trump's political allies was dead; and statements he made to anti-abortion groups about rolling back abortion protections in every state.

"I am also keenly aware that the Department's nearly $2 billion dollar slush fund—which likely would have rewarded January 6 protesters—is only off the table because this nomination is pending and the Senate has leverage, she said. "Once we vote, that will end, and there is no telling what the future holds.