Senate panel delays Blanche AG vote over IRS settlement demands

Republican senators on the Judiciary Committee postponed a key vote Wednesday on confirming Todd Blanche as attorney general, citing unfinished business over a May settlement between the IRS and President Trump. The delay leaves Blanche's path to the full Senate uncertain even as the nominee has already taken the acting role at the Justice Department.

The settlement ended a $10 billion lawsuit filed by Trump and his sons after a former IRS contractor leaked their tax returns to the media. In exchange, the IRS agreed to end certain audits of Trump, his family, and the Trump Organization. The agreement also included language creating what critics called an anti-weaponization fund of roughly $1.8 billion to compensate people who claimed they suffered from politicized Justice Department actions. That provision drew immediate bipartisan pushback and was blocked by a federal judge before any money changed hands.

Blanche has stated publicly that the fund is finished. Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina want more than statements. They are demanding written, binding assurances that the language cannot be revived and that the audit protections do not extend to future tax filings. A committee spokesperson confirmed the Thursday markup was pulled to give the Department of Justice time to address those points.

Cornyn told reporters the department had been slow to respond and that the ball remained in Blanche's court. Tillis had already signaled he might not support advancing the nomination without clearer limits. With Democrats expected to vote no, either senator could block the nomination from reaching the full Senate. The committee has 12 Republicans and 10 Democrats.

The episode shows how even Trump-aligned senators can slow the confirmation process when they see loose ends in agreements struck by the administration. Cornyn, who recently lost his primary, has taken a particularly direct tone, accusing the Justice Department of stonewalling on simple requests for clarification. The settlement's tax immunity language remains in the signed document, which is why the two senators insist on changes rather than verbal pledges.

Blanche's hearing earlier this month covered the settlement along with other Justice Department matters. Supporters point out that he is already running the department in an acting capacity and argue the concerns can be resolved without derailing a qualified nominee. The postponement does not kill the nomination, but it adds another layer of internal Republican friction at a time when the administration wants swift confirmations.

No new vote date has been set. The committee statement said work continues to line up enough support to report the nomination favorably. For now, the focus stays on whether written changes to the IRS agreement will satisfy the two holdouts before the full Senate can consider Blanche.