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A social media post by Sen. Ruben Gallego (R-AZ) saying he would “likely miss a few votes” sparked anxiety among those hoping to defeat acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s confirmation vote until he wrote a follow-up post reassuring that he would make sure to be present for that one.
After several delays, the Senate Judiciary Committee did vote to advance Blanche’s confirmation on a party-line vote, but the GOP majority in the entire Senate is very narrow. With the Democrats unanimously opposing Blanche, Sen. Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) ongoing absence for health reasons, and Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) announcing she would vote no, the Republicans can afford to lose only one more vote, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote.
Currently, both Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) have publicly expressed skepticism about Blanche and said they have not yet been persuaded to vote to approve him. If either votes no, his confirmation will fail to pass.
But if a Democratic senator isn’t present for the vote, that lets Blanche lose a total of two Republicans. In other words, both holdouts from Louisiana and Alaska can give him the thumbs down and Vance’s tie-breaking vote would get him across the finish line.
A tweet by Gallego Thursday, sharing that his wife “underwent an emergency appendectomy,” was met with immediate sympathy and well wishes for her recovery, but also many expressing concerns about the AG confirmation vote.
“While she is doing well, I will be home helping with recovery,” wrote Gallego. “During this time, I will likely miss a few votes and committee hearings. There’s still work to be done before the Senate departs for August recess, and my office is still hard at work. I will be back on Capitol Hill as soon as I can be.”
Punchbowl News congressional reporter Laura Weiss spelled out the math.
Gallego missing the Blanche confirmation vote “significantly changes the math for Senate GOP leaders,” wrote Weiss. “Right now, with Sen. McConnell out, they can only lose 2 R’s and still confirm Blanche on the floor. Dems & Sen. Collins expected to oppose the AG nominee.”
“If Gallego is out too,” she continued, “GOP leaders can lose 3 R votes and still have VP Vance cast a tie-breaking vote. That means R’s would be okay even if both final holdouts – Sens. Murkowski & Cassidy – are no’s.”
A few minutes later, Gallego wrote a new post, reassuring those worried he might miss the vote.
“I will not be missing the vote on Blanche,” he vowed.
Blanche previously served as Deputy Attorney General during Pam Bondi’s tenure, and President Donald Trump appointed him to acting Attorney General after her ouster.
Keeping the gig on a permanent basis requires Senate confirmation, and Blanche has drawn notably vocal criticism, if not outright hostility, from thousands of former DOJ employees, former judges, attorneys, bar associations, and other legal advocacy groups — plus even some pointed public commentary from the Republican Senators who will decide his fate.
Blanche’s critics have cited his past work as Trump’s personal lawyer, vindictive prosecutions of Trump’s political opponents, his role in shepherding the pardons for the January 6 Capitol rioters, the handling of the Epstein files, and his controversial interviewwith Jeffrey Epstein’s former girlfriend and accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell — not to mention her transfer shortly thereafter to Federal Prison Camp (FPC) Bryan in Bryan, Texas, a minimum-security facility that is not commonly used to house inmates convicted of crimes as serious as Maxwell’s.
The acting AG’s role in the purported “settlement” of a complaint Trump and his family filed against the IRS is one of the main stumbling blocks for even some Republicans.
The settlement agreement shielded the Trumps from any liability for tax violations and created a $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization fund” that was swiftly denounced as a “slush fund;” Reason magazine senior editor Jacob Sullum blasted it as “brazenly corrupt.”
The vote on Blanche’s confirmation has not yet been officially scheduled, but seems likely within the next few days, ahead of the pending August recess.
The post Democrat Says He’ll ‘Likely Miss a Few Votes’ After Wife’s Surgery But Vows He’ll Be There For Blanche AG Vote first appeared on Mediaite.
