The confirmation of acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche remains uncertain after a senior Republican senator questioned whether enough support exists to secure his appointment.
Speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press, Senator John Kennedy said he was unsure whether President Donald Trump could persuade Republican holdouts to back Blanche’s nomination.
“And if I were betting your house, it would just be a maybe,” Kennedy said after adding that he “wouldn’t bet my house on it.”
Republican senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis have withheld their support, demanding written proof that the Department of Justice has permanently abandoned a proposed $1.8 billion compensation fund for people claiming political persecution by the department.
The senators have also called fpr changes to an agreement involving Trump and the Internal Revenue Service that limits investigations into the president, his family and his businesses.
According to NBC News, Blanche met privately with Cornyn on Thursday in an effort to resolve the dispute. Cornyn later described the talks as “constructive,” but said “not there yet.”
The uncertainty prompted Trump last week to suggest temporarily withdrawing Blanche’s nomination until Cornyn and Tillis leave office in January.
A Senate Judiciary Committee vote on Blanche’s nomination, originally scheduled for Thursday, has been postponed until Tuesday, although it remains unclear whether the committee will proceed as planned.
