Senate confirms Blanche as AG, passes CR; voter ID bill blocked again

The Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as U.S. Attorney General on Saturday. Five Democratic senators issued opposition statements; one Republican senator issued a statement in support.

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., offered the most expansive critique. "He has used the Department of Justice to enrich the President of the United States — leveraging the power of the DOJ and IRS to make the president, his family, and his businesses more money and to provide immunity for their actions — that is not the job of an Attorney General," Schiff said. He added: "Under Blanche, the Justice Department has become an instrument of revenge and reward."

Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, called Blanche "the architect of the $1.8 billion taxpayer-funded slush fund for convicted January 6 insurrectionists who stormed our Capitol and assaulted law enforcement officers." Padilla said: "His confirmation will be a setback for the independence of the Department of Justice."

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., citing her background, said: "As a former federal prosecutor, I can say with certainty that Todd Blanche is unfit to lead the Department of Justice." Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., said Blanche "demonstrated" his lack of integrity "when he defended the President's attempts to overturn the 2020 election, when he defended the President's hush money payments, and he demonstrated it when he committed to enacting a national ban on distributing medication abortion." Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., said: "Under Todd Blanche's leadership, the DOJ will continue putting President Trump's personal and political interests ahead of justice and accountability for victims."

On the other side, Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., said Blanche's tenure as acting AG had produced results: "Under Todd Blanche's leadership as Acting Attorney General, the U.S. Department of Justice has increased arrests of violent criminals, protected against terrorist activities and focused on stopping the flow of illegal drugs like fentanyl into our communities."

The Senate passed a continuing resolution extending government funding through December 11, averting a shutdown ahead of the September 30 fiscal year deadline.

Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., framed the vote in broad terms: "The American people deserve a government that works for them, and that means keeping the government open and operating. Today, the Senate passed a short-term spending bill that puts American workers and families first."

Sen. Hoeven, an Appropriations Committee member, pointed toward the next step: "We will continue working to find agreement to pass the full-year appropriations bills in a way that responsibly funds our priorities while reducing spending to help with the debt and deficit."

Sen. Luján voted for the CR despite opposing Blanche earlier in the day. He said the resolution "averts another Republican government shutdown, provides stability for families and communities" and "prevents Trump from further politicizing and disrupting federal grants that communities across New Mexico rely on."

The Senate fell short of the 60 votes needed to advance Sen. Jon Husted's photo ID bill, S. 5271, on a 52–46 vote. It is at least the third time Democrats have blocked a version of the SAVE Act this year.

Husted, R-Ohio — the only Republican senator with prior experience as a secretary of state — framed his bill narrowly in floor remarks: "So tonight, this early morning, I'm offering a clean, simple, straightforward bill to require a photo ID to vote in America. Voters can use a driver's license, a state issued ID, passport, military or veteran's ID, or tribal ID. No additional restrictions, no tricks, no games, no prohibitions on absentee voting."

Sen. Padilla, D-Calif., the Ranking Member of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, led Democratic opposition on the floor. "Here we are, after months and months of debating this bill. We should be debating how to bring costs down for working families across the country," Padilla said. He argued the bill goes beyond existing state laws: "As written, this bill is stricter than most voter ID in states that already have a voter ID law in place. This goes further, requiring voters to include a copy of their ID when they vote by mail."

Sen. Hoeven, a cosponsor of the broader SAVE America Act, said after the vote: "While Democrats continue to oppose this legislation, we are working with the White House and our colleagues to find a path forward for the SAVE America Act, so the American people have trust in the integrity of our elections."

The Senate unanimously passed the Officer John Barnes and Chief Michael Ansbro Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program Expansion Act, a bipartisan bill from Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.

The bill would require the Bureau of Justice Assistance to complete death or disability benefit determinations within 270 days and would expedite processing for officers already certified through the World Trade Center Health Program.

"Today, we are one step closer to fixing a slow and broken process that keeps first responders and their families in limbo for years on end, including those who risked and lost their lives on 9/11," Gillibrand said. "It is time to bring them the relief they deserve. I am proud that the Senate has passed this bill, and I now urge the House to do the same."

Senators from Colorado and Utah introduced a bipartisan resolution honoring five wildland firefighters — Emily Barker, Nicholas Hutcherson, Sydney Watson, Nathan Matthews, and Nicholas Dale — who died fighting wildfires on Utah's eastern border last month.

Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., who led the resolution, said: "Our hearts are with the families, loved ones, and fellow firefighters grieving the loss of the five wildland firefighters who gave their lives protecting others."

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said the firefighters "dropped into the eye of the storm via helicopter to fight the wildfires ripping through Utah's eastern border. Their sacrifice will always be remembered in the lands they protected." The resolution was co-led by Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., and Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah.

Signals

• volume14 releases on a Saturday runs 160.5% above the Saturday average of 5.4, driven by three simultaneous floor outcomes generating back-to-back statement volleys.
• coordinatedFive Democratic senators — Schiff, Padilla, Cortez Masto, Smith, and Luján — each issued Blanche opposition statements between 13:03 and 15:52 Eastern, a rolling wave consistent with a coordinated rollout timed to the confirmation vote.
• volumeSen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., issued three releases in 45 minutes (08:11–08:56 Eastern), covering the CR, the Blanche confirmation, and the voter ID vote — an unusually concentrated single-senator burst.
• recessThe Senate is two days from the August state work period; Saturday's compressed floor schedule — three major votes — reflects a pre-recess push.
• silent breaksSen. Lindsey Graham, R-SC, has been quiet for 25 days; Sen. Alan Armstrong, R-OK, for 23 days; Sen. Roger F. Wicker, R-MS, for 17 days — none issued releases on a day with three high-profile floor votes.

Quiet desks

Senators with no release in two weeks or more.

• Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-SC25d
• Sen. Alan Armstrong, R-OK23d
• Sen. Roger F. Wicker, R-MS17d