'We Have the Votes' - Senate FINALLY Delivers For President Donald Trump After Months Of Delays
The Senate is entering a critical stretch as lawmakers work to complete a series of high-profile votes before leaving Washington for their month-long August recess.
While several major priorities appear to have enough support to move forward, one unresolved issue is complicating efforts to wrap up the chamber’s business.
Republican and Democratic leaders are negotiating a path forward that would allow the Senate to quickly clear its remaining agenda.
However, an unrelated bipartisan proposal has emerged as an unexpected obstacle, threatening to delay an agreement on several of the chamber’s top priorities.
Senators were attempting to reach a deal that would allow them to pass a temporary government funding bill, confirm Todd Blanche as attorney general, and complete several other pieces of legislation before departing for the August recess.
According to lawmakers familiar with the negotiations, a bipartisan bill establishing federal rules for name, image and likeness compensation and recruiting in college athletics has become a sticking point in broader discussions over how to conclude the Senate’s work.
One senator reportedly described the NIL legislation as a “chokepoint” in negotiations, as lawmakers seek unanimous agreement on a package of measures to move quickly through the chamber.
Despite that hurdle, the temporary government funding bill has advanced with broad bipartisan support during earlier procedural votes, suggesting it is likely to pass once Senate leaders reach an agreement on the remaining legislative schedule.
Another key item on the Senate’s agenda was the confirmation of Blanche, who was serving as acting attorney general.
Blanche’s nomination gained the support it needed on Friday after Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., announced on the Senate floor that he would vote in favor of confirming him.
Cassidy had been viewed as the final Republican holdout, making his decision a significant development for the nomination.
In his floor remarks, Cassidy acknowledged that his vote would likely draw criticism but said he had carefully weighed the decision before reaching his conclusion.
“I know I’ll receive criticism for this vote,” Cassidy said, while emphasizing that he believed he had fully considered the issue on behalf of his constituents.
With Cassidy’s support, Blanche’s confirmation happened in the early hours on Saturday.
Earlier Friday, the Senate also approved legislation imposing additional sanctions on Russia.
The measure, named after its chief sponsor, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., passed by a bipartisan vote of 86-11.
The legislation represents one of the final major bills considered by the Senate before lawmakers leave Washington for the extended recess.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump spent Friday at the White House participating in policy meetings before attending a roundtable at the State Department.
Later in the day, the president was scheduled to travel to Bedminster, New Jersey.
Senate leaders continue working toward an agreement that would allow lawmakers to complete their remaining priorities before adjournment, but negotiations over the college athletics legislation remain unresolved.
If an agreement is reached, senators could quickly approve the stopgap spending measure, confirm Blanche and complete their remaining legislative work before departing for the month-long recess, allowing Congress to return later this year with government funding and several other major policy debates still awaiting action, The Hill reported.
Senate investigators have obtained a copy of Dr. Anthony Fauci’s government-issued iPhone from his time at the Department of Health and Human Services, according to a report first published by The Wall Street Journal.
The phone was transferred from the Department of Health and Human Services to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.
It remains unclear what data investigators currently have access to or what information, if any, may ultimately be recovered from the device.
Johnson confirmed the transfer in a post on X, writing, “The Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations has obtained a copy of Dr. Fauci’s phone from HHS. Hopefully, this device will address many of the questions he refused to answer at last week’s hearing.”
Blanche Confirmed As Attorney General With Fauci Criminal Referral Awaiting
A dramatic overnight vote in Washington has placed one of the most powerful positions in the federal government into new hands.
The outcome was decided by the narrowest of margins, and the official taking control could immediately inherit a politically explosive decision involving one of the most recognizable figures from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as attorney general early Saturday in a 50-49 vote, putting him in charge of the Justice Department as a congressional criminal referral involving Dr. Anthony Fauci awaits consideration by federal prosecutors.
The referral followed Fauci’s recent appearance before Senate investigators, where the former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination 111 times while testifying under subpoena.
A Senate committee subsequently referred Fauci to the Justice Department for possible criminal prosecution, meaning Blanche’s department will have to determine whether the evidence warrants further investigation or potential charges.
The referral does not establish that Fauci committed a crime, and invoking the Fifth Amendment cannot itself be treated as evidence of guilt.
Republican lawmakers have nevertheless argued that Fauci should face legal consequences stemming from their investigation into the federal government’s response to COVID-19, while Democrats have characterized the inquiry as politically motivated.
Blanche’s confirmation means responsibility for determining how DOJ handles that referral now rests with a department he formally leads after serving as acting attorney general since Pam Bondi’s departure in April.
His confirmation almost failed, with every Senate Democrat voting against him along with Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.
Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who has been absent from the Senate since mid-June, did not vote, leaving Republicans with virtually no margin for additional defections.
That placed Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., in the position of casting the decisive vote after he had remained the final Republican holdout on Blanche’s nomination.
Cassidy acknowledged his reservations about Blanche before announcing that he would nevertheless support his confirmation.
“Mr. Blanche is not perfect, and he will tell you this, but the choice is not between perfection and Mr. Blanche,” Cassidy said.
“It is between Mr. Blanche and another acting Attorney General who may not run the department effectively under President Trump,” Cassidy continued.
Cassidy also emphasized that his vote should not be interpreted as an endorsement of every action taken by President Donald Trump or his administration.
“This is not a referendum on President Trump,” Cassidy said.
“It is a decision regarding Mr. Blanche in very specific circumstances,” he added.
“All considered, I will vote for Mr. Blanche,” Cassidy concluded. “I’ll be criticized for this vote. What’s new?”
Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., sharply criticized the confirmation, calling the Senate’s decision “a grave mistake.”
Blanche previously served as Trump’s personal defense attorney before entering the administration and ultimately becoming acting attorney general following Bondi’s ouster.
His permanent confirmation now places him at the head of a Justice Department confronting several politically sensitive matters, with congressional Republicans certain to watch closely for what happens with their Fauci referral.
Fauci’s Senate testimony came as lawmakers continue examining pandemic-era government policies, federal funding connected to scientific research and questions surrounding the origins of COVID-19.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who subpoenaed Fauci to testify, has been among the most vocal lawmakers demanding accountability and has questioned whether the pardon Fauci received from former President Joe Biden would protect him from every potential avenue of prosecution.
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Paul also posted a photograph of Fauci sitting alone at the Senate hearing table following his testimony and wrote, “Accountability is coming.”
Any prosecution would require federal investigators and prosecutors to independently determine that sufficient admissible evidence exists to support criminal charges, regardless of what Congress recommended in its referral.
