Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., reportedly said he plans to vote against acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s nomination to permanently lead the Justice Department, adding another obstacle as Senate Republicans work to secure enough support for the high-profile confirmation before lawmakers leave Washington for the August recess.
Speaking on “The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart” podcast, Fetterman made clear he would not back Blanche’s nomination.
“If you’re going to bring up Blanche, I’m not going to vote for him,” Fetterman said.
The Pennsylvania senator noted that while he has opposed many of President Donald Trump’s executive branch nominees, he has not voted strictly along party lines. Instead, he argued that he evaluates each nominee individually.
“There’s some I would vote for,” Fetterman said of Trump’s Cabinet and executive branch picks. “And there’s many that I haven’t because it’s just — I don’t believe that’s the right person for the job.”
Fetterman pointed to one example where he crossed party lines, highlighting his support for Markwayne Mullin’s nomination to serve as secretary of Homeland Security. According to Fetterman, he backed Mullin despite political dynamics that could have complicated the confirmation process.
He noted that Mullin’s nomination could have been blocked in the Homeland Security Committee because committee Chairman Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., voted against the nomination.
Fetterman also defended his approach to evaluating nominees, saying he tries to judge each case based on the individual rather than political affiliation.
“I really try to call balls and strikes,” he said.
As part of that explanation, Fetterman criticized former Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who served during former President Joe Biden’s administration.
“I do think, like, for example, Mayorkas he did a terrible job,” Fetterman said.
Fetterman’s announcement comes as Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., works to line up enough votes to confirm Blanche before the Senate adjourns for its scheduled five-week August recess.
The nomination already faces challenges within the Republican conference.
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, announced Tuesday that she intends to vote against Blanche’s confirmation. Meanwhile, Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Bill Cassidy, R-La., have not yet announced how they plan to vote, leaving uncertainty over the final tally.
The Republican leadership has limited room for defections. Thune is operating with an effective Republican majority of 52 seats because Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., remains absent for the foreseeable future due to a serious health issue.
With those numbers, Republicans cannot afford to lose more than two members of their conference if Blanche is to be confirmed, making the decisions of undecided senators especially significant.
Despite the uncertainty, Thune expressed confidence Wednesday that Republicans would ultimately have enough support to confirm the acting attorney general.
“I’m confident,” Thune told reporters. “We’re having conversations with the folks, the small number of people who will be undecided in this, and I’m hopeful we’ll get there. But, again, it’s a work in progress and we’re not there yet.”
The Republican leader also said it remains his “intention and hope” to hold a final confirmation vote on Blanche before senators depart Washington for the August recess, as GOP leaders continue working to secure the votes needed for confirmation.
