Sen. John Cornyn said Thursday he has sent the Justice Department a new proposal aimed at ending the Republican standoff that has stalled Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general.
The Texas Republican has been holding out over a controversial DOJ-brokered settlement between President Donald Trump and the IRS, demanding written changes before he backs Blanche in committee.
The dispute centers on language tied to the so-called anti-weaponization fund and restrictions involving IRS audits of Trump.
Blanche, who is serving as acting attorney general and previously represented Trump, told the Senate Judiciary Committee on July 16 that the fund was dead and that limits on Trump IRS audits were narrow.
Cornyn now wants that commitment on paper.
“We provided some additional paper that basically committed him to his sworn testimony from the Judiciary Committee — which, if he would put that in writing, would satisfy my concerns,” Cornyn said.
🚨 JUST NOW: Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) is being accused of REPEATEDLY moving the goalposts as to why he is obstructing Donald Trump’s Attorney General Todd Blanche’s confirmation through committee pic.twitter.com/M4n2BeOOx0
— MR X (@TheMrXGuy1) July 30, 2026
The offer came after Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, postponed a Thursday vote on Blanche’s nomination while Cornyn and Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., continued pressing DOJ for written assurances.
Either Cornyn or Tillis voting no could block Blanche from getting out of the Judiciary Committee, giving two Republican senators enormous leverage over Trump’s pick to lead the Justice Department.
The delay has frustrated Trump allies who see Blanche as a loyal fighter needed at DOJ after years of conservative anger over prosecutions, investigations and what Republicans call the weaponization of federal law enforcement.
Cornyn said Thursday that the ball is now in the administration’s court.
“The administration and DOJ know where we stand, and they can decide whether they want this problem solved or not,” Cornyn said. “I don’t know whether they think they can wait us out or think we’ll cave.”
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A Justice Department official, granted anonymity to describe the sensitive negotiations, said DOJ sent “new language” to Cornyn and Tillis on Wednesday night.
But Cornyn had already dismissed earlier DOJ proposals as not “responsive” to his concerns.
That left Blanche’s nomination in limbo as the Senate prepared to leave Washington for its August recess.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Republicans want the fight resolved quickly.
“I think they’re working on trying to get the questions answered so they can tee him up and move him soon, like probably next week,” Thune said.
Thune said the “idea” is still to confirm Blanche before senators leave town for five weeks.
That timeline puts pressure on Cornyn and Tillis, who are facing public heat from Trump supporters furious that two Republicans are slowing down the president’s nominee.
Donald Trump has also made clear he is not pleased.
The president said Thursday he may pull Blanche’s nomination and wait until Republican senators standing in the way leave office, a warning shot aimed directly at the GOP holdouts.
For Cornyn, the fight is politically delicate.
He has framed his demands as a narrow request for written confirmation that Todd Blanche will stick to his sworn testimony.
But Trump’s base sees the delay as another example of Senate Republicans getting stuck in procedural fights while Democrats and the bureaucracy move faster and harder.
The underlying settlement has become a political headache for the administration.
The Justice Department announced the anti-weaponization fund in May as part of a settlement connected to Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS.
Blanche later said the fund would not move forward, but Cornyn and Tillis want the agreement itself changed so the matter cannot be revived later.
Before the postponement, Blanche appeared to be moving toward a committee vote.
Now his nomination depends on whether DOJ can give the two GOP holdouts enough written language to let them claim victory and move on.
The White House wants Blanche confirmed before the August break.
Cornyn says he wants Blanche’s promise in writing.
The next move belongs to DOJ.
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