WASHINGTON — Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, plans to vote against the confirmation of Todd Blanche as U.S. attorney general, a defection from the Republican party line on one of President Trump's most consequential cabinet picks.
Her opposition comes as the Senate prepares for the confirmation vote, but Blanche's confirmation still appears likely after Republican leaders secured two previously skeptical GOP senators through a legislative trade-off: an agreement to kill a controversial $1.8 billion spending measure in exchange for their support. The names of the two senators were not immediately released.
Collins has crossed party lines before. She joined Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, along with 46 Democrats, in a 49-50 vote on a separate measure earlier this year.
She faces a competitive reelection race in Maine, a state that has trended Democratic in recent federal elections. Her vote against Trump's nominee is likely to play well with the independent and moderate voters she will need.
Blanche attended a July 16 meeting in Washington related to survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, is managing the floor push for Blanche's confirmation. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, is leading the opposition.
Despite Collins' opposition, the deal to lock in two other Republican votes gives Blanche a path to confirmation. A successful vote would make him Trump's top law enforcement officer and head of the Justice Department.
