Overview
- As of July 29, Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis are withholding their committee votes unless the Justice Department formally removes the anti‑weaponization fund and tightens language that limits tax audits for the president and his family.
- Cornyn planned to meet with Blanche before the scheduled Thursday Judiciary Committee vote to press for a written change to the settlement, and he warned the vote could be postponed if the department does not provide the requested documents.
- Senators demand written commitments because Blanche has repeatedly said the fund is “dead” in sworn testimony but has refused to put that statement into a signed, enforceable document.
- The settlement at issue created roughly $1.776–$1.8 billion in a proposed fund and included a day‑after addendum that restricted IRS audits of the president, his family, and their companies, drawing federal court scrutiny and reopened litigation.
- If Cornyn or Tillis votes no, Blanche likely cannot advance from the narrowly divided Judiciary Committee, a dynamic that could force the administration to rewrite the settlement, delay confirmation, and reshape congressional oversight of the deal.