Good Thursday evening. In this edition: Trump says he'll nominate Blanche for permanent AG job; and Senate Republicans defeat efforts to block "anti-weaponization" fund.
Plus, coal, Bolton and Kennedy Center.
Attorney General
President Trump said he plans to nominate acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to lead the Justice Department full-time, setting up a potentially tough confirmation battle.
The deputy AG was elevated to lead the Justice Department on an acting basis after President Trump fired Pam Bondi in April, due in part to frustration over the slow pace of prosecutions of his perceived political enemies as well as her handling of the Epstein files.
Mr. Blanche sought to quickly position himself for the permanent job, targeting drug cartels and illegal immigration, accelerating investigations into the president's foes, undoing the last remaining Jan. 6 convictions, and pursuing investigations into the president's fraud claims about the 2020 election.
He also announced a $1.8 billion fund intended to compensate alleged victims of "lawfare and weaponization" under Democratic administrations, which President Trump praised.
The "anti-weaponization" fund, however, was roundly criticized on Capitol Hill, infuriating the same Republican senators whom he will need to win over to get confirmed.
The acting AGtold lawmakers on Tuesday the Justice Department would not move forward with the fund, seeking to assuage concerns that had threatened to derail legislative priorities.
Mr. Blanche said he looks forward to the confirmation process and has a "good relationship" with senators on both sides of the aisle.
"I don't say no to phone calls. I'll meet with anybody that wants to meet with me," he told reporters. "I'm looking forward to working with the senators and giving them the information they need through the confirmation process."
He can afford only three GOP defections on a floor vote, but getting through the Judiciary Committee could prove trickier since any one Republican could bottle up his nomination.
One of those GOP committee members, Sen. Thom Tillis (NC), has vowed not to support any Justice Department nominee whom he views as sympathetic to the Jan. 6 rioters.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) told reporters it was "hard to say" if Mr. Blanche would have a difficult time being confirmed.
"Most of our members are pretty deferential to who the president wants in some of these key positions," he said, but added, "This is an environment where nothing's a safe or sure bet these days."
Republican senators batted down a pair of amendments to block the Justice Department from setting up an "anti-weaponization" fund as they began a marathon vote-a-rama on the GOP reconciliation bill funding ICE and Border Patrol.
The $1.8 billion fund, criticized by Republicans and Democrats alike, has been at the center of the reconciliation debate since it was first announced last month.
GOP senators revolted over it, forcing leaders to postpone votes on the reconciliation bill until after the Memorial Day recess, and several have said they want a permanent ban codified before supporting the $70 billion immigration enforcement funding package.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) introduced the first amendment related to the fund, which would have sent the reconciliation bill back to committee to insert language permanently banning its creation. But the measure fell just short of the simple majority needed for adoption, failing 49–50 in a vote that was held open for nearly three hours.
Three Republicans joined all Democrats in favor: Sens. Susan Collins (ME), Dan Sullivan (AK) and Jon Husted (OH). Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) did not vote.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) threatened to support the Schumer amendment before reportedly receiving assurances from Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) that he would be able to amend the bill to bar the fund.
The Senate then voted on an amendment from Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) to redirect the "anti-weaponization" funding toward "fraud enforcement" at the Justice Department.
The vote failed 15–84, but 11 other Republicans joined Sen. Tillis in support: Sens. Cassidy, Collins, John Cornyn (TX), John Curtis (UT), Joni Ernst (IA), Husted, Lisa Murkowski (AK), Jerry Moran (KS), Mike Rounds (SD), Dan Sullivan (AK) and Todd Young (IN).
Senators also voted down an amendment from Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) to block construction of President Trump's White House ballroom by giving Congress sole authority to authorize the project.
The amendment failed 52–47, short of the 60 votes needed, with six Republicans voting in favor: Sens. Collins, Husted, Moran, Murkowski, Sullivan and Tillis. Sen. Cassidy later said he meant to vote in favor.
Senators could be voting on amendments for many hours to come. Once the vote-a-rama ends, the chamber will vote on final passage of the bill, which will be set at a simple majority threshold.
The House plans to act on the legislation before leaving town on Friday.
President Trumpannounced $700 million in federal funding to boost the country's struggling coal industry, including money intended to build the first two new coal-burning power plants in the U.S. since 2013. "Today we're taking historic action to bring down the price of energy and the cost of living for all Americans with the power of clean, beautiful coal," the president said in the Oval Office. The administration is using a wartime authority under the Defense Production Act to provide $425 million to 13 existing coal plants and $75 million for an export terminal in California. The two new coal plants, slated for Alaska and West Virginia, will receive $185 million in grant funding from the Energy Department. The grant money was originally designated by Congress for reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
John Bolton, President Trump's former national security adviser-turned-critic, reached a plea deal with the Justice Department related to his handling of classified information. Mr. Bolton agreed to plead guilty to one felony count of illegal retention of sensitive national security information and faces a sentence of up to 60 months in prison and a fine of $2.25 million. He was indicted in October by a federal grand jury on eight counts of transmission of national defense information and 10 counts of retention of national defense information. He is scheduled to appear for a rearraignment in a Maryland district court on June 26.
The Kennedy Center's general counsel sent a memo instructing staff to immediately begin removing President Trump's name from signs, brochures, its website and other materials. It's the first sign the DC performing arts center plans to comply with a federal court order to drop the president's name and return it to its original title as designated by Congress. A U.S. District Court judge last week ruled in favor of a lawsuit challenging the institution's name change and plans to close for two years for extensive renovations.
For your radar…
The Brazilian and Moroccan ambassadors to the U.S. sit down for a discussion Friday on the economic and geopolitical impacts of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at an event hosted by the Atlantic Council. Watch LIVE on C-SPAN2 at 9am ET.
