Senators press Blanche on mifepristone lawsuits, Epstein survivors

WASHINGTON (OSV News) — During his July 15 confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche took questions from senators on issues ranging from objections to the way the Department of Justice handled the release of the Epstein files to the way it has approached state challenges to a policy permitting distribution of mifepristone by mail.

Pro-life groups have objected to court filings by the DOJ asking courts to dismiss or pause state lawsuits seeking to roll back the Biden administration’s eased restrictions on mifepristone. The Trump administration has thus far left that regulation in effect, and the DOJ during the Trump administration has sought to block those challenges, notably Louisiana’s, pending a promised safety review by the Food and Drug Administration. The status and timeline of the FDA review are unclear.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned Blanche on the issue, saying the “committee has received a lot of outreach about the department’s litigation position in Louisiana v. FDA.”

“The plaintiffs in this case challenge the relaxed regulation governing mail-order abortion drugs. Can you tell the committee about this case and explain what the department is doing?” he asked.

Blanche argued Trump has been “the most pro-life president in history” and pointed to the pledged safety review, arguing that “for the first time in a decade, HHS and the FDA are actually taking a real look at what’s happening with some of these abortion pills and whether they’re actually safe or not.”

“As it relates to the litigation you reference, it would be wrong for me to talk about any litigation strategy beyond what’s in our briefs,” Blanche continued. “But suffice to say, Chairman, that as we talk about in our briefs, we are not in any way defending what Biden and what his administration did.”

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, also questioned Blanche on that issue, noting he and Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., recently sent a letter to Blanche on the same issue.

“??I would appreciate it if you would respond to this letter for the record about the intentions of the administration,” Cornyn said. “If President Trump is the most pro-life president, this ought to be a pretty easy call because women are hurt as a result of side effects, heavy bleeding, prolonged potential infection or sepsis, incomplete abortion, other complications, when this is being sold through the mail or through online prescription.”

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., also pressed Blanche on the issue, “There’s got to be some solution to this.”

Blanche replied that he “shares your concerns,” but reiterated he did not want to discuss “litigation strategy.”

“The FDA has a process that we’re letting them — letting them go forward in, and that’s — this is again in our briefings — (for) a year. They’ve committed to do it significantly less time than a year,” Blanche said.

The late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who unexpectedly died on July 11, was a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and was a staunch supporter of Blanche’s nomination. If a single remaining Republican on the committee declined to advance Blanche’s nomination, the nomination would fail.

Both Cornyn and Tillis are seen as key votes that could determine whether the committee approves Blanche’s nomination.

Cornyn also pressed Blanche on the Trump administration’s attempt to seek a controversial $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund” that led to objections from senators in both parties. But Blanche replied, “It is not moving forward.”

On July 13, survivors of the late convicted sex offender and wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes urged the Senate to reject Blanche’s nomination, pointing to the DOJ’s failure to completely redact identifying information about victims during a mandated disclosure about information regarding its investigation.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the ranking member of the committee, pressed Blanche on whether he would meet with survivors of Epstein’s crimes. Blanche suggested he is prohibited from doing so if those individuals have retained legal counsel, but other members of the department could hold such a meeting.

“They have lawyers, as you know. I’m prohibited from meeting directly with them,” Blanche said. “I have met with counsel for survivors, as have many people in the Department of Justice. But if they are represented by counsel, we will work with their counsel.”

Addressing another issue in the hearing, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn, asked Blanche to confirm his commitment to cooperation and sharing resources with state and local partners in the investigation into the August 2025 shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis. Blanche replied that he did.

She also pressed him on ensuring that the school, which was approved to receive funding through the Office for Victims of Crime for mental health and other support services, ultimately receives those funds after delays.

“Could you commit to work with me on getting those funds to the school?” she asked. Blanche replied, “Yes, absolutely.”

In a moment that gained attention on social media and on Capitol Hill, during questioning by Sen. John Kennedy, the Louisiana Republican asked if Blanche and Trump are friends. Blanche replied, “I’m his lawyer,” before quickly correcting himself to say he “was his lawyer, and now I’m the deputy attorney general.”

Durbin argued on X that the moment showed Blanche is “Trump’s lawyer—not YOURS.”

That allegation may carry weight with some Republican senators who have not yet taken a position on whether they will vote to confirm Blanche.

Tillis recently told CNN that he had a “positive predisposition” toward Blanche after meeting with him. But he added in the June 28 interview that he expects a degree of separation between the White House and the Justice Department to be maintained, saying, “If there’s even a whiff of a lack of independence, then that could influence my vote.”

But at the conclusion of his questioning, Tillis told Blanche, “You’ve done a good job today.”

If Blanche’s nomination was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee and proceeded to the full Senate, he could lose no more than four Republican votes to be confirmed to the post. He can afford to lose only three Republican senators without Sen. Mitch McConnell. The Kentucky Republican said in a July 12 statement he remains away from the Senate after a fall and a subsequent treatment for pneumonia.

A second day of a hearing on Blanche’s nomination is scheduled for July 16 in the committee.

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