Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) were satisfied with Todd Blanche's formally rescinding the proposed anti-weaponization fund and clarifying the scope of the President's IRS immunity deal and provided their votes for his nomination as attorney general in the Senate Judiciary Committee August 4. A final vote on the nomination could follow later during what is scheduled to be the Senate's last week in session before the August recess, with other legislation on tap for potential action, including a government funding measure.

All Judiciary Committee Republicans supported a 12-10 vote in favor of the Blanche nomination, but at least one other Senate Republican, Susan Collins (R-ME) — who is Appropriations Committee chair and is in a closely-watched midterm election race — said she will not support the nomination on the floor. "While I believe Mr. Blanche is a capable lawyer, the Department of Justice has become increasingly political," she said. "Mr. Blanche has taken several actions that have further eroded the Department's independence, and that is the basis for my vote to oppose his confirmation." There is a focus on how Republican Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) intend to vote on the nomination.

The Senate is voting today on the nomination of Erica Schwartz to be Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Government funding — The Senate on Monday cleared 89-4 a procedural step on the legislative vehicle (H.R. 6500) for a continuing resolution (CR) that would: fund the government beyond the end of the current fiscal year on September 30 and through December 11; extend the highway bill through then along with health policy extenders; and extend the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and Haiti Economic Lift Program trade programs through December 31, 2028, with customs user fees to cover the cost. The next procedural vote was delayed after a group of Senators — including Ted Budd (R-NC) and Pete Ricketts (R-NE) — refused to consent to a time agreement over their insistence on an amendment striking the bill's delay on new federal controls under last year's Agriculture appropriations bill.

With a September 30 deadline for government funding, which will be just around the corner when the House is set to reconvene August 31, and the Senate's scheduled return to session September 14 from the August recess slated to begin at the end of this week, the House will likely need to decide whether to accept a Senate-passed version of the CR. The House passed a different version, including an earlier end date of December 4. The version currently under consideration in the Senate also includes language addressing concerns raised by senators about the Administration canceling grants for political reasons.

Reconciliation — There is still the expectation that the Senate may broaden the scope of the reconciliation measure provided for under the House-passed FY2027 budget resolution, which authorizes a $95 billion GOP-only bill just for the SAVE America Act voter ID and citizenship provisions, defense funding and farm aid. There hasn't been much reported progress that would allow the chamber to act before the recess.

A story in the August 4 Washington Post, "Senate GOP rushes to pass budget bill, avoid shutdown ahead of midterms," said of the budget reconciliation effort — which is separate from the CR for government funding — "multiple GOP senators have expressed other concerns with the House framework for reconciliation, including Sens. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Bill Cassidy (Louisiana) and Collins."

Asked about the President's insistence that the Senate stay in session to get the SAVE Act done, Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said following the regular policy luncheons on Tuesday: "We have voted on the SAVE America Act five times. It was the pending business on the floor of the Senate for over two weeks. And I am willing to, in any way possible, get that across the finish line if there is a path to do it. But there are two realities and two facts you have to deal with, and the first is there are no Democrats who are going to vote for this … "

He further said, "Now, is there somewhere in here with budget reconciliation that we can do pieces of the SAVE America Act, or at least in a fiscal way deal with funding for some of those things? Maybe … "

Elections — The closely watched August 4 primary for the Democratic nominee to succeed Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), between Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) and former public health official Abdul El-Sayed, has not yet been called, although El-Sayed is currently leading by a slim margin and has declared victory in the race. Former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI) is set to be the Republican nominee in a race seen as crucial to Democrats' hopes of taking control of the Senate.

Health care — The August 4 Finance Subcommittee on Health Care held a hearing, "Building a Resilient Health Care Future with Biotechnology," on Tuesday (August 4). "As antimicrobial resistance has spread, market failures have resulted in a lack of needed research and development for new therapies," Subcommittee Chairman Todd Young (R-IN) said. "Many of the cutting-edge biopharmaceutical companies working to develop antimicrobials have filed for bankruptcy and stopped producing these antibiotics completely." Ranking Member Maggie Hassan (D-NH) said millions of Americans get sick each year with an infection that cannot be treated with the routine antibiotics, and that R&D for new antibiotics is lagging.

Witnesses were Alan Palkowitz of the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute (IBRI), Kevin Outterson of Boston University, Vera Luther of Dartmouth Health, and Michelle Rozo of the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology. Palkowitz said, "Our innovation system is not translating enough of their discoveries into medicines, new companies, manufacturing and jobs." Rozo noted that biotech biotechnology goes beyond medicine, and is integral to "agriculture, defense, economic competitiveness and national power." Luther discussed strengthening biotechnology innovation to address threats like antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Outterson discussed the challenges that resistance to antibiotics pose to the treatment of infections caused by pathogens. 

Social Security — Today (August 5) is the Senate Finance Committee hearing, "Exploring Process Approaches for Addressing Social Security Solvency." Witnesses are Marc Goldwein of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, Nancy LeaMond of AARP, and Charles Blahous of George Mason University. 

Senator Cassidy has proposed a plan to address Social Security that "infuses money into the program by creating a sovereign wealth fund — separate from the Social Security Trust Fund — which would consistently deliver benefits to those currently enrolled in Social Security and ensure the program remains solvent for future generations."