From 1h agoGOP senators say they will back Blanche as attorney general following deal over fundHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer Todd Blanche appears on track to become the next US attorney general after two Republican senators drop their opposition to his nomination.The Senate Judiciary Committee is due to meet for a vote this morning on Blanche’s nomination following last week’s delay.Republican senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis had sought concessions from the Department of Justice and White House relating to President Donald Trump’s settlement agreement with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).Cornyn and Tillis had refused to back Blanche’s bid for the permanent post without official confirmation killing the fund meant to compensate people who believe they were unfairly prosecuted by the Justice Department.Blanche’s written order, issued late Sunday, came after the days of negotiations between the Justice Department and the Republican senators who are leaving Capitol Hill when their terms end in January.“We want to express our gratitude to Mr Blanche and his staff for working with us on this, and we look forward to voting to advance his nomination out of the Senate Judiciary Committee soon,” Cornyn, of Texas, and Tillis, of North Carolina, said in a statement.Blanche has repeatedly said that the Justice Department was scrapping plans for the fund, which sparked bipartisan outcry over the possibility that violent rioters who attacked police at the US Capitol on 6 January 2021, could be considered for payments.But skeptical lawmakers said they were concerned that could be revived without a commitment in writing, especially because Trump has continued to defend the idea.Read the reaction to the story here:In other developments: