Politics and views in the United States

The Senate Judiciary Committee advances Todd Blanche's nomination to be the next AG. A new Senate bill aims to reform government funding work and five states head to the polls for the primaries.

Transcript

Welcome to 2026 Talks, where we're following our democracy in historic times.

I'm going to support Mr. Blanche's nomination, but what I hope I see out of him is a bending of the curve of this absurdity.

North Carolina Republican Senator Tom Tillis says Attorney General nominee Todd Blanche needs to know when to stop President Donald Trump from using government power against his enemies.

Tillerson, Texas Republican John Cornyn joined their GOP colleagues Tuesday, advancing Blanche's confirmation out of committee on a party-line 12-10 vote.

The president's former lawyer made promises about Trump's anti-weaponization fund and IRS protections and just promised to try to stop blue state doctors from sending abortion pills to red states.

It's not clear how those commitments will play in the full Senate whose approval he needs to become the nation's top prosecutor.

Maine Republican Susan Collins says she won't support him, and Rhode Island Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse urged his GOP colleagues to vote no because of Blanche's botched handling of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's case.

Voting for this guy today gives their blessing to the screw-up, to the botched release that even Pam Bondi pointed at Blanche as responsible for, and it gives the blessing to his continuing role in the cover-up of Epstein files.

The Justice Department initially refused to acknowledge, let alone release, FBI interview notes where an Epstein victim said Trump sexually assaulted her when she was 13 or 14.

Those documents only came out after considerable outside investigation and public pressure.

The Senate's August recess begins Friday, but it hasn't passed funding to keep the federal government running after October 1st.

Iowa Republican Chuck Grassley says a shutdown isn't just bad policy, it's also bad politics.

The government shutdown reduces the essential service to the American people, erodes trust of the American people in their government, and limits the ability of Congress to conduct oversight over federal operations.

A quarter of senators support the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act legislation to force Congress to provide funding during lapses and remain in session until all appropriations bills pass.

Voters in five states cast ballots in primaries Tuesday.

The Michigan Democratic Senate race may prove key to the party's future.

Moderate Representative Haley Stevens is being backed by the Washington establishment, while Democratic Socialist and former health official Abdul El-Sayed is running on universal health care.

Stevens says she wants to make the federal government less erratic, but she's also campaigning on bread and butter issues. 63% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck.

Grocery bills are going on credit cards.

We're seeing consumers bankrupting their future, and people are frustrated.

They want a tax code that works for them.

El Sayed has a strong lead in the polls and in early returns, but like many Democratic Socialists, he may have trouble with one vital part of the party's coalition.

Surveys show two-thirds of black voters back Stevens compared to a fifth supporting El Sayed.

In fact, voters of color have until recently shunned the largely white Democratic Socialists of America organization.

That may be because of concerns about electability or the lack of consideration of minority issues by DSA candidates.

I'm Edwin J. Viera for Pacifica Network and Public News Service. find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.