John Cornyn

The White House, seeking to repair relationships with two spurned Republican senators, is reportedly reaching out in the hopes of securing its pick for attorney general.

Texas's John Cornyn and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, each of whom have been pushed aside by President Donald Trump, are withholding critical votes for Todd Blanche's confirmation as head of the Department of Justice. Trump's team, Politico reported Monday, has opened the door to more friendly relationships by discussing paths for Blanche's passage, which depends on the approval of either Cornyn or Tillis.

Concerns held by each of the senators about a DOJ settlement shielding Trump and his family from tax investigations while potentially paying out presidential allies have delayed an initial confirmation vote.

"I know my staff have been in touch, almost, probably daily," Tillis told Politico. "So they are acting. I mean, they're following up in good faith."

The National News Desk requested comment from the senators and the White House but hasn't received any responses. An administration official told Politico, however, that the White House is engaging in "active conversations" with members of the Judiciary Committee—Tillis and Cornyn—whose approval must be granted for Blanche's advance.

Tillis has demanded the DOJ assure him that a nearly $1.8 billion fund—a settlement product the administration said would have compensated so-called victims of government "weaponization"—is permanently drained. Blanche has testified on its closure, but Trump can reopen the reserve at any time.

"I have to be convinced that there is no way that it could actually ever be resurrected again, which is exactly why I talked about the legislation ... that [Blanche] offered to help write the technical language for," Tillis told Politico, referencing a potential congressional method to kill the fund.

Cornyn is wary of legislative action but has been open to compromising with the administration to secure Blanche's confirmation. The senator's conciliatory tone represents a shift in his approach to matters important to Trump, who helped defeat the longtime lawmaker in the GOP's May primary election.

Last week, Cornyn brought a poster emphasizing his concerns about the "anti-weaponization" fund to Blanche's confirmation hearing, later telling reporters he wasn't convinced by the nominee's assurances.

"I think what I confirmed is that the weaponization fund is still—it can be revived. And so this idea that it's somehow gone is just not true in my opinion," Cornyn said. "And so there may be some other steps that people take to try to make sure that that's dead and gone for sure, because I think I'm not the only one that has concerns about that."