Thomas Tillis

Two Republican senators on the Judiciary Committee, who lost their seats after defying President Trump, threatened on Wednesday to block Todd Blanche’s nomination as attorney general over a deal he cut to settle Mr. Trump’s lawsuit against the I.R.S.

The senators, John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, accused Mr. Blanche of refusing to put on paper his promise to kill aspects of the deal. In June, Mr. Blanche said he would drop a proposed $1.8 billion fund to compensate purported victims of Biden-era actions by the Justice Department but said a related provision shielding Mr. Trump and his family from tax investigations would remain in place.

Mr. Cornyn scrapped a scheduled meeting with Mr. Blanche on Wednesday morning and told reporters staking out his Capitol Hill office that he was unsure whether a committee vote scheduled for Thursday would take place.

He said he was not “prepared to vote yes” and gave the department until 4 p.m. to produce clear written guarantees on the fund and tax deal. It is possible the vote could be postponed, Mr. Cornyn added.

He reiterated the demand after the Senate Republican lunch. “Why don’t you call over the Department of Justice and tell them they have one hour and 50 minutes to get me what I asked for?” he said. “We actually sent them a red-line strikeout of what we need, and they just need to make a decision.”

Mr. Blanche, who can continue as acting attorney general indefinitely, cannot afford to lose a single Republican vote. He appears, for the moment, to be two short.

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