Republican senator Thom Tillis recently met with White House officials to back Todd Blanche’s confirmation as U.S. attorney. Critics assert say Tillis, formerly a vocal champion, now wields reduced influence. The Senate saw the departure of an influential member when Lindsey Graham died on July 14. This leaves more vacancies for top posts. The GOP contested the SAVE Act during the week. Backers pushed hard, but others labeled the effort weak. They maintained the bill was missing a clear strategy.