Republican senator Thom Tillis earlier this week met with White House officials to endorse Todd Blanche’s confirmation as U.S. attorney. Critics assert say Tillis, formerly a vocal champion, now has diminished sway. The Senate suffered the loss of an influential member when Lindsey Graham died on July 14. This creates more spots for top roles. The GOP contested the SAVE Act throughout the week. Backers urged aggressively, but others described the effort feeble. They said the bill was missing a clear strategy.