WASHINGTON: The Senate Judiciary Committee has voted along party lines to advance Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination to the Senate floor. The 11-10 vote Friday came just one day after Republicans heard testimony from Christine Blasey Ford, who accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were teens. Kavanaugh denied the accusation.
At the last minute, Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona said he could not promise to vote for Kavanaugh on the Senate floor and called for a delay of up to a week for a further investigation.
Republicans voted to move ahead with Kavanaugh’s nomination. Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley noted the timing on the Senate vote was up to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
The Senate Judiciary Committee was supposed to be voting at 1:30 p.m. Friday on whether to recommend Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation, but something is afoot.
Behind-the-scenes negotiations have delayed the committee vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination. It wasn’t clear what was being discussed.
Republicans believed they had to votes to advance Kavanaugh out of the committee when Sen. Jeff Flake announced his support earlier Friday. But senators seated in the hearing room are talking among themselves — and Flake is not seated. Some senators have stepped out of the room.
Senate Republicans do not yet have the votes to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. That’s according to Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, the third-ranking member of Republican leadership.
Thune said that Republicans still have “a little work to do” to get enough support.
Whether Kavanaugh is confirmed to the Supreme Court could hinge on the votes of two Republican senators: Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. It does not appear that President Donald Trump or the White House is reaching out to them to try and influence their decision.
Thune said while such calls may be well-intended, “it’s better to let people decide on their own up here.”
Republicans have set a committee vote for Friday afternoon to send Kavanaugh’s nomination to the full Senate.