The letter called Judge Kavanaugh “aggressive, intemperate, inflammatory and partial” at times in his confirmation hearing.
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Shortly before the vote, Trump said Kavanaugh “will be a great justice of the Supreme Court”.
“This has truly been the most hard evaluation of a decision that I’ve ever had to make, and I’ve made some interesting ones in my political career”, Murkowski said.
As Washington Post White House reporter Seung Min Kim explained, Murkowski’s vote likely signals a “no” vote on the final Kavanaugh nomination vote as well.
As protesters in a Capitol Hill hallway shouted, “Shame!”
Susan Collins, R-Maine, said Friday they would vote to confirm the nominee, lining up the votes Republicans need to confirm Kavanaugh to the highest court. That would mark an anti-climactic finale to a clash fought against the backdrop of the #MeToo movement and Trump’s unyielding support of the nominee, opposing forces that left Kavanaugh’s fate in doubt for weeks. They said he’d push the court further right, including possible sympathetic rulings for Trump himself. Kavanaugh has repeatedly denied the allegation.
The Senate is poised on Saturday to confirm Kavanaugh as an associate justice.
Without weighing in on the sexual assault allegations that Ford leveled against Kavanaugh, Mrs. Trump says victims of “any kind of abuse or violence” must be helped.
In fact, the first of the accuser Christine Blasey Ford, a professor in California, and Kavanaugh made dramatic appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee to present their case.
“I grieve for the people that have experienced sexual assault in their life”, Lankford said.
“Very proud of the U.S. Senate for voting “YES” to advance the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh!”.
Kavanaugh’s confirmation hinges on the votes of some other key moderate senators including Sen.
Manchin is in a tight race for re-election in his home state, where President Donald Trump beat Democrat Hillary Clinton by 42 percentage points in 2016.
But he said he believes Kavanaugh will “determine cases based on the legal findings before him”.
Protesters chanted “Shame” at Manchin later when he talked to reporters outside his office.
Republicans hold 51 seats in the Senate and changed Senate rules past year to end filibusters for Supreme Court nominees.
Kavanaugh opponents on social media expressed anger at Collins, whereas Kavanaugh supporters praised her. Manchin of West Virginia.
Senator Collins backed the embattled pick. Republican Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) voted not to send the nomination to the full Senate. Though, when asked how sure she was that Kavanaugh was the boy who attacked her, Dr. Ford said “100%”. “Ford was not sexually assaulted that night or at some other time but they do lead me to conclude that the allegations fail to meet the more likely than not standard”. “And that is hard”.
Former National Security Advisor Susan Rice raised her hand when President Obama’s former communications director asked which Dem would be willing to challenge Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) is in jeopardy, as he may be unavailable to vote at all due to his daughter’s wedding.
Murkowski was the only Republican senator to vote “no” on cloture.
In the procedural ballot, senators voted 51-49 to limit debate, defeating Democratic efforts to scuttle the nomination with endless delays. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said Thursday (Oct. 4) on the Senate floor, “None of the allegations have been corroborated by the seventh FBI investigation”.
Nadler said he did not know what impact the specter of an investigation would have on November’s election, but he said he felt an obligation to proceed if Democrats take control of the House. A couple of Democrats and Republicans could go against their party line.
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“It’s a lot of work – maybe they don’t want to do it”, said Grassley.
