Brett Kavanaugh wins vote that brings him closer to Supreme Court role

But Collins, a moderate, pro-choice lawmaker from ME, said Kavanaugh was entitled to the “presumption of innocence” as the allegations against him lacked corroborating evidence.

Feinstein says the Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer says he disagrees with a statement by the committee’s GOP chairman that the report found “no hint of misconduct” by Kavanaugh.

After a flurry of last-minute negotiations, the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination for the Supreme Court after agreeing to a late call from Sen.

That could pave the way for a confirmation vote as early as Saturday. Republicans have a slim 51-49 hold on the Senate. As the lone Republican to vote against cloture, it would be very odd for her to then vote for his confirmation.

A fund-raising e-mail sent by the party said, “Susan Collins had her chance”.

As swing-vote senators processed the FBI’s findings, Kavanaugh was forced to fend off another criticism of his nomination: his temperament. Flake, a frequent Trump critic, was instrumental in getting the president to order the FBI investigation last Friday. The Democrats have argued that the Federal Bureau of Investigation probe was not thorough.

Kavanaugh’s once near-certain confirmation to the lifelong appointment on the constitutional court is on a knife-edge after bitter debate over sexual assault allegations dating to his school and university days.

At senators behest, the FBI investigated and the agency’s latest report Thursday did not corroborate “any of the sexual misconduct allegations against” Kavanaugh, said Majority Leader and Kentucky Republican Mitch McConnell, according to the Associated Press.

“This has truly been the most hard. decision that I’ve ever had to make”, Murkowski told reporters.

A spokesperson for Gianforte did not respond to Fox News’ request for comment. Ben Sasse, who as expected, announced he was supporting the nomination. Joe Manchin of West Virginia became the final formerly undecided senators to announce their votes.

Ms Murkowski won her seat as a write-in candidate after having lost the Republican primary in 2010 and has been a reliably centrist vote ever since. He was the first Democrat to meet with Kavanaugh when the nominee was meeting with senators on Capitol Hill in July.

“I believe Brett Kavanaugh is a good man”, Murkowski told reporters on Friday after voting against bringing his nomination to a final vote.

The FBI interviewed nine people and reached out to ten, speaking to people including those identified by Christine Blasey Ford, who alleges Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her decades ago. Kavanaugh denied the allegation in testimony following Ford’s, painting himself as the victim of a “political hit”.

“It’s time to vote”, he said. Kavanaugh wrote that his testimony “reflected my overwhelming frustration at being wrongly accused”.

When asked whether Kavavaugh will be confirmed, Coons simply said: “I don’t know”.

Most obviously, that Murkowski is nearly certainly a “no” on Kavanaugh’s confirmation.

Furore over Kavanaugh’s nomination has overshadowed next month’s midterm elections in which control of Congress by Trump’s Republican Party could be at stake.