Brett Kavanaugh vote - LIVE: Swing voters Susan Collins and Joe Manchin announce they will vote yes
Donald Trump tweeted he was 'very proud' of the Senate's roll call vote
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Your support makes all the difference.The US Senate is likely set to place Brett Kavanaugh's on the Supreme Court after swing vote Senators declare they will vote to confirm Donald Trump's second nominee to the highest court in the country.
Senators were provided up to 30 hours to debate ahead of a final vote on the embattled nominee, who has been accused of sexual assault and misconduct by numerous women, primarily Christine Blasey Ford. However, Republican Senators Susan Collins and Jeff Flake as well Democratic Senator Joe Manchin have already said they support the nomination.
The final tally in Mr Kavanaugh’s procedural vote was 51-49, setting the stage for lawmakers to likely cast their final votes on the nominee over the weekend. Mr Trump celebrated the move, writing on Twitter, "Very proud of the US Senate for voting ‘YES’ to advance the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh!"
Protests still continue on Capitol Hill as women are openly weeping over the likelihood of Mr Kavanaugh's lifetime appointment.
Follow the latest news below:
Welcome to our coverage of the US Senate's vote on whether to proceed with Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court.
Senators are expected to decide on Friday on whether to move ahead to a confirmation vote.
Protesters descended on Washington DC on Thursday to protest against Mr Kavanaugh's nomination,
Hundreds were detained, including comedian Amy Schumer and model Emily Ratajkowski.
Multiple newspaper editorial boards have announced their opposition to Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination ahead of a historic confirmation vote set for Friday morning.
The Washington Post wrote an opinion piece criticising Mr Kavanaugh that read in part: “Too many questions remains about his history for senators to responsibly vote ‘yes.’ At the same time, enough has been learned about his partisan instincts that we believe senators must vote ‘no.’”
Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat and the sole holdout from his party in opposing Brett Kavanaugh, remains undecided in how to vote on the embattled Supreme Court nominee.
Mr Manchin, who presides over a state Donald Trump won by nearly 30 points in the 2016 presidential election, has said he is listening to protestors and sexual assault survivors while reviewing the FBI’s report on Mr Kavanaugh.
Republicans believe they will have the 50 votes required to push Brett Kavanaugh through today’s crucial vote, arriving at 10:30 a.m.
However, the fate of the Supreme Court nominee has not been determined just yet — several key lawmakers could still derail the nomination, including Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, Jeff Flake and Joe Manchin. The three Republicans and one Democrat remain undeclared as of 9:30 a.m.
Speaking with reporters as he walked back into the room where the FBI's report on Brett Kavanaugh has been held, Senator Joe Manchin said he likely will remain undeclared on which way to vote until it's time to make the decision later this morning.
Chuck Grassley is speaking on the House floor, slamming “left-wing” organisations for supposedly creating an “11th hour” smear campaign against Brett Kavanaugh.
“The fix has been in from the very beginning,” the Senate Judiciary chairman said Friday, ahead of the crucial vote on Mr Kavanaugh.
Ben Sasse, a Republican senator who some believed may vote "no" on Brett Kavanaugh, has announced he will support the Supreme Court nominee during today's crucial vote. Several key lawmakers remain undecided, however.
“We have thoroughly investigated Judge Kavanaugh’s background,” Chuck Grassley said, speaking on the Senate floor ahead of the Supreme Court nomination vote set for 10:30 a.m.
“This investigation found no hint of misconduct and the same is true of six prior FBI investigations conducted during Brett Kavanaugh’s 25 years of public service.”
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