Brett Kavanaugh vote: Trump orders FBI background investigation into Supreme Court nominee after Jeff Flake calls for Senate vote delay
After the committee decision attention will turn to moderate Senate Republicans like Susan Collins and their possible voting intentions in a full chamber vote
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Your support makes all the difference.The Senate Judiciary Committee has approved Donald Trump's nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, in a vote 11-10 on party lines.
However, moderate Republican Senator Jeff Flake called for an FBI investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against the judge before a final Senate vote. Mr Trump later ordered the FBI to conduct that understanding.
Mr Flake's intervention means a final Senate vote on the nomination could be delayed for up to a week so that the FBI investigation can be completed. Mr Kavanuagh denies the allegations from three different women.
“I will vote to advance the nominee to the floor with that understanding,” Mr Flake said.
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"I strongly object. This is ridiculous....my answer is No No NO," Senator Maize Hirono said to Republican's motion there be a vote on Mr Kavanaugh's nomination later today.
Tensions are running high in the room as partisan lines are drawn over a sensitive matter.
Mr Grassley says Mr Kavanaugh has already been through six FBI investigations for past jobs in the federal court system as well as the White House and no allegations of sexual assault came up.
"I found Dr Ford's testimony credible and sincere in her version of the facts...but I also found Mr Kavanaugh's testimony credible," Mr Grassley said.
Mr Grassley is comparing Mr Kavanaugh's confirmation process to that of Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor.
He said Ms Kagan's federal employment records were never reviewed, but Democrats have asked Mr Kavanaugh's records from his time at the White House be released in particular because he worked on issues possibly related to torture and would likely need to sit on cases dealing with the matter if placed on the Supreme Court.
"It is Republicans who have refused to talk to Deborah Ramirez or Julie Swetnick" or any other witness, Senator Dianne Feinstein said.
Ms Feinstein said Mr Kavanaugh of "going on the attack" in his testimony yesterday.
Democratic Senator Chris Coons, when informed of Mr Flake’s intended 'yes' vote as
responded with: “Oh f--k”
The pair are good friends and Mr Coons was emotional and silent.
He began to respond: “I deeply respect...” but paused.
“We each make choices for our own reason. I’m struggling, sorry.”
Ms Feinstein reading some of the more powerful parts of Dr Ford's testimony, as if to remind Senators of Dr Ford's detailed recounting of the alleged assault.
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