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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"It's not fair to assume Brett Kavanaugh is guilty just from what we" heard yesterday, but "it is equally unfair" not to hear from other witness, she said.
Dr Ford's testimony should not be "dismissed as a partisan smear campaign," Ms Feinstein said.
"While the Republican strategy is no longer 'attack the victim,' it is 'ignore the victim'," Ms Feinstein said.
The women include House members Pramila Jayapal from Washington state and New York's Nydia Velazquez.
Mr Grassley is reviewing what he thought were mistakes by the Democrats in delaying disclosure of Dr Ford's allegations and the accusations from both Ms Ramirez and Ms Swetnick.
"It never showed up," Mr Grassley said about the accusations and Mr Kavanaugh's several background checks over the last 26 years.
In 2016, Republicans blocked even holding a hearing for President Barack Obama's nominee for the court, Merrick Garland.
They said Mr Obama was simply trying to push Mr Garland through while he was on his way out of office in an election year.
Senator Orrin Hatch is complaining about Democrats "delay delay delay" of Mr Kavanaugh's appointment.
Mr Hatch said the president nominated Mr Kavanaugh "81 days ago" and said the committee has had more meetings and hours of questions than any nominee before.
"We can't allow more time for more smears" against Mr Kavanaugh and his family, Mr Hatch said, struggling to get through his prepared remarks.
"It's time to show some dignity around here," Mr Hatch said, but it is unclear what he actually means by that.
"I'm personally tired of all the games," he said.
Republicans have not allowed for an FBI investigation into Dr Ford's allegations, which could prove Mr Kavanaugh right through evidence - which Dr Ford herself admitted in an exchange with Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse yesterday.
You can watch the whole "circus" as Mr Hatch just called it here and be sure to tune back in for the actual vote as well.
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