Republicans are pushing to quickly confirm Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh after a full day of testimony from Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused the judge of sexually assaulting her when the two were in high school. Kavanaugh denies the allegation.
The GOP does not yet have the necessary 50 votes to confirm Kavanaugh, and a small group of Senators remain undecided. But Republican leaders have appeared confident and said they would move forward with the process.
Despite Democrats’ calls for an FBI investigation into Ford’s allegation, the Senate Judiciary Committee scheduled a vote for Friday afternoon to bring Kavanaugh’s nomination to the full Senate floor.
Republicans could advance Kavanaugh’s nomination to the full Senate even if the committee does not approve, but that would be very unusual and will likely be unnecessary. The only undecided member of the committee, Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake, said Friday morning that he would support Kavanaugh. After Friday, Republicans plan to hold a procedural vote, and could move to a potential confirmation vote early next week.
Here are the key Senators whose decisions could make or break Kavanaugh’s confirmation.
Republican Sen. Susan Collins (Maine)
Collins is one of a few moderate Republicans who has remained undecided about Kavanaugh. She supports abortion rights, so many have viewed her as a potential obstacle for the nominee. But after meeting with Kavanaugh over the summer, Collins said she was confident he viewed the Roe v. Wade abortion decision as “settled law.”
Collins was seen meeting with Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Flake and Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin after Kavanaugh’s hearing on Thursday. But she has kept her views quiet this week and has not said how she will ultimately vote.
Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska)
Like Collins, Murkowski is one of the most-watched swing votes. Before the sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh, Murkowski was also under pressure from constituents who had concerns about Kavanaugh’s view of Alaska natives’ rights. The Alaska Federation of Natives, a large statewide organization that has backed Murkowski in the past, said earlier this month it “strongly” opposes Kavanaugh because of his “views on the rights of Native peoples.”
But since the allegations against Kavanaugh have come out, Murkowski has also said they must be taken seriously. “We are now in a place where it’s not about whether or not Judge Kavanaugh is qualified,” she told The New York Times on Monday. “It is about whether or not a woman who has been a victim at some point in her life is to be believed.”
Republican Sen. Jeff Flake (Arizona)
The retiring Senator is another key name on this list. He was clearly concerned about his decision, and called Ford’s testimony “compelling.” But while he looked agonized during the Senate Judiciary Committee meeting Friday morning, he released a statement saying that he would vote to confirm Kavanaugh.
“I wish that I could express the confidence that some of my colleagues have conveyed about what either did or did not happen in the early 1980s, but I left the hearing yesterday with as much doubt as certainty,” Flake said in a statement. “What I do know is that our system of justice affords a presumption of innocence to the accused, absent corroborating evidence. That is what binds us to the rule of law.”
Shortly after releasing his decision on Friday, Flake was confronted by two women who said they were sexual assault survivors. They said his vote was “telling all women that they don’t matter” and demanded he look at them. He appeared visibly uncomfortable and quickly went into the Senate Judiciary Committee meeting. It’s unclear as of early Friday afternoon if Flake may reverse his decision or otherwise alter the expected process.
Republican Sen. Bob Corker (Tennessee)
Corker, who has previously been critical of President Donald Trump, also went from a swing vote to a supportive vote for Kavanaugh after Thursday’s hearing.
“While both individuals provided compelling testimony, nothing that has been presented corroborates the allegation,” Corker said in a statement. “There is no question that Judge Kavanaugh is qualified to serve on the Supreme Court, and in a different political environment, he would be confirmed overwhelmingly.”
https://twitter.com/senbobcorker/status/1045475440528412678?s=21
Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin (West Virginia)
Manchin, who is up for election in a state that President Trump won by 42 percent, is one of a group of red state Democrats who have had trouble making up their minds on Kavanaugh. He has been undecided about his vote so far and has not made a decision since Thursday’s hearings. He previously voted for Trump’s first Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch.
Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly (Indiana)
Donnelly is another Democrat in a similar position to Manchin — up for election this November in a red state. However, Donnelly announced Friday morning that he would vote no on Kavanaugh.
“I have deep reservations about Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination to this lifetime position and, as I stated, we have been unable to get all the information necessary regarding this nomination, despite my best efforts,” he said in a statement. “While I would gladly welcome the opportunity to work with President Trump on a new nominee for this critically important position, if Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination comes before the full Senate for a vote under these circumstances, I will oppose it.”
https://twitter.com/SenDonnelly/status/1045698329974386689
Democratic Sen. Jon Tester (Montana)
Tester, also representing a red state, had said that the allegations against Kavanaugh were one of several issues he wanted to look at about the nominee. He also released a statement on Friday saying he would not vote to confirm Kavanaugh.
“I have concerns that Judge Kavanaugh defended the PATRIOT Act instead of Montanans’ privacy,” the Senator said in a statement. “I have concerns about his support for more dark money in politics. I have concerns about who he believes is in charge of making personal health decisions. And I have deep concerns about the allegations of sexual assault against Judge Kavanaugh. Unfortunately, Judge Kavanaugh couldn’t find time to discuss these concerns with me in person, so the only information I have is from what he said in his hearings. I’ll be voting against him.”
https://twitter.com/SenatorTester/status/1045714692524699649
Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (North Dakota)
Heitkamp faces one of 2018’s most challenging re-election campaigns and is one of the few Democrats who previously voted for Gorsuch. When the allegations about Kavanaugh surfaced, she said they should be “thoroughly investigated.”
“It takes courage for any woman to speak up about sexual assault, and we need to respect Prof. Ford by listening to her and hearing her story,” the Senator said on Sept. 17.
Since the Thursday hearing, she has been quiet about her views and her vote remained unclear as of Friday.
