Two Republican senators announced Friday they want a delay of at least a week before the Senate votes on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, making it virtually impossible for his confirmation to happen early next week as planned.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, told reporters she backs a request from Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., to delay the Senate floor vote on Kavanaugh until the FBI can complete an investigation into allegations that Kavanaugh has a history of sexual assault.
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance Kavanaugh to the floor on Friday, but Flake indicated just before that vote that he would not vote for Kavanaugh without a short FBI investigation.
Without Flake and Murkowski, Republicans will fall at least a vote short, which means an investigation will likely have to be launched if President Trump wants his nomination confirmed. There are only 51 Republicans in the Senate, so an attempt to vote on Kavanaugh on the floor would only give the GOP 49 votes without Flake and Murkowski.
Republicans are also unlikely to be able to rely on any of the three red-state Democrats who were considered possible “yes” votes.
The most likely among them, Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., has been coordinating with Flake, Murkowski, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, on the Kavanaugh vote. He told the Washington Examiner that he also backs Flake’s idea.
The four met last night and said they were seeking more information about the alleged incident, which Kavanaugh denied in fiery testimony Thursday.
Republicans Friday afternoon huddled in Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s office to discuss the Kavanaugh vote, which had been scheduled to begin on Saturday and conclude by Tuesday.
