The Senate moved Friday evening to begin debate on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
Debate began after a bipartisan voice vote and following a deal to re-open a bipartisan investigation into a decades-old sexual assault allegation made against Kavanaugh.
“So, this is a nomination that deserves to move forward — and that is precisely what is happening. I commend our colleagues on the Committee for sending this impressive nominee here to the floor with a favorable recommendation. Now we will keep the process moving: The full Senate will begin considering Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination today,” said Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., voted earlier Friday in favor of moving Kavanaugh’s nomination from the Judiciary Committee to the Senate floor, but said he would not vote to confirm him without the FBI looking into the allegation.
The Senate will next move on a cloture vote to end debate on the nomination, but will not take that vote until the FBI files a report, which the lawmaker said would occur within a week.
President Trump ordered the FBI to re-open Kavanaugh’s background check investigation earlier Friday evening at the request of the Judiciary Committee.
The vote to start debate came one day after an emotional hearing airing Christine Blasey Ford’s allegation that Kavanaugh attempted to sexually assault her while the two were in high school.
Kavanaugh denied the charges and said Friday he would cooperate with the FBI.
Republicans had little choice but to agree to the weeklong probe. In addition to Flake, two moderate GOP senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, said they wanted the additional investigation as well.
Without at least two of those senators, the GOP would not have the votes needed to confirm Kavanaugh.
