Senate closer to confirming Kavanaugh
2 key GOP lawmakers speak favorably of FBI investigation
WASHINGTON – Two pivotal Republican senators in the debate over Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court made initially positive comments Thursday on an FBI background investigation of the nominee, raising the chances that they might vote in favor of him.
An FBI report into sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh arrived on Capitol Hill early Thursday. Republican leaders, who are seeking to safeguard the confidentiality of the document, invited senators to view it in a secure meeting room.
Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., who was instrumental in persuading Senate leaders to move forward with the FBI probe last week, told reporters that the report showed “no additional corroborating information” to suggest Kavanaugh had committed sexual assault.
Sen. Susan Collins, RMaine, indicated that she did not share Democrats’ concerns that the FBI report was incomplete and inconclusive. “It appears to be a very thorough investigation, but I’m going back later to personally read the interviews,” Collins said.
Flake said he agreed with Collins that the report was thorough.
Flake and Collins are swing votes
who could make or break Kavanaugh’s confirmation vote, which could be held as early as Friday. They didn’t say how they would vote.
Republicans hold 51 seats in the Senate, and every other GOP senator except Flake, Collins and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska has already come out in support of President Donald Trump’s nominee.
If there is a 50-50 tie, Vice President Mike Pence would break it in favor of Kavanaugh.
Murkowski’s spokeswoman, Karina Peterson, said the Alaska senator hasn’t finished the report yet “so she doesn’t know if it is thorough enough.”
The FBI has been investigating accusations by Christine Blasey Ford that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her while they were in high school 36 years ago.
The agency also looked into allegations by Deborah Ramirez that Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a dorm party while they were students at Yale University. Kavanaugh vehemently denied the allegations.
Republican Senate leaders and White House officials said the FBI report revealed no evidence of wrongdoing. But Democrats said the White House tied the FBI’s hands so that agents could not conduct a thorough investigation. They were especially upset that the FBI did not interview Kavanaugh or Ford. According to the FBI, nine witnesses were interviewed for the report and neither Kavanaugh nor Ford was among them.
“Candidly, what we reviewed today in a very limited time ... looks to be a product of an incomplete investigation that was limited, perhaps by the White House, I don’t know,” said Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee.
Senate leaders are aiming for a procedural vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination Friday. That would be followed by a final vote Saturday.
Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said the FBI’s report found “no hint of misconduct” and declared that “it’s time to vote.”
“There’s nothing in (the report) that we didn’t already know,” Grassley said.