Collins, Manchin decide to vote yes on Kavanaugh
Court nominee edges close to confirmation
WASHINGTON – Republicans appeared to have enough votes to narrowly confirm Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh after Sen. Susan Collins said Friday the nominee deserves a presumption of innocence against sexual assault allegations.
“It is when passions are most inflamed that fairness is most in jeopardy,” Collins said on the Senate floor in announcing she will back the nomination, after voting to end debate. “I do not believe that these charges can fairly prevent Judge Kavanaugh from serving on the court.”
After speaking for more than 40 minutes, she concluded: “I will vote to confirm Judge Kavanaugh.”
Collins was among a handful of
publicly undecided senators in the spotlight Friday as the White House and Republican leaders tried to round up enough votes to confirm Kavanaugh after a rocky few weeks of explosive allegations, dramatic hearings, public protests and impassioned defenses.
Arizona Republican Jeff Flake, the other senator who had been wavering this week, said Friday he will vote to confirm Kavanaugh unless something significant changes before Saturday’s expected final vote.
West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, the only Democrat to vote with Republicans to end debate, announced after Collins’ speech that he will also vote for confirmation.
Manchin said that his heart goes out to any sexual assault victim.
“However, based on all of the information I have available to me, including the recently completed FBI report, I have found Judge Kavanaugh to be a qualified jurist who will follow the Constitution and determine cases based on the legal findings before him,” Manchin said in a statement.
Even if Manchin had opposed Kavanaugh, the Senate would split 50-50 and Vice President Mike Pence would cast the tie-breaking vote.
The Senate voted 51-49 Friday to advance the nomination.
The final vote is not just the chance for Republicans to shift the court to the right for what could be decades, but is also a test of how public officials respond to the raw emotions unleashed by the allegations of sexual assault against Kavanaugh as part of the #MeToo movement.
A main reason Republicans voted for Trump – to put conservatives on the court – is also at stake, as is control of Congress in the midterm elections.
Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, the only Republican to vote against advancing the nomination, called it one of the most difficult decisions of her career.
“I believe that Brett Kavanaugh is a good man,” Murkowski said after the vote. “But it just may be that, in my view, he’s not the right man for the court at this time.”
Murkowski later told reporters she made up her mind as she walked into the chamber Friday morning.
After the vote, lawmakers gathered around Murkowski on the Senate floor and huddled for a heated conversation.
“People just wanted to let them know that we appreciated her and there’s gonna be another vote coming soon and we’re going to need her,” South Dakota Sen. John Thune, the head of the GOP conference, said about other issues the Senate will deal with.
While Thune said he would “be surprised” if Murkowski changes her mind and votes to confirm Kavanaugh Saturday, he expressed confidence about the outcome.
“I think today was a pretty good indication, you know, of where folks are,” he said. “I am confident, hopeful, optimistic – all that. But around here, as you guys know, it’s not for sure until it’s counted.”