‘Twas the night before a scheduled vote on pushing Brett Kavanaugh‘s Supreme Court nomination to the Senate.
And all through Capitol Hill, Republican and Democratic senators met to discuss how they would vote when it came time to confirm him.
It all came after a day in which Christine Blasey Ford, who has alleged that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were teenagers, testified about before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Coverage of Brett Kavanaugh on Globalnews.ca:
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Christine Ford outlines specific details of day Brett Kavanaugh allegedly assaulted her -
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Christine Blasey Ford says ‘100 per cent’ certainty Brett Kavanaugh assaulted her -
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On the night before the Senate Judiciary Committee was expected to vote to push Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Senate, 47 Republican senators said they would vote for him.
However, three Republicans weren’t clear on their decisions on Thursday night: Maine Sen. Susan Collins, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake.
Fox News Congress correspondent Chad Pergram tweeted that the three had met with West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat, and that they could vote as a bloc.
Meanwhile, Politico congressional reporter Burgess Everett tweeted that those three, along with Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly of Indiana, would likely all vote in the same direction.
He didn’t say whether they were voting yes or no — just that they would go the same way.
The Atlantic writer Elaina Plott quoted an anonymous source close to Manchin saying, “short of claims that definitively prove Dr. Ford’s allegations or a realization that Kavanaugh will gut the health care law,” the senator “will side with the overwhelming number of people in West Virginia who want Kavanaugh confirmed.”
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The source went on to say, “Manchin likes Kavanaugh and has always wanted to find a way to support him.”
https://twitter.com/elainaplott/status/1045478279220797440
Manchin, however, told Politico he hasn’t decided how he’ll vote yet.
Earlier Thursday, Manchin said the hearing was critical to his decision, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota could vote to confirm Kavanaugh too, Politico added.
Elsewhere, senators were very clear about how they’d vote if Kavanaugh’s nomination came before them.
Indiana Sen. Todd Young, a Republican, said he would vote to confirm the judge.
In a statement tweeted by WXIN-TV’s Dan Spehler, Young said he was “not persuaded that Judge Kavanaugh was involved in this alleged incident 36 years ago.”
“I believe Judge Kavanaugh was truthful under oath during today’s hearing, and I trust the statements of the witnesses named by Dr. Ford who said under penalty of felony that they have no recollection of the alleged incident.”
Tennessee Republican Sen. Bob Corker said he planned on voting to confirm Kavanaugh, saying in a statement that “I know it took courage for Dr. Ford to appear before the committee today.
“I also very strongly believe that Judge Kavanaugh, like all Americans, deserves the presumption of innocence and that it was equally as important for him to have the opportunity to address the charges and defend himself.”
Corker added, “while both individuals provided compelling testimony, nothing that has been presented corroborates the allegation.”
The Senate Judiciary Committee was still expected to vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination on Friday.
Senators have been notified that they should expect a procedural vote to happen on the weekend, after which they could possibly vote on the confirmation on Tuesday.
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