The Senate Judiciary Committee has voted to recommend Brett Kavanaugh for a lifetime appointment for the U.S. Supreme Court, but says it will request that an FBI investigation is conducted.
The FBI investigation is a caveat put forth by Sen. Jeff Flake, who said he wants the FBI to investigate the claims of sexual misconduct before he’ll vote to confirm Kavanaugh in the Senate, even though he voted in favour of Kavanaugh during the meeting Friday.
In a statement following the vote, the committee explained in a statement: “The supplemental FBI background investigation would be limited to current credible allegations against the nominee and must be completed no later than one week from today.”
The committee vote came after a day of emotional testimony from one of the women accusing Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct. Kavanaugh fiercely defended the accusations.
WATCH: McConnell announces nomination of Kavanaugh to Supreme Court to proceed
Flake was the deciding vote; until Friday morning, he hadn’t committed to either side.
In a written statement Friday morning, Flake said: “I left the hearing yesterday with as much doubt as certainty.”
“What I do know is that our system of justice affords a presumption of innocence to the accused, absent corroborating evidence.”
WATCH: ‘You are telling all women they don’t matter’: Jeff Flake confronted after voting yes on Kavanaugh
But before the vote was expected to take place at 1:30 p.m., senators met behind closed doors.
They reconvened around 1:51 p.m. Flake said he asked to delay the vote before the full Senate by one week to allow an FBI investigation.
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That’s when Flake explained he needed more information before he could promise to vote for Kavanaugh in the Senate.
Senators voted along party lines, 11 Republicans voted in favour of recommending Kavanaugh, 10 Democrats voted against.
WATCH: Senate committee meeting ends in chaos after Grassley invokes ‘two-hour rule’
Majority leader Mitch McConnell will now call for a vote in the Senate to confirm him.
The 100-person Senate is controlled by the Republicans (51-49) but as the midterms are approaching, it may not stay that way for long.
Three senators have not taken firm positions on Kavanaugh. Republicans Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski and Democrat Joe Manchin met separately after Thursday’s hearing. It’s likely they will vote as a bloc.
Commenting on the vote, U.S. President Donald Trump said he hadn’t pick an alternative if the Senate doesn’t confirm Kavanaugh. He also said he wouldn’t interfere in the process.
“I’m going to let the Senate handle that. They’ll make their decisions,” Trump told reporters at the White House Friday afternoon.
Before the vote, senators offered comments on the emotional testimony from Christine Blasey Ford, one of the women who accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault.
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Dr. Christine Blasey Ford outlines how Brett Kavanaugh allegedly sexually assaulted her -
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Christine Ford: I thought Brett Kavanaugh would accidentally kill me -
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Kavanaugh says confirmation process has become a ‘national disgrace’ -
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Kavanaugh on sex assault allegation: I am innocent of this charge -
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‘This isn’t a job interview; this is hell’: Sen. Graham sounds off at Senate hearing -
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Christine Blasey Ford’s most compelling moments from testimony before U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee -
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Senator Jeff Flake confronted by protesters inside elevator about why he intends to support Brett Kavanaugh -
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Feinstein calls Kavanaugh’s impartiality into question -
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Leahy says Kavanaugh decision could impact rape victims in the future
Republicans staunchly defended Kavanaugh’s character and condemned those they say were dragging his name through the mud.
“Judge Kavanaugh has talked about the smears — and the many that have levelled against him in the last two weeks — how he put it destroyed his family. To some that may sound like hyperbole, I don’t think it is,” Sen. Ted Cruz said.
For their part, Democrats on the committee took issue with how quickly the proceedings were going, saying there was not time for a full FBI investigation.
They also said the decision will have a lasting impact on whether or not sexual assault survivors will come forward in the future.
“How this committee handles this nomination can be viewed as a reflection of how seriously our society views credible claims of misconduct,” Sen. Patrick Leahy said.
“If victims think they’ll never be believed, or simply will not be taken seriously if they are believed, then why come forward at all.”
WATCH: Senators comment on Kavanaugh and Ford’s testimony
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Cory Booker says no witnesses have exonerated Brett Kavanaugh yet -
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Cruz says allegations against Kavanaugh have hurt his family and future -
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Klobuchar says Trump’s war with Justice Department casts shadow over Kavanaugh confirmation -
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Whitehouse says FBI need to investigate Kavanaugh calendars -
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Democratic senator raises American Bar Association letter calling for delay to Kavanaugh confirmation -
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Graham says Kavanaugh allegations have ‘never been about the truth’ -
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Leahy says Kavanaugh decision could impact rape victims in the future -
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Democratic senator likens Kavanaugh confirmation hearing to ‘Alice in Wonderland’ -
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Grassley says they can do their own investigation into Kavanaugh allegations instead of FBI -
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Feinstein calls Kavanaugh’s impartiality into question
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