Brett Kavanaugh vote: Trump orders FBI background investigation into Supreme Court nominee after Jeff Flake calls for Senate vote delay
After the committee decision attention will turn to moderate Senate Republicans like Susan Collins and their possible voting intentions in a full chamber vote
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Your support makes all the difference.The Senate Judiciary Committee has approved Donald Trump's nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, in a vote 11-10 on party lines.
However, moderate Republican Senator Jeff Flake called for an FBI investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against the judge before a final Senate vote. Mr Trump later ordered the FBI to conduct that understanding.
Mr Flake's intervention means a final Senate vote on the nomination could be delayed for up to a week so that the FBI investigation can be completed. Mr Kavanuagh denies the allegations from three different women.
“I will vote to advance the nominee to the floor with that understanding,” Mr Flake said.
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"Someone's going to have to tell Trump. I guess that's my job," Mr Graham said, to laughter from the gathered crowd.
"Jeff's a really a good guy. I wouldn't have done it," Mr Graham said, trying to explain why Mr Flake sided with Democrats on the request for a week-long FBI investigation.
"If Jeff feels better about it, I feel better about it. This is Jeff Flake. He's not a lawyer, this is hard," in what sounded like a backhanded compliment.
"I respect the hell out of this...trying to get the Democrats to buy-in," he said.
Donald Trump said "I'm going to let the Senate handle that....I'm sure it will all be very good"
"Very fine woman," is how the president described Dr Ford and said her testimony was "credible".
He did not immediately dismiss Mr Flake's decision to support Democrats' idea for a week-long FBI investigation.
He said Mr Kavanaugh's testimony was "incredible" and "something I had never seen before".
"I just want it to work out well for the country," Mr Trump said.
"I'm totally reliant on what Senator Grassley and the group do," he said about the fate of his second nominee for the Supreme Court.
It is unclear if the president is well-versed on Senate procedures on Supreme Court nominee votes.
The president was uncharacteristically subdued about Mr Kavanaugh and Senate Republicans, whom he has hit out against in the past when things have not gone his way.
Mr Coons said "there would no more than one week" delay for an FBI investigation.
He also proposed there may be "additional accusers" coming forward and that, if they do, those allegations would need to be investigated as well.
"I recognise the FBI does not present conclusions, they simply present evidence," Mr Coons said, but noted there were enough points in Dr Ford's testimony that would require official investigation.
Mr Flake is a "genuine conservative...there's not a whole lot we agree on...but we share a deep concern for the health of this institution," he said about his personal friend.
Mr Coons said Mr Flake is taking a "deep political risk" in attempting to delay the vote for an FBI investigation.
To recap:
- After the morning break, Mr Flake called Mr Coons into a back room to talk. The pair were in there for nearly 30 minutes before Mr Coons came out and brought Ms Feinstein back.
- After deliberation, Mr Flake returned to tell the committee he supported the Democrats' repeated demand for an FBI investigation, lasting "no more" than one week.
- Mr Grassley quickly took a vote on a motion to "move" the nomination vote to the full Senate floor.
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