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
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
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.
Please allow a moment for the live blog to load
"It was always just assumed that they're qualified and not hacks," Mr Graham said about previous Supreme Court nominees.
He essentially asked why it was different for a nominee of Donald Trump as several detractors have called Mr Kavanaugh a 'partisan hack'.
"It's a bunch of garbage...we're in the Twilight Zone," Mr Graham said about the allegations.
He said he believes Dr Ford, but does not think it was Mr Kavanaugh.
Mr Graham said in the US "you have say where [a crime] happened, when it happened, and" provide evidence to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt.
He is completely avoiding any mention of the FBI investigation Dr Ford and Democrats have requested in order to get evidence, which could actually prove Mr Kavanaugh's innocence.
Here are more pictures from a different angle of the women of the US House standing in silent protest in the hearing room.
"If this is the new standard...God help us all," Mr Graham said.
His statement has been jumping around but essentially he said "this has never been about the truth," the confirmation hearing "has been about delay and destruction".
"It is the beginning of a process that will tear this country apart," Mr Graham said, if Democrats keep pushing.
"There's a process before Kavanaugh, there's the process after Kavanaugh," Mr Graham warned Democrats, adding he may become chairman of the committee soon.
"An FBI investigation is gonna do nothing. It's just going to keep going and going...until the next [accusers] come forward," Mr Graham said.
"Many on the Senate Judiciary Committee are still mired in the dead space it was 27 years ago" during the testimony of Ms Hill, Senator Dick Durbin said.
Mr Durbin is reading a letter from the American Bar Association, which had endorsed Mr Kavanaugh, detailing why they said it "was too important to rush to a vote" and asked it be delayed until an FBI investigation is conducted
Senator John Cornyn, a Republican, said he is "proud of the way we treated Dr Ford" and addressed criticism of hiring Rachel Mitchell, an experienced sex crimes prosecutor, to question Dr Ford on their behalf.
He did not seem to understand why Democrats were upset about that.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments