The Senate just voted to end debate on Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination, moving the chamber to a final vote Saturday evening amid a rancorous fight over decades-old sexual assault allegations against him.
The vote to invoke cloture was 51-49. While the vote was not necessarily indicative of the final confirmation vote, it moved him one step closer to sitting on the highest court in the land and three out of four key undecided senators voted “yes” to advance the nomination.
Republican Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., and West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, voted to invoke cloture. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, voted “no” on cloture. With a 51-49 majority, Republicans can’t afford more than one defection if all Democrats were to vote together. Collins is expected to announce her decision in a speech on the Senate floor at 3 p.m. Friday.
Senate votes to end debate on Kavanaugh nomination. Tees up Saturday confirmation vote
The vote was 51-49.
Manchin, Collins and Flake were yeasMurkowski was a no.
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) October 5, 2018
Rush Limbaugh’s right-hand-man, Bo Snerdly weighed in on Republican Senator Murkowski’s “no” vote on Kavanaugh, suggesting that Murkowski needs to have a STRONG challenger in the next primary, reminding voters that she’s a weak candidate, who was actually “taken out in a primary but came back to win in the general”.
Senator Murkowski needs to have a STRONG challenge in the next primary. She was taken out in a primary before but came back to win in the general. This time she should be defeated in primary – and defeated in the general. Time for her to GO.
— Bo Snerdley (@BoSnerdley) October 5, 2018
.@lisamurkowski: you won’t see conservatives screaming, crying or protesting you in the streets, but you should know that today you failed.
You affirmed the stereotype of weak, emotional women.
You chose feelings over rational thoughts and in turn, condemned an innocent man.
— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) October 5, 2018
The math for Republicans became somewhat trickier late Thursday when Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont. said he would be attending his daughter’s wedding in Montana on Saturday, He said he would return to cast the decisive vote if needed.
Donald Trump Jr., who calls Senator Daines a “good friend” tweeted last night that Daines would make himself available to vote to confirm Kavanaugh if necessary:
.@SteveDaines is a good friend and hunting/fishing buddy and as far as his vote this weekend is concerned he tells me he has it covered.
Coming from this man you can take that to the bank!
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) October 5, 2018