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Jeff Flake: senator says he will vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh Brett Kavanaugh: Republicans set to advance supreme court nominee
(about 3 hours later)
Supreme court nominee Brett Kavanaugh gained the support of a key Republican senator on Friday, virtually ensuring his nomination will advance to the full Senate a day after Kavanaugh adamantly denied sexually assaulting Christine Blasey Ford, who insists she is “100%” certain he did. Senate Republicans are poised to advance Brett Kavanaugh, Donald Trump’s embattled pick for the US supreme court, in a committee vote on Friday, ensuring his nomination would receive a vote on the full Senate floor despite allegations of sexual assault.
Moments before the Senate judiciary committee panel convened to discuss voting on Kavanaugh’s confirmation to America’s highest bench, Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona, a member of the committee, announced he would vote to confirm Kavanaugh. One day after Kavanaugh vehemently denied sexually assaulting Christine Blasey Ford, who testified to lawmakers she was “100%” sure he assaulted her, the federal judge earned the support of a key Republican senator whose vote was crucial to his prospects.
Flake said Kavanaugh was entitled to the “presumption of innocence … absent corroborating evidence”. A committee confirmation vote is set for 1.30 pm ET. Moments before the Senate judiciary committee convened to formally consider the nomination, Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona, the lone Republican swing vote on the panel, announced he would vote to confirm Kavanaugh to America’s highest bench.
Flake said Kavanaugh was entitled to the “presumption of innocence … absent corroborating evidence”. A committee confirmation vote was set for 1.30 pm ET.
“While some may argue that a different standard should apply regarding the Senate’s advice and consent responsibilities, I believe that the constitution’s provisions of fairness and due process apply here as well,” Flake said. “I will vote to confirm Judge Kavanaugh.”“While some may argue that a different standard should apply regarding the Senate’s advice and consent responsibilities, I believe that the constitution’s provisions of fairness and due process apply here as well,” Flake said. “I will vote to confirm Judge Kavanaugh.”
Shortly afterwards, two women cornered him in an elevator as he headed back to the committee room, and in a dramatic exchange, they implored him to change his mind about his Kavanaugh vote. Flake’s declaration of support marked the dramatic culmination of the last 24 hours, which saw Ford and Kavanaugh deliver dueling testimony on Capitol Hill about an alleged sexual assault that occurred when the two were teenagers in the early 1980s.
The emotionally charged hearing underscored not only the potential ramifications of sending Kavanaugh to the supreme court, where he would play a role in shaping decades’ worth of policy, but also the societal impact of the #MeToo movement and recourse for victims of sexual assault.
In the aftermath of the hearing, protesters continued to roam the hallways of Capitol Hill with a sense of urgency rarely witnessed for a supreme court nominee in recent memory.
In one particularly contentious exchange, two women cornered Flake in an elevator as he headed to the committee room and implored him to change his mind about his Kavanaugh vote.
The confrontation could be seen in TV footage blocking the Arizona senator from closing the elevator door. Through her tears, one woman said she had been a victim of sexual assault, and begged Flake to look her in the eye. She said: “Look at me and tell me that it doesn’t matter what happened to me.”The confrontation could be seen in TV footage blocking the Arizona senator from closing the elevator door. Through her tears, one woman said she had been a victim of sexual assault, and begged Flake to look her in the eye. She said: “Look at me and tell me that it doesn’t matter what happened to me.”
Another woman said Flake was allowing someone who “violated someone” to serve on the supreme court. Flake did not respond. He looked at them, and looked at the ground as he listened. Eventually a member of Flake’s staff said they needed to go and the doors closed. Another woman said Flake was allowing someone who “violated someone” to serve on the supreme court. Flake did not respond. He looked at them, and looked at the ground as he listened. Eventually, a member of Flake’s staff said they needed to go and the doors closed.
Women confront Sen. Jeff Flake after he says he'll vote yes to Kavanuagh: “That’s what you’re telling all women in America, that they don’t matter. They should just keep it to themselves because if they have told the truth you’re just going to help that man to power anyway.” pic.twitter.com/T7fSpyT69EWomen confront Sen. Jeff Flake after he says he'll vote yes to Kavanuagh: “That’s what you’re telling all women in America, that they don’t matter. They should just keep it to themselves because if they have told the truth you’re just going to help that man to power anyway.” pic.twitter.com/T7fSpyT69E
Kavanaugh is a darling of the conservative right in America but his path to the supreme court has been hit by a series of sexual assault allegations from three different women. California professor Christine Blasey Ford, the first of his accusers, gave testimony on Thursday in a hearing that gripped the nation – both for her powerful description of abuse but also for Kavanaugh’s angry denial of wrongdoing. Kavanaugh is a darling of the conservative right in America but his path to the supreme court has been hit by a series of sexual assault allegations from three different women.
The extraordinary and emotional day of testimony saw Kavanaugh deny accusations of sexual assault as “unequivocally” false. Meanwhile Ford, testified that she was “100%” certain Kavanaugh attacked her. Democrats on the Senate judiciary committee assailed their Republican colleagues ahead of the Kavanaugh vote for what they said was an effort to “railroad” his nomination forward. Several of the committee members walked out in protest, while others reiterated calls for an FBI investigation into the allegations against Kavanaugh.
The Senate judiciary committee, where the initial vote on Kavanaugh will be held, is narrowly split with an 11-10 Republican majority. Democrats are expected to oppose the nominee. But even if the panel deadlocks on whether to recommend the judge for confirmation, the full Senate could start taking procedural votes on Saturday on Kavanaugh, setting up a final vote as soon as Tuesday. Senator Dianne Feinstein, the committee’s top Democrat also sounded the alarm over Kavanaugh’s fiery testimony before the committee on Thursday, stating the judge had been “aggressive and belligerent”.
As the committee prepared for a Friday vote, its result remained uncertain. Flake had previously voiced concern over Kavanaugh. “I have never seen someone who wanted to be elevated to the highest court in our country behave in that manner,” she said.
“She was certainly a compelling person,” Flake told reporters when asked what his “gut instinct” was after hearing from Ford and Kavanaugh. “She gave good testimony.” Patrick Leahy, a Democrat from Vermont, lamented the committee was “no longer and independent of government”.
The crucial swing votes of the Republicans Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska are still, however, in question. Late on Thursday night, the Republican senator Bob Corker, who had initially expressed some misgivings, announced his support for Kavanaugh. He said: “We are an arm, and a very weak arm, of the Trump White House.”
The remarkable testimony appears to have only sharpened the partisan divide over Donald Trump’s nominee. Republicans praised Ford’s bravery in coming forward, but many of them said her account would not affect their support for Kavanaugh. The Senate judiciary committee is narrowly split with an 11-10 Republican majority. Democrats are expected to unanimously oppose the nominee. The full Senate could start taking procedural votes as early as Saturday on Kavanaugh, setting up a possible final vote on Tuesday.
Trump also made clear that he was sticking by his nominee. “His testimony was powerful, honest and riveting,” he tweeted. “The Senate must vote!” It remained unclear if Republicans possessed the necessary votes from the full chamber to confirm Kavanaugh. With a narrow 51-49 seat majority in the Senate, Republicans can afford to lose just one vote.
Meanwhile, there were signs the remarkable testimony before the panel in which Kavanaugh angrily declared his innocence and Ford calmly recounted the moment in which she says he attacked her had registered negatively with two organizations whose support Kavanaugh had earlier received. Even as the committee pressed forward on Friday, the critical swing votes of the Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, two of the Senate’s most prominent Republican women, remained in question.
The American Bar Association, which previously gave Kavanaugh its highest rating of “well qualified”, asked the Senate judiciary committee and the full Senate to delay the vote until the FBI could do a full background check on the assault claims something Trump has refused to order. Red state Democrats facing tough re-election battles in November, some of whom crossed over the aisle last year to confirm Trump’s other supreme court nominee, Neil Gorsuch, also appeared to be undecided. At least two of them, Senators Jon Tester of Montana and Joe Donnelly of Indiana, announced they would vote against Kavanaugh on Friday.
The White House spokeswoman, Sarah Sanders, dismissed that on Friday, telling reporters that Kavanaugh has already “been through six separate background investigations by the FBI”. “As I have made clear before, sexual assault has no place in our society,” Donnelly said in a statement.
Late Thursday, the magazine of the Jesuit religious order in the United States withdrew its endorsement of Kavanaugh, saying the nomination was no longer in the interests of the country and “should be withdrawn”. “When it does occur, we should listen to the survivors and work to ensure it never happens again. That should not be a partisan issue.”
“If Senate Republicans proceed with his nomination, they will be prioritizing policy aims over a woman’s report of an assault,” the America magazine editors wrote. “Were he to be confirmed without this allegation being firmly disproved, it would hang over his future decisions on the supreme court for decades and further divide the country.” The sharp partisan divide was nonetheless readily apparent as the judiciary committee pushed ahead with its vote.
The magazine’s reversal is significant given Kavanaugh has repeatedly cited his Roman Catholic faith and his years as a student at the Jesuit-run Georgetown Prep school in Maryland. Although Republicans praised Ford’s bravery in coming forward, most of them were unmoved, stating her account would not affect their support for Kavanaugh.
Former President George W Bush has been advocating for Kavanaugh with wavering senators in recent days, according to a person familiar with Bush’s outreach who was not authorized to speak publicly. “I feel sorry for her and I do believe something happened to her and I don’t know when and where,” said Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a close ally of Trump’s. “But I don’t believe it was Brett Kavanaugh.”
Trump also made clear that he was sticking by his nominee in the aftermath of Thursday’s explosive hearing. “His testimony was powerful, honest and riveting,” he tweeted. “The Senate must vote!”
Meanwhile, there were signs the remarkable testimony had registered negatively with at least two organizations whose Kavanaugh had earlier received.
The American Bar Association, which previously gave Kavanaugh its highest rating of “well qualified”, asked the Senate judiciary committee and the full Senate to delay the vote until the FBI could do a full background check. Trump has declined to take such a step.
Sarah Sanders, the White House press secretary, dismissed the idea on Friday, telling reporters Kavanaugh had already “been through six separate background investigations by the FBI”.

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