The Senate Judiciary Committee is set to vote on Friday whether to recommend to the full Senate the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh for a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court.
The vote will come the day after millions were riveted to their TV and computer screens watching a he said/she said moment that saw a woman testify that Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted her when the two were teenagers, and Kavanaugh give an often emotional rebuttal of the claims.
Kavanaugh answered Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s charges with a 45-minute opening statement that took aim at Democrats, those who had attacked his family and credibility and even the “revenge” of those who support Bill and Hillary Clinton.
Hours after the hearing ended, the committee leadership announced that a vote on Kavanaugh’s confirmation set for Friday morning would take place.
Related: Livestream: Senate to vote on Kavanaugh Supreme Court nomination
Here’s what you need to know about the next step in Kavanaugh’s confirmation.
What is the vote about?
The Senate Judiciary Committee will vote whether to recommend Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the full Senate.
What time is the vote?
The vote is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. EDT on Friday.
What options does the Committee have?
The Judiciary Committee generally choose one of three options when it comes to making a recommendation to the full Senate on a candidate's nomination to the Supreme Court. The committee can recommend the nomination be approved, recommend the nomination be rejected or make no recommendation on the nomination.
With any of those recommendations, Kavanaugh’s nomination can still go to the full Senate for consideration.
The committee could decide not to report a nomination at all, a rare occurrence. That action would prevent the full Senate from considering Kavanaugh’s nomination.
Who is voting in the Committee?
There are 11 Republicans and 10 Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Here are the members:
Republicans:
Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) - chairman
Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah)
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina)
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas)
Sen. Michael S. Lee (R-Utah)
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas)
Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Nebraska)
Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Arizona)
Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho)
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina)
Sen. John Kennedy (R-Louisiana)
Democrats
Ranking Member Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California) – ranking member
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont)
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Illinois)
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island)
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota)
Sen. Christopher A. Coons (D-Delaware)
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut)
Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii)
Sen. Cory Booker (D-New Jersey)
Sen. Kamala Harris (D-California)
What happens after the committee sends a recommendation to the full Senate?
Once the Senate receives a recommendation, debate on the nomination is scheduled. Both Republicans and Democrats have a chance to speak for or against the nominee.
To end debate on the nomination, a cloture vote is taken. A cloture vote requires a simple majority (51 votes) to end debate.
When debate is ended, the full Senate will vote on the nomination. It will take a simple majority of the senators present – 51 if all the senators are there for the vote – to confirm a nominee.
Should there be a tie, the vice president will cast the deciding vote.
What is the likely schedule for the vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination?
The committee vote on the recommendation for Kavanaugh will take place on Friday morning. The recommendation will then be sent to the full Senate.
It is expected that on Saturday Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, will call for a vote to begin debate unless the Senate votes unanimously to move the vote on the nomination along faster, which is unlikely.
On Monday, McConnell will call for a cloture vote, or a vote to end debate on Kavanaugh’s nomination. If that vote passes, that would mean a full Senate vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination would likely take place on Tuesday.
Where can you watch today’s vote?
Friday’s vote is being broadcast live on cable news channels, including C-Span 2.
Are the hearings live streamed?
Yes. You can watch the vote here and on the Judiciary Committee website.
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