WASHINGTON – The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Friday to confirm federal Judge Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court.
The vote was split down party lines -- 11 Republicans to 10 Democrats. Republican Sen. Jeff Flake was the only one in his party that expressed he might vote against Kavanaugh's nomination, but he officially announced Friday morning that he would vote with his party.
With Friday's committee vote, the issue now heads to the full Senate for a vote on Kavanaugh's official confirmation to the Supreme Court.
On Friday afternoon, just before the committee voted, Flake said he supports a delay of the full Senate floor vote so that an FBI investigation into sexual assault accusations against Kavanaugh can be completed.
That vote is expected in the following week or so, but it's unclear when the floor vote actually will happen pending the request for an FBI probe to continue. Flake said he would vote in favor of Kavanaugh's nomination on the condition that there is at least a week between this committee vote and a full Senate floor vote to allow for an FBI investigation into the sexual assault claims.
Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley noted the timing on a Senate vote was up to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Meanwhile, President Trump has to agree to allow the FBI investigation. He said Friday after the committee's vote that he would do whatever the Senate wants.
Friday's vote came a day after the Senators heard testimony from Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, a woman who accuses the judge of sexually assaulting her when they were both teenagers in 1982.
Watch moments from the hearing on Thursday:
Here are the senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee:
- Chuck Grassley, of Iowa, Chairman (R)
- Orrin G. Hatch, of Utah (R)
- Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina (R)
- John Cornyn, of Texas (R)
- Mike Lee, of Utah (R)
- Ted Cruz, of Texas (R)
- Ben Sasse, of Nebraska (R)
- Jeff Flake, of Arizona (R)
- Mike Crapo, of Idaho (R)
- Thom Tillis, of North Carolina (R)
- John Kennedy, of Louisiana (R)
- Dianne Feinstein, of California (D)
- Patrick J. Leahy, of Vermont (D)
- Richard J. Durbin, of Illinois (D)
- Sheldon Whitehouse, of Rhode Island (D)
- Amy Klobuchar, of Minnesota (D)
- Christopher A. Coons, of Delaware (D)
- Richard Blumenthal, of Connecticut (D)
- Mazie K. Hirono, of Hawaii (D)
- Cory A. Booker, of New Jersey (D)
- Kamala D. Harris, of California (D)