UPDATE: The White House has ordered the investigation.
Statement from President @realDonaldTrump:
— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) September 28, 2018
“I’ve ordered the FBI to conduct a supplemental investigation to update Judge Kavanaugh’s file. As the Senate has requested, this update must be limited in scope and completed in less than one week.”
UPDATE: Republicans will allow a week for an investigation to conclude.
BREAKING: Sen. John Cornyn: Republican leaders to allow up to a week for background investigation of Kavanaugh before final vote.
— The Associated Press (@AP) September 28, 2018
The committee is asking President Trump to direct the FBI to start an investigation. Multiple senators - both Democratic and Republican - have voiced their support for a probe.
JUST IN: Sen. Joe Manchin supports Sen. Jeff Flake's call for a delay in Kavanaugh vote for FBI background investigation.
— ABC News (@ABC) September 28, 2018
“I applaud Senator Jeff Flake’s decision to rise above the partisan circus on display during this entire process." https://t.co/xP6e3SjxqB pic.twitter.com/PQbQ8BKDki
I support this sensible agreement. pic.twitter.com/5QtenWGGqb
— Sen. Susan Collins (@SenatorCollins) September 28, 2018
Also of note, Kavanaugh's friend Mark Judge, who the accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, identified as being the other male teenager in the room when she was allegedly assaulted in high school, said he'd cooperate with law enforcement.
ORIGINAL POST
Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA), who earlier said the Supreme Court nomination hearings for Brett Kavanaugh had become an "intergalactic freakshow," revealed Friday afternoon that the committee members have reached an agreement on how to proceed. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) raised the stakes ahead of the committee vote by asking for a vote delay until the FBI had investigated Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's sexual assault allegations against the nominee. It seemed like Flake had experienced a change of heart. On Friday morning, he released a statement noting his "yes" vote on Kavanaugh.
Minutes before the committee vote, however, Sen. Chris Coons (R-DE) took Flake to an anteroom to discuss the vote. When they emerged, Flake said he was siding with Democrats in that he'd be more comfortable if they waited to vote until after an FBI investigation.
GOP LA Sen Kennedy on how to proceed on Kavanaugh: “We’ve reached an agreement..we’ve reached an accord.” Details unclear
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) September 28, 2018
A complete statement from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is expected soon.
Ford revealed her identity as the Kavanaugh accuser earlier this month after a letter she wrote to Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) leaked to the media. In his remarks on the Judiciary Committee Friday, Sen. Kennedy said "shame" on the person who breached Ford's anonymity. He directed that person to open their Bible and read Matthew 16: 26. That verse reads, "What would a person profit if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?"
He added:
"To the person who leaked Dr. Ford's letter, to the person who breached Dr. Ford's anonymity, and to the person who did not tell her she could have avoided this by testifying privately in her home in California, you know who you are. You should bow your head in shame in my opinion, and you should hide your head in a bag every day for the rest of your natural life."