By a razor thin margin, 51-49, the Senate has voted to move forward with the confirmation process for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. The final vote is scheduled for Saturday.
BREAKING: Senate narrowly votes to advance Kavanaugh nomination as 3 of 4 key senators vote yes, setting up final vote for Saturday https://t.co/7GaDzdNTCD pic.twitter.com/0f5isurbzT
— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 5, 2018
Surprisingly, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), one of the key swing votes, voted not to proceed to a confirmation vote for Kavanaugh.
Murkowski's no was quiet - press corps all verified w each other that it was "no".
— Lisa Desjardins (@LisaDNews) October 5, 2018
Conservatives are now sending her a warning.
Lisa Murkowski, you represent a state that Trump won by 15 points
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) October 5, 2018
You campaigned on conservative values & putting strong judges on the court
You have an obligation to confirm Kavanaugh
If not, we the grassroots will launch a primary that will end your career
Murkowski has previously voted with Democrats on key bills when it comes to abortion rights. Yet, she agreed with Sen. Collins this time around that Kavanaugh was not likely to overturn Roe v. Wade. So, the source of her opposition is unclear, but we'll wait for an official statement. She could still vote "yes" on the final confirmation vote, but at that point it seems unlikely. Planned Parenthood activists confronted Collins on Capitol Hill ahead of the vote, but she voted to advance the nomination.
Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), who was also on the fence, voted yes, as did Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin (WV).
*Follow along on our live blog as the vote proceeds.*