Senate panel plans to vote Friday as scheduled on Kavanaugh
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley is seen at Thursday's hearing for Brett Kavanaugh and his accuser, Christine Blasey Ford. Credit: AP/Andrew Harnik
Republican senators say the Judiciary Committee plans to vote Friday morning on Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court.
Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, the second ranking-Republican, had said Thursday that the GOP conference would meet and "see where we are." After the meeting, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said, "There will be a vote tomorrow morning."
Kavanaugh and a woman accusing him of sexual assault, California psychologist Christine Blasey Ford, spent hours testifying Thursday before the committee.
Ford told senators that one night in the summer of 1982, a drunken Kavanaugh forced her down on a bed, groped her and tried to take off her clothes.
Kavanaugh, testifying second, forcefully denied the accusation and said he's never sexually assaulted anyone.
Friday's meeting is set to take place in the same Dirksen Senate Office Building room where Kavanaugh and Blasey Ford testified.
Though some Republican committee members voiced confidence Thursday that the vote would proceed as planned, at least three GOP governors called on the process to be delayed until all allegations of sexual misconduct against Kavanaugh are investigated. They are Govs. John Kasich of Ohio, Charlie Baker of Massachusetts and Phil Scott of Vermont.
If the committee advances Kavanaugh's nomination, a full Senate vote on his confirmation could come as early as next week. A handful of Republican senators are expected to be the swing votes, including Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Jeff Flake of Arizona.
With Emily Ngo
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