The deciding vote on the confirmation of the accused attempted rapist Judge Brett Kavanaugh is a woman, and nothing could be more ironic. With her vote, Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) will make the decision on Saturday to *** Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.
Protesters interrupt Sen. Collins as she attempts to begin her speech on Senate floor in which she will reveal her decision on Kavanaugh confirmation. pic.twitter.com/SRwTJsaRiQ
— Marcus Gilmer (@marcusgilmer) October 5, 2018
From the Senate floor while shouts of “vote no!” rang out from behind the closed doors, Collins announced that she would be voting to confirm Kavanaugh. Collins complained that the process had been more like a caricature of a gutter-level political campaign than a solemn occasion. She blasted special interest groups for “spreading misrepresentations and outright falsehoods” about Kavanaugh.
She also held to the party line of saying she believes Dr. Ford was sexually assaulted, but won’t accept that it was Judge Kavanaugh who attacked her. So she’s not lying, but she is. The line only makes sense for a party disbelieving a victim once again while trying to appear not to disbelieve that victim once again.
She also reviewed her record of votes for past SCOTUS nominees and why she made her decisions, and noted that “I fully expect [nominees] to be able to put aside” partisanship, something Kavanaugh very much failed to do. She spoke of his judicial record and disagreed that he would be a danger to the Affordable Care Act, the investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, or Roe v. Wade. After two meetings with Kavanaugh and hearing the testimony in the hearings and listening to her constituents on both sides of the aisle, Collins said she weighed her decision carefully and voted her conscience.
Collins’ decision will define her legacy in Congress.
Women who have been traumatized by the emotional pain of sexual assault have been fighting forever to be heard and believed. If Collins, Murkowski, Manchin, and Flake vote to confirm Kavanaugh, they will be turning their backs on and codifying a woman’s pain.
— Rob Reiner (@robreiner) October 4, 2018
Republicans have only a slim majority in the Senate at 51-49. On Friday during the cloture vote, Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) voted no on sending Kavanaugh’s confirmation to a final vote. Since one Democrat, Joe Manchin (D-WV), voted yes, that left the tally at 51-49.
Kavanaugh’s last minute op-ed defending his demeanor shows the concern inside the White House about securing votes from the undecided senators. https://t.co/b5WfuB2UeF
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) October 5, 2018
However, with Collins’ yes vote, the numbers remain 51-49, as Manchin will most likely vote with her. He was unlikely to make a choice to be the deciding vote on Kavanaugh’s confirmation, but to remain popular in a very red state that Trump won in 2016, Manchin will vote along with Republicans as long as his vote doesn’t actually change anything.
Activists pledge $1.8 million to Susan Collins’s Democratic challenger if she votes to confirm Brett Kavanaugh https://t.co/rXf9KZAP3v by @ZaidJilani
— The Intercept (@theintercept) October 5, 2018
For many, the choice on whether or not to believe or disbelieve Dr. Ford’s allegations were not the deciding factor in their vote. Kavanaugh’s explosive, combative behavior during the hearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee, as well as his partisan attack on Democrats and the Clintons, were enough to consider him unqualified to serve on the Supreme Court.
Out of the 4 key swing votes, Senators Jeff Flake, Susan Collins and Joe Manchin voted today to move Kavanaugh's nomination forward. Sen. Lisa Murkowski voted no. https://t.co/zVzqMkPBsR
— POLITICO (@politico) October 5, 2018
The final vote on his confirmation will take place on Saturday.
