Kavanaugh steps away from being confirmed as US Supreme Court judge

Team Udayavani, Oct 6, 2018, 9:16 AM IST

Washington: Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh, 53, was a step away from the apex bench as the ruling Republican party managed to gain the crucial backing of enough Senators needed to confirm his nomination.

Republican Senator Susan Collins and Democratic Joe Manchin were Friday the 50th and 51st senators to pledge their support to Kavanaugh in the 100-member Senate.

With the vote of the Vice President Mike pence always there in case of a tie, the confirmation of Kavanaugh as the next Judge of the Supreme Court became a foregone conclusion by Friday night.

The end of the month-long fierce battle between the ruling Republican and the opposition Democratic gives a major political victory to President Donald Trump and his party ahead of the November 6 mid-term elections.

Kavanaugh’s nomination process in the last two weeks had dramatic turn of events, as at least three women came out in public accusing him of sexual assault.

In fact, the first of the accuser Christine Blasey Ford, a professor in California, and Kavanaugh made dramatic appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee to present their case.

A last minute deadline oriented FBI investigation appeared to gave a near clean chit to Kavanaugh, which Is believed to have tilted the balance in his favor.

“Despite the turbulent, bitter fight surrounding his nomination, my fervent hope is that Brett Kavanaugh will work to lessen the divisions in the Supreme Court so that we have far fewer 5-4 decisions and so that public confidence in our judiciary and our highest court is restored,” Collins said in a Senate floor speech as she announced her support for Kavanaugh.

Senator Manchin, the only Democrat to support Kavanaugh, made the announcement soon on the Senate floor. “I have found Judge Kavanaugh to be a qualified jurist who will follow the Constitution and determine cases based on the legal findings before him,” he said.

“I do hope that Judge Kavanaugh will not allow the partisan nature this process took to follow him onto the court,” he said. The final Senate vote on the Supreme Court nominee is likely to be held Saturday.

If confirmed, he would replace Justice Anthony Kennedy, who announced his retirement early this year.  

Meanwhile hundreds of people protested outside the US Capitol against Kavanaugh. They urged Senators not to confirm the nomination of Kavanaugh given sexual assault allegations against him. Around 100 of them were detained by the police. President Donald Trump in a tweet alleged that protestors are paid professionals.

“The very rude elevator screamers are paid professionals only looking to make Senators look bad. Don’t fall for it! Also, look at all of the professionally made identical signs. Paid for by Soros and others. These are not signs made in the basement from love! Troublemakers,” Trump tweeted.