*By Kate Gill*
After days of speculation, controversy, and protest, Brett Kavanaugh moved a big step closer to taking a seat on the Supreme Court after clearing a procedural vote in the Senate, and winning the support of moderate Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine.
The Senate will hold a formal confirmation vote on Saturday, and barring a surprise change of heart by Republican Senators, Kavanaugh seems assured of the votes he needs.
Among the four Senators seen as possible swing votes, Fellow Republican Jeff Flake of Arizona said he would support Kavanaugh, as did Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia. Among the wavering Senators, only Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) seems likely to vote against him on Saturday. Murkowski was a no during the procedural vote, suggesting she has shifted her position on Kavanaugh's confirmation.
The 51-49 procedural vote may be the penultimate turn in Kavanaugh's bumpy ride to the nation's highest court, but any senator can change his or her mind in the final hour.
Senator Collins ー who had not previously declared her intention ー spoke on the Senate floor hours after the procedural vote, delivering a lengthy speech on her desire to confirm Kavanaugh and to put the debate to rest.
"We've heard a lot of charges and counter-charges about Judge Kavanaugh, but as those who have known him best have attested, he has been an exemplary public servant, judge, teacher, coach, husband and father," she said.
"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. Mr. President, I will vote to confirm Judge Kavanaugh."
Sen. Flake also indicated in a statement on Friday he will vote yes on Kavanaugh's confirmation, "unless something big changes."
Collins' unequivocal statement of support for Kavanaugh came just over a week after the nation was riveted by the public testimony of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, who said Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted her when they were both in high school 36 years ago. After initially resisting calls to reopen the background investigation into Kavanaugh, Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee agreed last week to bring in the FBI to investigate Dr. Ford's allegations.
The FBI interviewed a small number of individuals but closed the investigation on Wednesday, producing a report that said the agency could find no evidence to corroborate Ford's accusations. Democrats and Ford's lawyers have criticized authorities for not interviewing her, or Kavanaugh, or any potential witnesses that might support Ford's account of a high school party, where the nominee allegedly assaulted her.
Following Friday's procedural vote, President Trump [tweeted](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1048226225196552193) that he was "very proud" of the Senate.
David Nelson, Chief Strategist at Belpointe, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he says that Wednesday's market movement shows a rotation back into the industries that were hit hard in January, but says his eyes are firmly fixed on the January CPI data set to be released Thursday.
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The president praised Mayor Adams' crimefighting agenda and unveiled a new federal initiative to curb the flow of illegal weapons from the south. Josefa Velásquez, Senior Reporter for THE CITY, joined Cheddar's Fast Forward to talk about how the mayor is battling this increase in crime in his first weeks in office.
The Democratic governors of New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, and Oregon say they will lift mask requirements for schools in the coming weeks, reflecting a nationwide shift away from restrictions. Cheddar News speaks with internist Dr. Vivek Cherian whether it's safe to relax the regulation.
Amazon warehouse workers in Alabama are set to begin voting to unionize for a second time after workers at the facility in the town of Bessemer overwhelmingly voted against forming a union during an election early last year; but in November, the National Labor Relations Board overturned the vote, upholding a union challenge of the results which argued that Amazon undermined the conditions for a fair election. Another round of ballots will now be mailed out to works at the warehouse for a so-called re-run election. Director of Labor and Employment Studies at San Francisco State University John Logan and National Field Director for Our Revolution Mike Oles joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
David Daley, author of the book 'Unrigged: How Americans Are Battling Back to Save Democracy,' joins Cheddar News to discuss redistricting battles taking place across the U.S.
