Flake Requests FBI Investigation, Throwing Kavanaugh Confirmation Back in Doubt
*By Carlo Versano*
The confirmation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, which seemed increasingly likely on Friday morning, was thrown back into doubt after key swing vote Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) requested a one-week delay on a floor vote so the FBI could complete a background investigation. With that caveat, the Senate Judiciary Committee, on a straight party line, voted to approve, 11-10.
President Trump, reacting practically in real time, said he has not thought "even a little bit" about a replacement for Kavanaugh. As for an FBI investigation, Trump said, "I'm going to let the Senate handle that."
Protesters flanked the Dirksen U.S. Senate Building Friday morning, adding another layer of drama and tension after Thursday's fiery hearings featuring Kavanaugh and one of his accusers, Prof. Christine Blasey Ford.
After huddling with Democrats ー and being confronted by demonstrators ー Flake, who had just hours earlier indicated he was a "yes," said that while he supported the nomination, it was under the condition that there be a one-week delay for a full investigation. "We owe them due diligence," Flake said of Kavanaugh's named accusers, three women in total.
The implication, though not explicit, was that Flake's statement had the support of Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Susan Collins (R-ME). Without the three of them, the floor vote would fail. Murkowski later said she would support the delay.
As of Friday afternoon, the Committee does not have enough "yes" votes to confirm Kavanaugh.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg filed a federal lawsuit against Rep. Jim Jordan on Tuesday, accusing the Republican of a “transparent campaign to intimidate and attack” him over his prosecution of former President Donald Trump.
Nashville’s governing council voted Monday to send Justin Jones straight back to the Legislature four days after he was expelled for his role in a protest on the state House floor.
The Justice Department is calling a Texas court ruling that would halt approval of the most commonly used method of abortion in the U.S. "extraordinary and unprecedented."
Nashville city councilors will likely appoint Justin Jones to his former seat on Monday while Memphis-area county commissioners will soon announce when they'll meet to fill the vacancy left by the expulsion of Justin Pearson, which Pearson himself is eligible to fill.
Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said "Everything is on the table" when asked if he'd recommend that the FDA ignore Friday's ruling to reverse the agency's nearly 23-year-old approval of the medication abortion drug mifepristone.
