now, live to the senate floor on c-span2. the presiding officer: the senate will come to order. the chaplain, dr. barry black, will lead the senate in prayer. the chaplain: let us pray. eternal god, our help in ages past and hope for years to come, we honor your name. today, have mercy upon us according to your loving kindness and tender mercies. have your way in this chamber and in the hearts of our lawmakrs. lord, our senators are the clay and you are the divine potter. using your wisdom, mercy,and might, mold and make our legislators to be instruments of your divine purposes. give them the courage and wisdom to surrender and yield to the unfolding of your unstoppable providence, as they acknowledge that our times are in your hands. we pray in your sovereign name, amen. the presiding officer: please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance to our flag. i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. the presiding officer: the the clerk will read a c

you got to the senate. republicans had, after trump won the election, the senate, the house, and the white house. finally, there was an opportunity to deliver on a promise that republicans and conservatives have promised their constituencies for years. that was a big thing, and you argue we should go big things. why wasn't the senate able to do something big? >> yeah. 'cause it turns out, lots and lots of republicans wanted to be against obamacare but not actually be for a system of free-market healthcare, and so when you had to actually act, there were a bunch of people who didn't want to do it. >> why didn't you take the lead in writing the repeal bill? >> so, when you're a freshman and you're not on a committee of jurisdiction, you don't have the leverage to get that done. >> but you're thoughtful and independent and you sort of do your own thing, in a way. this is one of the critiques, i think. so many people are inspired by your rhetoric and inspired by what you say and then hope that you can fill a lea

most be set, the united states senate m ost ofte n be set, the united states senate most often to turn away from the darkness, we can vote to set a precedent about fairness and judgment that will define this body for the better. we can vote to confirm an excellent supreme court justice who will make the senate and the american people proud. i yield the american people proud. i yield the floor. a reminder to our guests in the galleries, expressions of approval or disapproval are not permitted in the senate galleries. under the previous question, not all time has expired, the question is on the nomination. is there a sufficient second? can we restore order in the gallery? is there a sufficient second? there is insufficient second? inaudible the sergeant at arms will restore order in the gallery. the sergeant at arms will restore order in the gallery. inaudible the sergeant at arms will restore order in the gallery. the sergeant at arms has restored order in the gallery. the sergeant at arms will restore order in the gallery. the plaque may continue. —— the clerk may continue. mr

in a few minutes, the u.s. senate will vote on the future of the supreme court nominee judge brett kavanaugh. will he take the swing seat on the high court, shifting the balance towards conservatives for decades to come? or will the gop come up a vote or two short? it's unclear right now what the final vote on the senate floor will be. republican leaders said this morning they did not, they did not yet have all the votes they need, but they also said they remain confident they can get to the crucial number. that number is 50 votes. they need 50 votes. if it's a tie, 50/50, the vice president of the united states, mike pence, he breaks the tie in favor of confirmation. there are 51 republicans in the u.s. senate, 49 democrats. two of whom are independents, but caucus with the democrats. 51/49. this is going to be a critical moment. right now, manu raju is up on capitol hill. manu, expecting to hear from chuck schumer, mitch mcconnell, lots of speakers, a few more speakers before this critically important procedural vot

in the senate chamber, looking down on senator murkowski when she was on the floor. here is what he described in the tweet. watch murkowski entire time. her demeanor changed a bit after collins and flake voted aye -- her vote no longer the deciding vote. she looked down for a while, closed her eyes, blinked a bunch, then looked up we are solve. when her name was called, she stood and said, no softly. senator murkowski did not fully explain her vote until tonight on the senate floor. senator murkowski's explanation was an echo from yesterday from former justice paul stwheemps said he changed his mind personally about the suitability of brett kavanaugh because of the way he behaved in last week's judiciary hearing in which brett kavanaugh claimed through tears and rage that he was facing an attempted rape allegation because of a democratic party conspiracy that included what brett kavanaugh called revenge on behalf of the clintons. justice stevens was horrified by what brett kavanaugh had to say, not in brett kavanaugh's denial of the accusations against him. but in th

a lot of the younger senators, senators -- the baby boomer republican senators, they're in one place, they're in one place with gust to, lindsey graham, orrin hatch, chuck grassley. the younger senators, sasse, rubio, gardner. they are uncomfortable. they are going to be yes votes, but this is not -- they wish they could not have to cast this vote. >> chuck, thank you very much. we'll listen to chuck schumer on the senate floor now speaking. >> will go down as one of the saddest most sorted chapters in the long history of the federal judiciary. the well was poisoned from the outset when president trump selected judge kavanaugh from a list of names pre-approved by hard-right special interest groups for whom the national interest is a trifling concern compared to repealing roe v. wade, cutting peoples healthcare, and achieving a partisan majority on the supreme court. the rot worsened when the republican majority on the judiciary committee shielded the bulk of judge kavanaugh's records from the public, discarding decades of bipartisan precedent and thwarting norms of transparency and fa

after nominating, he did not leave the senate to review the record. he, instead, had his team calm up senators who lead the judiciary committee and said don't let the senate get their hands on any of the records for three years in which the nominee served as staff secretary. that's a direct intervention, a violation of the separation of powers. when i say he, i'm referring to his team, and so that intervention was unacceptable. then the senate requested the records for the time he served on the white house counsel, and in this case the president assigned an individual and gave him a stamp labeled presidential privilege, and that individual proceeded to stamp not ten pages of documents, not 100, not 1,000, not 10,000, but 100,000 pages of develop -- develop vant information -- relevant information were stamped privileged. instead of responding for the records, proceeded to exercise what he referred to as presidential privilege or what we know to be executive privilege and prevent the senate from getting those documents. now why did that happen? we got s

country needs to heal, the senate needs deal. -- to heal. do you think the country and the senate need to heal after this? senator mcconnell: i just finished reaching john meacham's latest book, which is a trip through american history and some of the most challenging times we've had, and this is nowhere near as challenging as some of the experiences we had in the past throughout our history. the senate and the country will get past this. we always do. the geniuses who put together this constitution knew what they were doing, and we have had plenty of low points in our history. i think this is nowhere near the lowest points we have experienced. the mccarthy era, the rise of the klan in the 1920's after woodrow wilson premiered the birth of the nation in the white house, we've always had low points and we get past them. reporter: democrats are now saying senator collins is a top priority for them. senator mcconnell: she's my top priority, too. reporter: someone said under the merrick garland standards, he would not consider a supreme court n

mcconnell: i move that the senate place before the senate s. 3021. the presiding officer: the question is on the motion. all in favor say aye. all opposed, say no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it it. the motion is agreed to. the clerk will report the message. the clerk: resolved that the bill from the senate s. 3021, act of an act to dedicate the united states courthouse in minnesota appear lis, minnesota, as the diana e. murphy courthouse do pass with amendments. mr. mcconnell: i move to concur on the house amendments. the presiding officer: the motion is pending. mr. mcconnell: i send a cloture motion to the desk on the motion to concur. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: cloture motion. we, the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22, do hereby bring to a close debate on the motion to concur in the house amendments to s. 3021, an act to designate the united states courthouse located at 300 south fourth street in minneapolis, minnesota, and so forltsdz. mr. mcconnell: -- so forth. i as

and an important day for the senate. we stood up for the presumption beinnocence, we refused to intimidated by the mob of people that were coming after republican members at their homes, in the halls. i couldn't be prouder of the senate republican conference. we also want to thank senator manchin for helping us. with that i will be happy to take a few questions. >> [indiscernible] i'm interested based on what we have seen, both parties have -- >> we have seen both sides of the senate during the same period. we passed an opioid bill that have been going on on a bipartisan basis. we just completed the best job on appropriations in 20 years. we were able to have something both sides felt deeper about. >> -- these things always rollover. i think even though there may have been some anger expressed, as i said at the very same time they won by big margins, we were doing important things together that haven't been done for the longtime -- done in a long time. >> how do you view what texas is going to have? >> i called on the wom

that's the senate. >> of course. ing if you look at the support there, they're looking -- >> thanks very much, as always. mike pence, the vice president, preparing to send a very tough message to china that the u.s. will not be imitating and stand down. the role the u.s. navy could take to making sure that message is received. when did you see the sign? when i needed to create a better visitor experience. improve our workflow. attract new customers. that's when fastsigns recommended fleet graphics. yeah! now business is rolling in. get started at fastsigns.com. the best simple salad ever?d yeah! now business is rolling in. great tasting, heart-healthy california walnuts. so simple, so good. get the recipes at walnuts.org. >>> all right. in just a few hours a major speech from the vice president, mike pence, taking aim directly, not mincing words at china. >> attacking beijing for its reckless harassment of the u.s. military. the vice president warning that the u.s. will not be intimidated, will not stand down. cnn wil

rights andguard our the senate guards our courts. that mr. president is why today is such an important day. that is why the vote we take tos afternoon, a vote confirm a new associate justice of the supreme court of the united states represents one of the most consequential decisions a senator ever makes. the members of this body art duty-bound to confirm justices of the supreme court who are men and women of the highest character and the most superlative qualifications. fortunately, that is just the sort of nominated who stands before us today. weeks ago, the president byinated a jurist described legal peers of all political stripes as a superstar, a serious scholar, and who is legendary for his preparation. that possesses the qualifications, the temperament, and judicial philosophy to be an excellent associate justice. the president nominated a brilliant student of the law. those who taught and knew the nominee at yale say it is hard to name anyone with judicial credentials as strong as judge kavanaugh. they describe an intellectual, leading

live coverage of the senate when they return right on c-span 2. the hill tonight reports that senators will get to read the fbi's report on brett kavanaugh tomorrow. with the single copy being made available for the entire senate. according to democratic dic durban as quoted in the article, each party will take turn reviewing the document in one-hour blocks of time. durban was on the floor earl yrp. >> mr. mcconnell: the national spectacle the professional left has created around judge brett kavanaugh confirmation process has now reached some kind of fever pitch. in 17 days, since dr. ford's confidential correspondence, was leaked to the press, 17 days mr. president, of a feepgd frenzy on judge kavanaugh and his family, unlike anything we have seen in recent memory. since then, a literal mudslide. mudslide of wild, uncron rated accusations has poured out more outlandish than the last. and this mudslide has been actively embraced urged on and capitalized upon by democrats inside this chamber and

here in the senate we've made some progress on the epidemic. last congress i led a bill with three other senators, senator rob portman, of ohio, sheldon whitehouse, of rhode island, and kelly ayotte, of new hampshire. it's called the xrens i a -- comprehensive addiction and recovery act, known as cara, and that was signed into law. it encourages states and communities to pursue several strategies, including increasing the availability of in a locksen -- in a loksen to save lives. later in 2016, this senate and this congress made $1 billion in funding available in treatment and prevention with the passage of the 21st century cures act. i got to be there at the signing with president trump and vice president biden. earlier this year we made an additional $3.3 billion available as part of the government funding bill. that is all progress, but we still have a lot of work to do, and we are taking an important step forward by passing this legislation today, which includes more than 70 provisions to take on addiction. we have worked with the administra

the vice president: the senator has that right. vote: the vice president: expressions of approval or disapproval are not permitted in the senate gallery. are there any senators in the chamber who wish to vote or change a vote? if not, on this vote the ayes are 50. the nays are 48. the nomination of brett m. kavanaugh of maryland to be an associate justice of the supreme >> following the senate vote to confirm brett kavanaugh to be an associate justice of the supreme court, senate majority leader

the senate floor in the senate chamber looking down on senator murkowski when she was on the floor. and here's what he described in a tweet at 11:18 a.m. watched murkowski entire time. her demeanor changed a bit after collins and flake voted aye, her vote no longer the deciding vote. she looked down for a while, closed her eyes, blinked a bunch and then looked up with resolve. when her name was called she stood and said, no. softly. senator murkowski did not fully explain her vote until tonight on the senate floor. senator murkowski's explanation was an echo of what we heard yesterday from former senator john paul stevens who said he changed his vote personally because of how brett kavanaugh behaved during last week's judiciary hearing in which kavanaugh declared between tears and rage that he was facing an attempted rape allegation by dr. christine blasey ford because of a democratic party conspiracy that included what brett cav that you called revenge on behalf of the clintons. justice stevens was horrified by what brett kavanaugh had to say, not in brett kavanaugh's denial in the

a balance of power in the u.s. senate. know where it stands now, 51-49 republicans over democrats. pop back out here one time here and show the breakdown. if you go to the maps and show -- let's go ahead and start this bad boy over one time. hang with me. here we go. now we got it set. it's a learning process, smitty, right? like getting a new iphone. you have to reprogram your brain. here 51-49. the polling you showed is very interesting. if republicans are able to flip north dakota from blue to red that's a pickup. maybe missouri blue to red. now you see the numbers changing significantly. i don't know what happens in indiana. it's too close to call right now. if democrats can flip arizona from red to blue, maybe you look at a scenario republicans keep roll of the senate and gain one seat. it's 52-48. that's not taking into account what happens in a great race in florida about rick scott. in west virginia with joe manchin. this stuff will go into the potion and the porridge over the next five weeks or so. the other thing

and i do worry about the future of the senate. it's always been the body that the rules of the senate bring you together. it's very seldom one party has 60 votes so the filibuster rule requires -- that's what i like about the senate. i served 12 years in the house and love the people's house but the senate requires and pushes you together. but lately there have been so many things that simply have drug us apart. i don't know how we get back. the incentives are all the other way. there's no currency for you act ship, if bipartisan, it shows up in your opponent's campaign ads and we've got to come to a point again the failure to compromise, the failure to reach across the aisle, particularly in the national, is punished at the ballot box rather than rewarded. and i don't know how we get there but we need to. [applause] jeff: if you had to name the three top causes of this politicization, what you can do to fix it and what will you do after jeff flake is gone? senator coons: miss him a lot. so top causes, we don't live together so we

the senator for texas. mr. cornyn: mr. president, it would establish a dangerous preps dent. -- precedent. the presiding officer: as a reminder to our guests, expressions of approval or disapproval are not permitted in the senate galleries. the senator for texas. mr. cornyn: mr. president, it would establish a dangerous precedent and legitimatize mob rule, including the presumption of guilt that everything our constitution and fundamental negotiations of fairness stand for. some say we are a nation divided, but i'm not so pessimistic as some. i actually hope we can all learn. we must learn, i believe, from this cruel, reckless, and indecent episode, but a no vote will not unite us. it will help reward despicable tactics and set a new ugly precedent, it will only encourage the spurning of tradition and the flouting of agreed upon rules, norms, and process. we should not ignore, we cannot acquiesce in or condone what has happened here. we should send a message loud and clear that the united states senate will not be intimidat

the senate's confirmation vote for brett kavanaugh to be an associate justice for the supreme court was 50-48. alaska senator lisa murkowski voted president. montana senator steve daines did not vote. he was attending his daughter's wedding. here is the senate vote. this is approximately 20 minutes. reminder to our guests in the galleries, expressions of approval or disapproval are not permitted in the senate galleries. under the previous question, all postcloture time has expired. the question is on the nomination. is there a sufficient second? the sergeant at arms will restore order in the gallery. the vice president: is there a sufficient second? there is a sufficient second. the clerk will call the roll. the sergeant at arms will restore order in the gallery. vote: the vice president: the sergeant at arms will restore order in the gallery. the vice president: the sergeant at arms will restore order in the gallery. the vice president: the sergeant at arms has restored order in the gallery. the sergeant at arms will restore order in the gallery. the clerk may continue. vote: the vice

and the standing of the united states senate. so as the supplemental fbi investigation wraps up, let's be mindful of what our colleagues across the aisle say they expected from this supplemental background investigation because they, too, understood we're approaching the end of this process. for example, the senior senator from minnesota says let's give this one week. she said that last friday. and she indicated her support for the investigation, even saying we're all in a better spot now than we were before. well, i hope that's still her position. we had our colleagues across the aisle agree to both the timeline and the validity of this last step in judge kavanaugh's confirmation. the junior senator from delaware during the hearing called for the same amount of time, just one more week. and in a television interview, the junior senator from hawaii shade that seven days is enough time to, quote, get to the bottom of these allegations. so i hope, mr. president, that our colleagues will remember their own words. their own statements

he will make the senate and the country proud. he will serve with the distinction on our highest court. he unquestionably deserves confirmation, and the country deserves such a supreme court justice. now, mr. president, as i've explained, the stakes are always high, always high where a supreme court confirmation is concerned. , but this time, this time stakes are higher, a lot higher than they have been in the past. i can't sum this up better than our friend and distinguished colleague, the senior senator from maine, put it in her historic, historic remarks yesterday. this is what the senior senator from maine said: it is when passions are most inflamed that natureness -- that fairness is most in jeopardy. she said when passions are most inflamed is when fairness is most in jeopardy. we all know the events of recent weeks have stained, strained the country's comity and fanned the flames of partisan discord. but even more critically, our very commitment to the basic principles of fairness and justice is also being tested. basic pri

the president encouraged the senate to hear dr. ford's testimony in the samey he encouraged them to hear judge kavanaugh's. he's stating the fact that we are a country of law and order. we are a country that still believes you are innocent until proven fwlt and we want to see the process go through in its entirety and it should be on a fair playing field. that's the only statement he's making. >> he said the central park five were guilty, does he feel that now? ms. sanders: i'll have to get back to you. >> the president has take then moment to say he's been affected personal by -- personally by all these allegations and he's picking and choosing, he said the central park five was guilty and then he has made bill clinton guilty. has he decided to change his mind on the central park five because they have been exonerated? to sanders: it's interesting bring up bill clinton. >> but the president -- ms. sanders: i have addressed this. >> several times in the last week the president tried to reassure vetters -- voters he'll protect people

senator from illinois. in the united states senate, alan dixon was still al the pal, but he was not a really high-profile senator. you know how there are all those little sidebar stories today about the timing of the brett kavanaugh vote this weekend might be upended because senator steve daines of montana has his daughter's wedding to go to? with every story there is a picture of steve daines, but literally that picture could be any guy on earth, that could just be clip art because you have never seen steve daines before, and there is no way you would know he was a senator without google. that was alan dixon. he was not a household name, not a recognizable figure. and part that of is because he wasn't controversial at all. he was go along to get along. he was a centrist. he was a moderate. he was sort of low profile. the other senator from illinois was paul simon, a liberal, wore a bow tie, he was instantly recognizable. paul simon was the one from illinois who ran for president. al the pal, the other senator fro

the senate rules do that. unfortunately, we have made it still difficult and we get by with the barest majorities. but i think that those rules need to stay in the senate, so i want to get rid of them so we can be a majoritarian institution like the house. i think that would be a big mistake because to fix this, the big problems that we got to solve this country, fiscal issues, making social security and medical sustainable, for example, getting this that and deficit under control, those things can only be done if both and no one party will take the risk politically do it. you got to buy in. when you look at previous times i in the 1980's, or 1990's, the senate budget act him yet seen when the parties were at their best, when the come together. fortunately, i experienced that when i first came to the senate. i immediately joined a gang of 8 on immigration. we met almost every night for seven months to hammer out a compromise, and then we all protected that bill to the committee process and again on the senate f

eastern time be on the senate floor? e got the fbi report which is what everyone was waiting fo for -- saturday would be the earliest, lots of opportunities for the senators themselves to look at this report. >> sean: do you know anyone that's talked to murkowski or collins? >> i know mcconnell is talking to them, and they had said just along the lines that senator mcconnell and said, give us a week. i think that will make them more comfortable, great. but we didn't get anything new out of it. >> sean: what about the repercussions, greg? it's a due process. >> it's sad but there is no due process, there is no fundamental fairness, no presumption of innocence among the media and democrats. i find it amazing now that the very individual dianne feinstein who can feel the information initially now is attempting to conceal the fbi report that she demanded. this has been careening wildly out of control, and the only way to slam the brakes on this imminent train wreck is to be open and honest and transparent and yet, that's not

we looked at items from the collection for two state senators. cliques today we are going to be looking at the papers of senator albert lincoln fall. a senator from new mexico from 1912 to 1921. he became secretary of the interior from the party administration. it's during that time he's probably best known for his involvement inlets known to become the -- what become known as the teapot scandal. he was born in 1861. he was largely self educated. father was a schoolteacher and his grandfather still had a love of reading and a love of books. as a teenager he was reading law books. with the intention of someday becoming a lawyer. moved out to texas, where he worked as a cow hand and a cook for a cattle drive operation. in 1881 he met anna morgan, who he married. shortly after that he headed south into mexico. he was interested in mining opportunities. he spent an extensive amount of time in mexico. and learned a lot about mining while he was down there. he also learned the spanish language while he was down there , which would come in handy for him.

-- permitted in the senate gallery. are there any senators in the chamber who wish to vote or change a vote? if not, on this vote the ayes are 50, the nays are 48, the nomination of brett m. kavanaugh of maryland to be an associate justice of the supreme court of the united states is confirmed. majority leader. >> i ask the motion to reconsider be made and laid upon the table and the president be notified of the senate's action. >> without objection. >> i ask for -- >> sergeant at arms will restore order in the gallery. the clerk will call the roll. chris: after three long months, the nomination which came on july 9th and the confirmation which comes today, brett kavanaugh is officially confirmed to the supreme court and we'l will take his seat on e court on tuesday after the columbus day holiday. please stay tuned to fox news channel and this fox station for continuing coverage of this story. i'm chris wallace. shannon: i'm shannon bream in washington. shannon: let's bring back our panel in washington as we have just wa

as i watched many of the senators speak and vote on the floor of the senate, i feel like i'm right back at yale where half the room is laughing and looking the other way. only this time instead of drunk college kids, it is u.s. senators who are deliberately ignores his behavior. this is how victims are isolated and silenced. but i do have corroborating witnesses speaking for me, although they were not allowed to speak to the f.b.i. and i feel extremely grateful for them and for the overwhelming amount of support that i have received and continue to receive during this extremely difficult and painful time. there may be people with power who are looking the other way but there are millions more who are standing together speaking up about personal experiences of sexual violence and taking action to support survivors. this is truly a collective moment of survivors and allies standing together. thank you for hearing me, seeing me, and believing me. i am grateful for each and every one of you. we will not be silenced. we stand in truth and light. deborah ramirez. mr. president, i yield the fl

when this is all said and done, will the senate, the united states senate, be a place where women are heard, where their voices are respected, or where women are ignored and undermined and attacked? will the senate do its job? truly do its job to properly investigate the president's nominee for a lifetime position on our nation's highest court including pushing for a full fbi investigation where at least doctor ford and brett kavanaugh are interviewed and making sure all relevant witnesses are heard and all relevant information is brought forward? or will we allow politics and partisanship to take over and rush this through before our job is complete? finally, will the senate make sure we don't put someone on the bench who has repeatedly had problems with the truth under oath, who display truly serious temperament issues, who has not demonstrated the judicial independence that we expect run nominee to the supreme court and has displayed a shocking lack of fitness for this role? those of the questions we need to be asking today and there is a lot of work that needs to be done before we

senator from illinois. in the united states senate, alan dixon was still al the pal, but he was not a really high profile senator. you know how there are all those little sidebar stories today about the timing of the brett kavanaugh vote this weekend might be upended because senator steve daines of montana has his daughter's wedding to go to? with every story there is a picture of steve daines, but literally that picture could be any guy on earth that could just be clip art because you have never seen steve daines before, and there is no way you would know he was a senator without google. that was alan dixon. he was like not a household name, not a recognizable figure. and part that of is because he wasn't controversial at all. he was go along to get along. he was a centrist. he was a moderate. he was sort of low profile. the other senator from illinois was liberal, wore a bow tie, he was instantly recognizable. paul simon was the one from illinois who ran for president. al the pal, the other senator from illinois

now it's the senate's turn. we all know how important this legislation is for our country, for our states, and for our constituents. the bill is bipartisan and it is fiscally responsible. america's water infrastructure act actually reduces the deficit. so i want to thank ranking member carper and subcommittee chairman inhofe and subcommittee ranking member cardin and their staffs for their leadership in working through this process. they have been wonderful partners in writing legislation that will have a real impact all across america. this bill is for all of america. it will have a real impact in our rural areas and in our big cities. it will help communities in the heartland and communities on the coasts. it's time now to pass this legislation. let's pass the america water infrastructure act and send it to president trump for his signature. thank you, mr. president. i yield the floor. a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from delaware. mr. carper: mr. president, i rise today to follow s

i yield the floor. >> the majority leader. senator mcconnell: the constitution of the united states was made not merely for the generation that then existed, but for posterity. those are the words of henry clay, mr. president, kentucky's own. they underscore that the decision the united states senators will make today will echo in the history of our nation. the very survival of our constitutional form of government requires an expert and independent judiciary. without fair and impartial courts of justice, as alexander hamilton put it in the federalist papers, all the reservations of particular rights or privileges would amount to nothing. the courts guard our rights and the senate guards our courts. that, mr. president, is why today is such an important day. that is why the vote we take this afternoon, a vote to confirm a new associate justice of the supreme court of the united states represents one of the most consequential decisions a senator ever makes. the members of this body are duty-bound to confirm justices of the supreme cour

i yield the floor. a senator: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator for hawaii. ms. hirono: i note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: presiding officer: e senator for washington. mrs. murray: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent the quorum call be lifted. the presiding officer: without objection. mrs. murray: mr. president, i come to the floor today to join in opposition to judge kavanaugh and call on my colleagues to join me in voting against this mad dash to jam through a lifetime appointment to the supreme court. mr. president, last week democrats and republicans stood together to ask republican leaders to allow the bear minimum, an f.b.i. investigation into the new allegations that have come in. this wasn't an unreasonable request. it happens all the time with nominees. and for far less important positions than a lifetime seat on the supreme court. and it is the very least that should be done when serious allegations like these were made to make sure we are hearing from all relevant witnesses and bringing a

>> i'm not going to question the motivation of the senators' votes. was a close vote, an important vote. i think we were able to establish the presumption of innocence is still important in this country and the senate will not be intimidated by these kinds of tactic. >> president trump said senator lisa mckowski is never going recover. should she be punished for voting against judge kavanaugh. >> i'd rather talk about the success we had. senator mckowski is a member in good standing. we're happy we won. i'm sorry we lost her but we got the vote of all the other members of our conference and those who wanted the additional fbi investigation for a week took a look at the report and found no corroborating evidence and were confident to vote for judge kavanaugh. senator collins' speech was one of the most consequential and outstanding speeches i've ever heard in the senate in support of judge kavanaugh. >> let me ask you this, joe manchin voted against him. >> he's a democrat and we appreciate his vote for judge kavanaugh. i think it was the right thing t

the top democrat in the senate, chuck schumer. top democrat on the judiciary committee, dianne feinstein. >> then the democratic leader will make a brief statement. and i'm not going to take any questions. >> nor am i. >> at 9:00 this morning, my staff and i reviewed the fbi's report into sexual assault allegations against brett kavanaugh. let me be clear. i can't talk about the detail because this remains a confidential part of the background report. i hope that changes are made and we'll be able to talk more about what the fbi did later. but what i can say is that the most notable part of this report is what's not in it. as we noted by the white house, the fbi did not interview brett kavanaugh. nor did the fbi interview dr. blasey ford. what we have heard from numerous people over the last few days seeking to provide information to the fbi, we have seen even more press reports of witnesses who wanted to speak with the fbi but were not interviewed. deborah ramirez's lawyer said he was unaware of any corroborating witnesses who wer

and they -- and the senate voted. voted on what they thought there was zero corroborating evidence for these accusations. and i hope that what we have -- what we do is we also allow the fact that justice kavanaugh now is also has to live with this. and he's going to have to move on and how he conducts himself. as clarence thomas has done for the last, you know, since the allegations were made against him in the early '90s. he's considered by many to be a highly respected jurist and legal scholar. i hope justice kavanaugh will be given the same opportunity. >> the president did mock dr. blasey ford, although your point is taken that the senate tried to treat her with courtesy. >>> we'll talk about a process in dire need of repair. and don't miss our "kasie dc" podcast. you can hear the highlights. you can find it on any app you use to get your podcast. >>> these are people i'm not >> the president did mock dr. blasey ford, although your point is taken that the senate tried to treat her with courtesy. >>> we'll talk abo

to the senate: under the provisions of rule 1, paragraph 3, of the standing rules of the senate, i hereby appoint the honorable roy blunt, a senator from the state of missouri, to perform the duties of the chair. signed: orrin g. hatch, president pro tempore. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. the clerk will report the pending business. the clerk: house message to accompany h.r. 302, an act to provide protections for certain -- the clerk:ings in, supreme court of the united states, brett m. kavanaugh of maryland to be an associate justice of the supreme court. mr. schumer: mr. president. the presiding officer: democrati c leader. mr. schumer: thank you, mr. president. on friday senators flake, collins and murkowski joined by democratic senators coons, klobuchar and oh made the only fair move, to demand the f.b.i. investigate the credible allegations of sexual misconduct by supreme court nominee brett kavanaugh. it was the right thing to do. fair to both dr. blasey ford and judge kavanaugh. for too long republicans have rushed this process for

-- permitted in the senate gallery. are there any senators in the chamber who wish to vote or change a vote? if not, on this vote the ayes

the land. that step is now complete. so to senators flake, collins, and others who requested the background investigation, i say thank you. both dr. ford and judge kavanaugh had been badly treated throughout this process. dr. ford has been treated less as a real person then as a poker chip in a card game. her wishes for confidentiality were ignored, her letter was leaked, and her story was weaponize in a political ambush. this whole charade has likewise been unfair to judge kavanaugh. these allegations could and should have been investigation -- investigated by the committee under normal procedures and timelines designed to protect the accuser and the accused. instead, we got mob rule. some blame judge kavanaugh for his righteous indignation, and passionate defense. as somebody who served for 13 years on the bench myself, i know the difference between deciding a case as a judge, for which judge kavanaugh's temperament has been praised, and defending oneself against character assassination and personal destruction. judge kavanaugh under

you fellows in the senate just run along. i'm afraid that is where we are at enat and if that isn't wheree are it's where we are headed. the question i wanted to ask the nominees in the bbb can ask since my time is running out, to do with my concern about the fact-findinconcerned that thefae appellate level. i think you ca both can see it a general proposition not a task for the appellate judges to undertake. judge is to undertake. a simple yes or no. pretty obvious. but then you look at the positions like shelby county in which the court did a lot of fact-finding and it turned out wirelessly erroneous but it happened to line them up with a decision outcome that was desired by one party versus another and i think that leaves a big hole in the jurisprudence once you get the judges responding in this fact-finding that happens to align with an outcome. batista was worse than that was the citizens united where the fact-finding involved in the events of the spending and the transparency that have been preposterously fact-finding by

i worry about the future of the senate. it has always been the body that the rules of the senate bring you together. it is very seldom that one party has 60 votes. the filibuster rules requires, and that is what i like about the senate. i served 12 years in the house. the senate requires and pushes you together. lately, there have been so many things that have drug us apart. i do not know how we get back. the incentives are all the other way. there is no currency for a bipartisanship. if you act bipartisan, it shows up in your opponent's campaign ads. we have to come to a point where failure to compromise and a failure to reach across the aisle i'm a particularly in the senate, is punished at the ballot box rather than rewarded. i don't know how we get there, but we need to. [applause] >> you had to name the three top causes of this, what would they be? what can you do to fix it, and what we do after jeff flake is gone? sen. coons: miss him a lot. top causes, we don't live together. we travel act and forth to our home states

stay that way for the final vote. senator collins told reporters that she won't announce her final vote on the nomination until 3:00 eastern today. >> i will be voting yes on proceeding to the final confirmation vote and i will announce my exceptions on how to vote later today. >> have you made your mind up, senator, on your final vote? is it conceivable your votes could be different? senator, have you made your final vote? is your mind made up? >> to give you a sense of the intensity surrounding the senators. protesters on the heels of senator collins. today's vote came after weeks of raw emotion and shocking allegations and confrontations and delays. i want to get it phil mattingly and jeff who covered it from the start. you have new reporting on senator murkowski's thinking. >> she was the big news of that procedural vote, deciding to vote no and standing up quietly saying no and sitting back down. she just told reporters she will be a no for the final vote as well. she said brett kavanaugh is not the right man and this is

>> now the senate is on a clock. ure clock. 30 hours from now the minority uses all of it is time, all the opponents on the nomination don't have to use 30 hours. but that would tee up a confirmation vote on brett kavanaugh if all the time is burned, stuart, sometime just before 5:00 p.m. on friday. on saturday i should say. now there is another fly in the ointment. republican senator steve daines of montana, he is supposed to walk his daughter down the aisle at her wedding in montana tomorrow. but he apparently made arrangements to be here whenever that roll call vote takes place. now once you start a vote you can keep the vote open however you long you want. the record is five hours 15 minutes. on the stimulus package in february of 2009, democratic ohio senator sherrod brown. his mother passed away. he attended her wake in cleveland. they held the vote open 5 hours and 15 minutes. question is do the democrats want to build all that time. i point out something else. last year on the confirmation vote of neil gorsuch

vote countdown, the fbi report is in. right now senators are feverishly going through what investigators found about the allegations against supreme court nominee brett kavanaugh. any moment now democrats will be speaking publicly about the findings. we also expect to be hearing through lawmakers throughout the hour. >>> plus, a new report says this entire confirmation saga may be just what the republicans needed to fight back against the blue wave they expect in november. how it's giving them hope and energy for the upcoming midterms. more on that in just a moment. we start with that breaking news, the dramatic tug of war surrounding the kavanaugh fbi report is heating up right now on capitol hill. senators are getting their first look at that report right now as we speak. it was released in the wee hours of the night, a report that you and i are blocked from seeing, at least for now. all of this, all of this as the wheels are already in motion for a final vote on the supreme court nomination. any moment the democratic leader and judiciary