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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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'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

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

. >> the u.s. senate is about to gavel in on this thursday and lawmakers will take up a number of white house nominations today. they'll also take a final vote on can jeffrey clark assistant attorney for the environmental and natural resources division at the justice department. that's scheduled for 12:10 eastern. and lawmakers take a procedural vote on eric dryban on assistant attorney general for civil rights. this is live coverage on c-span2. the president pro tempore: the senate will come to order. the chaplain, dr. barry black, will lead the senate in prayer. the chaplain: let us pray. eternal god, who has given us life, we praise you that your tender mercies are over all your work. today, may we represent the glory of your kingdom on capitol hill, living in a way that will glorify your name. thank you that the work you have given our lawmakers and those who labor with them is crucial for our nation's future. lord, uphold our senators with your might, surrounding them with the shield of your grace, a

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

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

, was known as the silent senator. he had the reputation of being the workhorse, not the show horse in his work in congress. very goldwater was a longtime senator from arizona, and many would describe him as the show horse. in his work in the united states senate. what that really means when you look at carl hayden's career, he was really responsible for cosponsoring and writing a huge amount of legislation that benefited the citizens of arizona and the citizens of the united states, and his legacy was very much a legislative legacy, passing things like arranging for the passage of legislation like the hayden-cartwright act, which changed the formula for federal highway construction funding from population-based funding to an area, or square mileage-based funding. that bill ultimately really benefited the states in the west , where there were large expanses of land yet to be settled and highway construction could proceed with that type of funding. arry goldwater was really person who is an icon for the western united st

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

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

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

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

yes indeed the republican senator was opposed to the nomination the only republican senator that was w ever she registered herself in the vote not as a negative vote but as president this was as part of what is called a pairing agreement with a fellow republican senator who was unable to attend the vote because his daughter is getting married this afternoon so that's a reason why it is fifty votes to forty eight brother then fifty one to forty nine the agreement the pairing agreement means that the same two fold margin remains despite the absence of the one republican senator but clearly a divisive confrontation within the senate senators have been there overnight continuing the debate about the confirmation you heard too in the in the senate chamber cries of protests from the public gallery which several times stopped the calling of each senator's names as they responded to whether they would vote for or against the confirmation so it has been a deeply divisive process but that is now over brit cavanaugh has been confirmed as the new supreme court justice taking his seat alongside an

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

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

we are glued to the floor of the u.s. senate just a few moments ago as hallie indicated there, judge brett kavanaugh passing that key hurdle for confirmation to the supreme court. slim vote, 51-49 on that procedural vote. three of the four key senators voting to end debate and proceed to a final vote. collins, flake, mansion, all yes. senator lisa murkowski, though, a no. remember, though, this is the first of two big votes and there appears to be real uncertainty for this nomination right now. about four hours from now, one of the key swing votes is scheduled to announce her decision on a vote for or against judge kavanaugh. you heard correctly, even after this key vote republican senator susan collins of maine holding open the possibility that her yes today may not necessarily be a yes tomorrow. there is also some question as to whether she is the only one. we've got msnbc's garrett haake on capitol hill for us. also with us aaron blake senior political reporter for "the washington post" is with me as well. garrett, let me sta

the senate confirmed him by a 50-48straight party line vote. 's expected to take his place tuesday. cementing a solid 5-4 conservative majority. his confirmation is expected to shift the balance of power on the court for a generation. it is certain to influence midterm elections that are now just 30 days away. in a moment, we will speak with senate majority leader, mitch mcconnell. first, let's bring in fox news contributor with the latest. >> the nomination of brett kavanaugh to the associate justice of the supreme court of the united states is confirmed. >> with the wrap of the gavel, history. justice brett kavanaugh's road to the supreme court was more than the culmination of years of hard work and months of political mass summations. it spawned resistance movements on both ends of the political spectrum. resist trump and resist mob rule. from the halls of congress to the steps of the capital. >> in the shadow of the high court itself. >>reporter: protests reverberated across washington. in the end, it was success for the man who will replace

copy being made available for the entire senate. according to democratic whip dick durbin from each party will take turns receiving the document and in one-hour blocks of time. senator durbin was among those speaking at the nomination on the floor earlier in the day. here's the debate beginning with the majority leader mitch mcconnell created among the confirmation process as a fever pitch and in 17 days against the confidential correspondence was leaked to the press 17 days of a frenzy on judge kavanaugh and his family unlike anything we have seen in recent memory. since then, a literal mudslide of uncorroborated accusations have literally poured out each more outlandish than the last. and this mudslide has been actively embrace, urged on and licapitalized upon by democratsn spite of this chamber and organized for left special-interest outside. it wasn't about getting to the truth or giving anyone a fair hearing. it had only been about one thi thing, the hunger to bring down the judge's nomination by any means necessary. if the fact

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 mitch mcconnell's vote weekly to reporters. this is about 10 minutes.

i think the most important thing the senate is involved in is the personnel business. of the various 1200 appointments that come to us for confirmation, obviously the most important are the lifetime appointments to the court that reprioritize the handling of president trump's outstanding nominations for the supreme court as well as circuit courts. we've done 26 so far as you indicated, a record.and there will be more before the end of the year. >>chris: some hard right conservatives criticized you as to establishment. but now they're lining up to praise you for ramming through the cavanaugh nomination and even the likes of steve bannon has prays what he called, your strong leadership. are you happy to have his approval serve? >> it's almost an out of body experience. [laughter] >>chris: but how do you take this criticism, the tea party, the far right of the republican party has had a view over the years. as you've been trying to do your business on capitol hill? >> it's pretty hard to be a majority leader without getting criticism. i'd rather be judged by my record. i

what about the other senators who were on the fence? >> reporter: before i came over here, i spent some time at senator flake's office. i spoke to protesters on the full range of the spectrum, pro kavanaugh, anti-kavanaugh, folks who just wanted to be here to be in the mick. here's what two women told me. >> the credibility is spot on. i believe he is a man of god. he was chosen by god. these special allegations, dishonesty during testimony, maybe even more of an outrage. i don't see how we can let someone like that on the supreme court. >> reporter: over there at senator flake's office, we encountered many more pro kavanaugh women for kavanaugh protesters than we did the anti-crowd. it was quite notable. i hadn't been anticipating that. also, dana, i would be remiss if i didn't say protesters have been on good behavior. we have not seen people rowdy. we have not seen people yelling a whole lot. nobody's been violent. it's been a lot of peaceful protest. >> dana: that is the american way. thank you. white house press secretary sarah sand

that is 30 hours of debate and the senate goes to a vote and that is a, up or down. whatever happens is happening. >> if the report comes in tonight or tomorrow and senators have time to review it it covers the same ground, would you be okay with the vote moving forward or what would your objection be? this is the deal they made a week ago. >> first of all it's going to delay the midterms are in november so that is ridiculous to say my party wants to just delay delay delay. they want all the information. secondly the fbi will ask different questions so both should be questioned by the fbi and lastly what bothers me is what i am hearing is there's going to be one reported this report will go back and forth between republicans and democrats, senator to senator and i'm concerned that in 3 hours not all of them can view it and i want all of them to see it before they make their vote. my bed is one or 2 republicans will say no and wanted to democrats but say yes. >> final word to you. >> we don't need to get to the bottom of the ice throwing allegations. it is all done. it

it is a disgrace to the united states senate, the behavior of these senate democrats. r judge kavanaugh, to harm dr. ford. they don't care about the truth or care about drr ford. they just want power. the people are angry and want something done in november. >> bill: we'll follow your race very closely here. it is one to watch now in about 4 1/2 weeks. it's coming very soon. josh hawley, thanks for that in missouri. we're watching the floor of the senate. saw john cornyn on the floor at the microphone now delivering some impassioned words. just want to drop in and pick up what his message is now. >> i don't believe this is our fate. i don't believe we're condemned to work in a senate and live in a country where this kind of activity is condoned or ignored. i actually think by defeating judge kavanaugh's nomination, we would be signaling that this is somehow the new normal. we would be setting a precedent that yeah, that kind of stuff works, so let's try it again. and i'm not just saying one party or the other. the day after judge kavanaugh was nominated i said we'll def

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

hall in the old senate chamber. we know their great names. but her speech today stacks up with the best of them. i've heard speeches in this body for nearly a half century, both as a young aide and as a member of the united states senate. and i will remember this one not just because i happen to agree with her but because she showed characteristic diligence, independence, and fairness and a suggestion of the lessons that we should have for the future of this unique institution and this unique country that we prize so much. so i'm going to think about what she has said and i hope other members of the body do. and i hope many americans do as well. thank you. mr. mcconnell: mr. president? the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: in listening to the senator from tennessee, i'm reminded that he and i were here in those days as young staffers. i was working for a senator from kentucky when margaret chase smith was still here. she had already made her reputation by being the first member of the united stat

the presiding officer: the senator from new mexico. mr. udall: mr. president, thank you for the recognition. mr. president, first let me begin by saying this. i believe dr. christine blasey ford. her raw courage coming forward will change the national culture and discussion. she has given voice to millions of women and men who are survivors of sexual assault, who are afraid to tell their stories, who felt powerless. some of these women have contacted my office with their own stories. i have read them, and they are heart wrenching. at its core, sexual assault is a crime of power. dr. ford has confronted some of the most powerful in our nation and told the truth. i thank her for her courage in coming forward and for empowering other survivors to do the same. mr. president, at this point with so much unknown, there are serious consequences to elevating judge kavanaugh to the supreme court. we the senate need to continue our search for the truth about this nominee, his background and his record, and hopefully we can do that in a bipartisan way. yet, every

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 majority leader mitch mcconnell initiated a four-day process. he's repeatedly said he wants to have the confirmation vote this week. so we had to initiate this process tonight before midnight and what he did here on capitol hill is filing an effort to limit debate. he filed that tonight buried by senate rule, that needs a day to lay over so tomorrow it lays dormant and that it ripens like a fruit on friday. that means it's available for a vote. that's the procedural vote to cut off debate. in these 51. in the old days, laster, 2017 when they were dealing with neil gorsuch mitch mcconnell lowered the bar to end filibusters. it used to be 60, it's now down to 51 so if you have invoked it on day three, friday, voted to cut off debate, then a 30 hour clock begins to run. that's all the time that the minority -- that opponents of the nomination can consume until it culminates in a confirmation vote probably on saturday, 30 hours thereafter. the senate rule says you vote on it one after you come in so it's possible they could have come in friday mornin