With a Key Vote Obtained, Senators Will Advance Kavanaugh's Appointment

WASHINGTON – Senator Jeff Flake, the only Republican vote on the Judiciary Committee, said Friday morning that he would vote to confirm Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, ensuring passage in committee and summoning President Trump to threshold of confirmation. 24 hours after a remarkable public hearing with a woman accusing him of sexual assault.

Flake of Arizona announced his decision a few moments before the 21 Senators of the Senate Judiciary Committee met to hold the first of a series of votes on the nomination. While other Republicans were lining up to support Judge Kavanaugh in denying the charges, it was unclear how Mr. Flake would vote after hearing the heartbreaking and compelling stories of Judge Kavanaugh and the Accused. , Christine Blasey Ford.

[[[[Four points to remember from the audience.]

"After hearing more than 30 hours of testimony from Judge Kavanaugh at the beginning of the month, I was ready to support his appointment because of his views on the law and his record as a judge," he said. Friday Mr. Flake.

"Our justice system offers a presumption of innocence to the accused, in the absence of corroborating evidence," he continued. "That's what binds us to the rule of law."

With Mr. Flake's vote, the Republicans of the commission have enough votes to advance the appointment of the judge in the Senate. Senator Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, chairman of the committee, voted at the beginning of the hearing in favor of a group vote that set the final vote at 1:30 pm.

Repeating the hearing on Thursday, the tenor of Friday's courtroom was believed even by the standards of a very partisan Senate. A dozen Democratic legislators in the House – mostly women – filled the back of the courtroom to support Dr. Blasey and oppose the confirmation. No longer expected outside, unable to get in the room. And Democrats on the panel have accused Republicans of concealment.

"This judicial committee is no longer an independent arm of the government," said Senator Patrick J. Leahy of Vermont, the chamber's oldest Democrat and past chair of the committee. "We are a very weak arm and arm of the Trump White House. Every semblance of independence has just disappeared. It's just gone.

Democrats have repeatedly drawn attention to the accusations of two other women, Deborah Ramirez and Julie Swetnick, who have reported being sexually abused by a young drunkard, Mr. Kavanaugh, in high school or at the university. Judge Kavanaugh denied their claims, but no woman was called to testify.

Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, moved almost as soon as the meeting began to assign Mark Judge, a friend of Judge Kavanaugh, whom Dr. Blasey and another accuser put on the scene. According to party lines, the committee voted against.

When Mr Grassley cast a vote to set the deadline at 1:30, some Democrats even refused to intervene.

"This is only a total railway job," shouted Senator Mazie Hirono, Democrat of Hawaii. Ms. Hirono and others then left the courtroom. Outside, joined by Democrats in the House, they called on Republicans to wake up and predict a violent reaction across the country.

"Do not get me wrong: the truth will come from Judge Kavanaugh," Blumenthal told reporters. "It's just a matter of time."

The committee also ignored a request Thursday night from the chief of the The American Bar Association postponed the vote until Dr. Blasey's allegation of sexual assault and that of other women were reviewed by the F.B.I. This was a major request from the organization, which had already approved the appointment of Judge Kavanaugh. During Thursday's testimony, Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, stressed the association's weight in the legal community, calling it a "gold standard".

Before Mr. Flake announces his position, White House spokesman Raj Shah said Friday morning that he "could not say for sure" that the four senators would vote in favor of Judge Kavanaugh. In an interview with CNN, Shah said Judge Kavanaugh's testimony on Thursday moved senators in the right direction.

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Mr. Flake has given some clues in recent days about his vote. He insisted Thursday's hearings unfold, telling party leaders he could not vote yes without hearing from Dr. Blasey and Judge Kavanaugh. But his public remarks in recent days, focused primarily on the dignity that had been removed from the appointment process, left colleagues scratching their heads.