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Brett Kavanaugh's nomination clears major hurdle, confirmation vote could come as soon as tomorrow

Flake: Will vote for Kavanaugh confirmation
Posted at 3:34 AM, Oct 05, 2018
and last updated 2018-10-05 18:55:24-04
A cloture vote on the nomination of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has passed through the Senate 51 to 49, clearing a major hurdle for Kavanaugh's confirmation to the high court.

A final vote on Kavanaugh's confirmation could come as early as tomorrow.

A key swing vote, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), voted in favor of cloture on Kavanaugh's nomination. It's unclear how she'll vote on her confirmation, though she's expected to announce her decision at 3 p.m. ET, according to CNN.

Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) voted no, breaking party lines. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) also broke party lines by voting yes.

Murkowski told reporters that she was undecided in how she would vote until she walked to the Senate floor to vote.

President Trump praised the Senate vote in a tweet on Friday morning.

"Very proud of the U.S. Senate for voting “YES” to advance the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh!" he tweeted.

NBC News and the Associated Press reports that Sen. Jeff Flake, who delayed a confirmation vote for a week and called for an FBI investigation into claims of sexual assault against Kavanaugh, will vote for Kavanaugh's confirmation "unless something big changes."