McConnell: Senate will hold Kavanaugh vote ‘this week’

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said the Senate will hold a vote on Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination this week.

“The time for endless delay and obstruction has come to a close. Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination is out of committee. We’re considering it here on the floor and … we’ll be voting this week,” McConnell said.

{mosads}McConnell’s comments, made during a Senate floor speech, comes as the FBI has to wrap up its investigation into multiple sexual misconduct allegations against Kavanaugh by Friday.

GOP senators and aides have been careful not to pin down a specific timeline on Kavanaugh’s nomination, arguing that the FBI could wrap up its work before the Friday deadline.

If McConnell waited until Friday to file cloture on Kavanaugh’s nomination that would set up an initial vote on ending debate as early as Sunday.

If McConnell filed cloture before that, he could bring up the vote as soon as the Friday deadline passed or when the FBI wrapped up its investigation.

McConnell’s pledge that the Senate will vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination comes as Trump’s nominee remains short of the simple majority needed to be confirmed.

Republicans hold a narrow 51-49 majority meaning they can lose one GOP senator before they need help from Democrats to confirm Kavanaugh. No Democrats have said, yet, that they will support him.

GOP Sens. Susan Collins (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) remain undecided on Kavanaugh’s nomination.

GOP Sen. Jeff Flake (Ariz.) said last week that he would support Kavanaugh. But he was key to getting the one-week investigation into the allegations against Kavanaugh.

He said over the weekend that he expected to support Kavanaugh unless the FBI finds something in its investigation.