Senate committee about to take high-stakes vote to advance Kavanaugh after day of drama

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Brett Kavanaugh testified in front of the Senate Judiciary committee over sexual assault allegations made by Christine Blasey Ford.

• The Senate Judiciary Committee will vote on whether to favorably recommend the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh at 9:30 a.m. ET.
• The vote comes after a historic day of emotional testimony from him and Christine Blasey Ford, the psychology professor who accuses him of sexually assaulting her in high school.
• If the committee votes to advance his nomination, the first procedural floor vote will take place Saturday.

The Senate Judiciary Committee will vote Friday on whether to favorably recommend the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh at 9:30 a.m. ET, following a dramatic, marathon day of testimony from him and Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who accused him of sexually assaulting her in high school.

The committee is composed of 11 Republicans and 10 Democrats. While most Republicans on the committee are expected to vote to give Kavanaugh a favorable recommendation, all eyes will be on Sens. Jeff Flake of Arizona and Ben Sasse of Nebraska, undecided Republicans who could sway the vote.

Ford, a psychology professor in California, accuses Kavanaugh of groping and attempting to rape her during a Maryland house party in 1982, when he was 17 and she was 15.

"This isn't easy for anybody," Flake told reporters after the testimony on Thursday. "Some of us have been talking for a while - similar questions I guess."

If Kavanaugh's nomination makes it out of committee, the first procedural floor vote to advance his confirmation is scheduled for Saturday at noon ET. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell could still move to bring the nomination to the full Senate even if the committee doesn't vote favorably.

Both Ford and Kavanaugh delivered highly emotional testimonies that captivated the nation and the world. While Ford said she was "terrified" to be in the spotlight and held back tears at time, she delivered a thorough and steady recounting of the assault and its effects on her life, weaving in her scientific expertise on the effects of trauma on the brain.

When Kavanaugh took the stand, he gave a passionate, vehement, and sometimes angry denial of the allegations, sparring with senators and accusing Democratic forces of concocting a plot to tank his nomination.

He delved deep into details about his life in high school and touted his record of supporting and advancing the careers of female lawyers to defend both his qualifications to be on the Supreme Court - and his honor. Republicans left the day perhaps rallied even more around his nomination, even as some senators remained on the fence.

"It's shameful what has gone on in this country in the last two weeks," Montana Sen. Steve Daines told Business Insider. "This has brought the United States Senate to an all-time low."

After the hearings, the American Bar Association took the extraordinary step of recommending an FBI investigation into the allegations before proceeding with his confirmation.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.