Senate votes to advance embattled Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh to a final vote

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Sen. Susan Collins meets with Judge Brett Kavanaugh in August.

• The US Senate has voted to invoke cloture on the confirmation of embattled Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh by a narrow 51-49 margin.
• Kavanaugh is now guaranteed a final vote after no more than 30 hours of floor debate, meaning the final floor vote on his confirmation could occur as soon as Saturday night.
• Kavanaugh's nomination has been tainted by two allegations of sexual assault against him from the early 1980s, culminating in emotional testimony from him and his accuser Christine Blasey Ford on Sept. 27.

The US Senate has voted to invoke cloture on the confirmation of embattled Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh by a narrow 51-49 margin after up to 30 hours of floor debate, meaning the final floor vote on his confirmation could occur as soon as Saturday night.

All eyes were on crucial undecided votes Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Joe Manchin of West Virginia. While Collins and Manchin voted to proceed on Kavanaugh's confirmation, Murkowksi, to the surprise of many, voted no to proceed on his confirmation.

While this cloture vote means Kavanaugh is guaranteed a floor vote on his confirmation, nothing is guaranteed yet. Kavanaugh's nomination has been tainted by two allegations of sexual assault against him from the early 1980s, culminating in emotional testimony from him and his accuser Christine Blasey Ford on Sept. 27.

One possible wrinkle to the final vote is that Sen. Steve Daines of Montana, a Republican, will be away from Capitol Hill on Saturday to walk his daughter down the aisle at her wedding.

If Republicans are unsure they will be able to reach the 50-vote threshold for Kavanaugh's confirmation without him, they could attempt to delay the final floor vote until Sunday.