Senate

Collins to announce Kavanaugh position on Friday afternoon

by Jordain Carney - 10/05/18 10:17 AM ET

GOP Sen. Susan Collins (Maine) is planning to announce her position on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh on Friday afternoon from the Senate floor.

Collins will say whether she supports President Trump’s nominee during a 3 p.m. speech, according to NBC News and CNN.

A spokeswoman for Collins didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment about the senator’s planned remarks.

{mosads}The timeline means Collins will have to cast an initial vote this morning on whether to end debate on Kavanaugh’s nomination before her position is known.

The Senate is scheduled to hold a vote to end debate on Kavanaugh’s nomination at 10:30 a.m.

It wouldn’t be the first time Collins has supported a nomination during a procedural hurdle and then later voted against the nominee.

In a dramatic moment last year, Collins announced from the Senate floor that she would vote for Education Secretary Betsy DeVos during an initial procedural hurdle but said she could not support her on a final confirmation vote.

The opposition to DeVos from Collins and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) made DeVos the first Cabinet secretary to need a vice president to cast a decisive, tie-breaking confirmation vote.

Collins is one of a handful of senators who have not taken a public position on whether they will vote to confirm Kavanaugh. The other undecideds are Murkowski, Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.).

Senate Republicans hold a 51-49 majority in the chamber.

Tags Betsy DeVos Donald Trump Jeff Flake Joe Manchin Lisa Murkowski Susan Collins