What Senators Are Saying About the Kavanaugh Votes

U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senate Majority Leader

“We know the Senate is better than this. We know the nation deserves better than this. By confirming Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, this brilliant jurist will be charged with upholding the rule of law and honoring American justice. We must hold ourselves to that very same standard. We must seize the golden opportunity stands before us today. To confirm a Supreme Court Justice who will make us proud. And to reaffirm our own commitment to the justice that every single American deserves.”

U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV)

“Today’s FBI background investigation only raises more questions about Judge Kavanaugh’s character and demonstrates that he is not the right person for the highest Court in America. As a former Attorney General, I know how critical it is to know all of the facts in a case. Senate Republicans have overseen a flawed confirmation process and the arbitrary limits imposed by the Trump Administration has severely limited the scope of this investigation.

“I remain opposed to Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination. His testimony last week demonstrates that he lacks the temperament and has the wrong judicial philosophy to sit on the United States Supreme Court.”

U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR)

“For all the grueling prosecution the Republicans put Dr. Ford through, compare that to their treatment of Kavanaugh.

“When it was Kavanaugh’s turn to deliver testimony, he was seething and raging in a manner completely unbecoming a federal judge. He behaved in a way that directly contradicted what he said a judge should be all about. In his own words, judges need ‘…to keep our emotions in check … To be calm amidst the storm.’ Kavanaugh failed his own test. He offered the most partisan testimony in my memory when he ranted about the Clintons and ‘what goes around comes around.’”

U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX)

“We all had a chance to read the FBI report which failed to corroborate Dr. Ford’s allegations, and then today we did exactly what we needed to do, which is to vote. To stop the circus, stop the hijinks, stop the character assassination, and vote. So I’m glad our colleagues decided to close off debate.”

U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT)

 “I am disappointed that the Senate, by the narrowest margin, has voted to end debate on Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination, which sets up a confirmation vote over the weekend.

“Judge Kavanaugh is not fit to serve on our nation’s highest court.  His relentless dishonesty under oath is disqualifying, as is his temperament and partisan zeal.  And still-developing and credible allegations of sexual assault cannot be ignored in a manic rush to fill this seat.  I will continue to talk to any senator willing to listen about why he or she should vote ‘no’ on his final confirmation.”

U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA)

“I’m pleased to support Judge Kavanaugh’s confirmation. I’m sorry for what the Kavanaugh family went through the last several weeks. We should all admire Judge Kavanaugh’s willingness to serve his country despite the way he’s been treated. It would be a travesty if the Senate did not confirm the most qualified nominee in our nation’s history. The multitude of allegations against him have proven to be false.”

U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT)

“This entire process should embarrass all of us. Despite overwhelming opposition to Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination in Connecticut and around the country, Senate Republicans are jamming him through. Judge Kavanaugh has shown, time and time again, that he does not have the temperament nor impartiality required for a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court. The Senate has never elevated a person to the Supreme Court with this many serious issues surrounding a nomination, and I fear that we are making a mistake from which the country may never recover.”

U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Minority Leader

“Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination, ultimately, does not only encompass questions of ideology or credentials but questions of character. Here again, Judge Kavanaugh falls woefully short of what Americans expect and deserve in a Supreme Court justice.  He has repeatedly misled the Senate about his involvement in some of the most serious controversies of the Bush administration, including warrantless wiretapping of American citizens; our policy against torture; the theft of electronic records from Democratic Senators; and his involvement in the nomination of very controversial judges.

“A bipartisan majority of senators — considering fully the weight of Judge Kavanaugh’s testimony, record, credibility, trustworthiness, and temperament, considering fully the heartbreaking testimony of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford – can vote to reject Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination and ask that President Trump send the Senate another name. For the sake of the Senate, of the Supreme Court, and of America. I hope, I pray, my colleagues will do so.”

U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV)

“From the start of this process, I promised my constituents that I would look seriously at Judge Kavanaugh’s record and cast my vote based on the facts I have before me and what is best for West Virginia. I met with the nominee for over two hours, attended his hearings, spoke with constitutional experts, and heard from thousands of West Virginians.

“I have reservations about this vote given the serious accusations against Judge Kavanaugh and the temperament he displayed in the hearing. And my heart goes out to anyone who has experienced any type of sexual assault in their life. However, based on all of the information I have available to me, including the recently completed FBI report, I have found Judge Kavanaugh to be a qualified jurist who will follow the Constitution and determine cases based on the legal findings before him. I do hope that Judge Kavanaugh will not allow the partisan nature this process took to follow him onto the court.

“With respect to any cases that may come before him impacting the 800,000 West Virginians with pre-existing conditions, Judge Kavanaugh assured me personally that he would consider the human impacts and approach any decision with surgical precision to avoid unintended consequences. That is why I voted to confirm Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination to serve on the Supreme Court because I believe he will rule in a manner that is consistent with our Constitution.”

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)

“I believe Brett Kavanaugh’s a good man. It just may be that in my view he’s not the right man for the court at this time. So I have taken my vote here this morning, I’m going to go back to my office and write a floor statement that is more fulsome and have the opportunity to have that.