Brett Kavanaugh is confirmed as 114th Justice of the US Supreme Court

The US Senate voted 50 votes for, 48 against to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh, a conservative and President Trump’s nominee as Supreme Court Justice. He takes his seat there on Tuesday after weathering a stormy Democratic campaign against his appointment.  Kavanaugh’s path to confirmation became clear Friday afternoon when Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who had been on the fence for months, announced her support for the judge in a powerful 45-minute speech on the Senate floor. An FBI investigation that found no corroboration for the allegation of sexual misconduct brought against him by Christine Blasey Ford. Vocal demonstrations in the gallery and the building dogged the process. The vote ran on partisan lines, with two exceptions. Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski voted no and Democrat Joe Manchin voted aye. Republican Sen. Steven Daines attended his daughter’s wedding after being assured that Kavanaugh would be confirmed without his vote.

Some Democratic senators said bitterly they were not done yet and, if they gained a Senate majority in midterm elections in a month’s time, they would seek Kavanaugh’s impeachment. US constitutional experts find this wish unrealistic. A two-thirds majority would be needed for impeaching a sitting justice and there was only one precedent which occurred in 1804.