While most GOP senators are ready to support the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh following the release of Thursday’s sham FBI report, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski is sending signals that she may side with women over Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee.
According to new reporting, Murkowski has spent much of her day privately meeting with more than a dozen victims of sexual assault. While the meetings are no guarantee of how she’ll vote, it could offer insight into the Alaska senator’s decision-making process ahead of Friday’s key vote.
MSNBC’s Garrett Haake reported a short time ago that the meetings were “emotional” and Murkowski took them incredibly seriously.
Lisa Murkowski has been meeting with dozens of Alaskan women privately in her office today, including several sexual assault survivors. The last group of 18 just left, describing a very emotional, hour+ meeting
— Garrett Haake (@GarrettHaake) October 4, 2018
The women tell me Murkowski was VERY engaged with their stories and heard them out as they urged her to vote against Kavanaugh.
— Garrett Haake (@GarrettHaake) October 4, 2018
A no vote from Murkowski could put pressure on the remaining undecideds
If – and it’s still a huge “if” – Sen. Murkowski was moved by the victims she met with on Thursday and decides to vote against Brett Kavanaugh, it could provide an incentive for the remaining undecided senators to do the same, particularly Maine Sen. Susan Collins who has been hinting she may be a yes vote.
It’s also still not clear how the other two undecided senators – Sens. Jeff Flake and Joe Manchin – will vote. However, it’s possible that a move by one or two of them to oppose Kavanaugh’s confirmation could influence the others’ votes.
The speculation about Murkowski’s possible vote comes hours after Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp made the courageous decision to oppose Kavanaugh’s nomination, despite the fact that she is in the midst of an uphill re-election battle.
With Republican men essentially standing united against victims of sexual assault, the fate of Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination could rest in the hands of the remaining GOP women in the Senate.
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