Montana Sen. Daines (R) Won't Be Able to Vote Saturday - link

[Alhena]

https://mobile.twitter.com/BNONews/status/1047982081886904321

This means if the vote goes ahead anyway then McConnell has gotten firm commitments from all Republicans. Otherwise, he will presumably move the vote.

[riversedge]

1. I read that the vote in scheduled for next Tues.

[George Eliot]

2. Hope people listening to merkley on cspan

Phenomenal iteration of evidence against kavanaugh

[still_one]

5. Doubtful it will matter

[BumRushDaShow]

3. Roll Call article

Sen. Steve Daines Would Miss Saturday Kavanaugh Vote for Daughter’s Wedding

Posted Oct 4, 2018 7:03 PM

Sen. Steve Daines won't be in town if the Senate votes this weekend on Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court, which could leave Republicans in a bind.

The Montana Republican told AP that he will attend his daughter’s wedding back home on Saturday regardless of a possible weekend vote on the embattled Supreme Court nominee.

Daines told The Associated Press Thursday that this weekend there’s going to be a new Supreme Court justice and that he is going to walk his daughter down the aisle.

Daines has backed Kavanaugh’s nomination throughout the confirmation process and is an anticipated “yes” vote.

https://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/sen-steve-daines-would-miss-saturday-kavanaugh-vote-for-daughters-wedding

[BigmanPigman]

13. I wonder if Mitch will hold it for him?

[BumRushDaShow]

15. If they have 50 sure-fire in the pocket GOP votes then they can vote without him with Pence.

But if some are still equivocating, as is apparently being reported with Flake and Murkowski (plus a couple others off in the background), then he'll delay one of these votes. I expect that he would want to hold the motion to proceed (cloture vote) ASAP and get that out of the way. I am not thinking any of the GOP members would object to that. However the final vote might end being delayed until Daines gets back.

[BigmanPigman]

16. Then there is a chance...thanks!

[CincyDem]

17. If they have 50 without him, they won't need Pence.

50-49 doesn't require a tie break so it's a done deal.

[BumRushDaShow]

18. Yes correct!

[standingtall]

4. Begining to think there are republicans who simply don't

want to vote on this and are hoping it stalls long enough for Kavanaugh to be withdrawn letting them off the hook, but if their forced to vote all of them we likely tow the party line.

[Alhena]

6. Anyone know if there's a procedural device that would allow McConnell to re-vote

if, say, Flake voted no after giving assurances he would vote yes? Meaning, could they fly Daines back for a re-vote or is it one vote and that's it?

[BumRushDaShow]

11. There would be 3 votes

The one out of committee, which Flake already did. Then the one that would be a "motion to proceed" (which "invokes cloture" ), and then the final one for confirmation.

There has only been the vote out of committee so far and the Senators are reviewing the materials. I expected that Turtle would try to hold the cloture vote tonight but who knows? But if he did, they usually wait a day or so before the final vote - and you already have the one guy say he wasn't going to be around Saturday.

There aren't any "re-votes". Turtle can just hold off scheduling the final debate and vote until Daines gets back if he isn't sure if they have enough votes - assuming that Pence might have to step in if it might be a tie. Generally, none of the GOP leadership is willing to go ahead anyway without a firm commitment because they might be embarrassed like what happened when McCain did his dramatic thumbs down on the ACA repeal.

[Alhena]

12. I hope this doesn't pressure any of the moderate three to get on board

so Daines can attend the wedding.

[BumRushDaShow]

14. Usually what happen with these cloture votes

especially in a situation like this - the GOP will vote "yay" for cloture so that the nomination then officially moves to the final phase for debate and vote - EVEN if they are considering actually voting "no" on final confirmation... It's one of those things that punts the football out into the middle of the field so players can scramble around and keep the game moving but at some point wherever the ball lands, they will start the final down from there.

[irresistable]

7. they will delay the vote

[Alhena]

8. I hope so, if they go ahead it means they have all 51 Republicans on board

[irresistable]

10. We have the cloture vote tomorrow....if they delay THAT, then you know that they have REAL problems.

[torius]

9. Can't they all go to the wedding?

They could vote and do a toast while joking about wedding-night sexual assault.