Senate vote on Kavanaugh disrupted by protesters
Protests erupt in the Senate gallery as Senators vote to confirm Judge Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination.
Brett Kavanaugh’s path toward the Supreme Court has been repeatedly dogged by protesters against his nomination, some of whom showed up Saturday at the Senate’s vote to confirm him.
In a 50-48 vote, mostly along party lines, the Senate ultimately confirmed Kavanaugh to serve on the nation's highest court.
The first bout of shouting from the gallery came moments after Vice President Pence, while presiding over the Senate, reminded those in attendance that “expressions of approval or disapproval” were not allowed. He responded by calling for order to be restored in the gallery.
The at-times muffled protests continued to echo through the chamber as Pence attempted to get the vote underway and continually requested a restoration of order.
Chants of “shame on you, shame on you” also erupted from the gallery, prompting Pence to temporarily halt the vote.
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Outbursts also erupted as Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., cast their votes in support of Kavanaugh. The previously undecided lawmakers seemingly sealed the embattled nominee’s fate as a future Supreme Court justice.
Just before Flake cast his “aye” vote, someone from above shouted, “You’re a coward, Flake. You’re a total coward.”
And “Shame! Shame! Shame!” emanated through the Senate just after Manchin’s vote.
The Women’s March on Twitter said their members were among those “disrupting the Senate from the gallery.”
“We took the Capitol. We sat the streets outside SCOTUS. We disrupted the Senate proceedings,” a follow-up tweet said. “We want to be able to tell the next generation we did everything we could. #CancelKanavaugh.”
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Anti-Kavanaugh protests have been present throughout the nomination process, but appeared to intensify Friday with some aimed at particular lawmakers, such as Manchin and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Demonstrators arrived to McConnell’s home in Washington D.C. and held a so-called “confirmation kegger.”
On Saturday, protesters gathered outside the Supreme Court, with activists chanting “Get up, get down, women we run this town” and “we are the majority, the majority dissents.”
Approximately 1,000 protesters marched to the Capitol steps chanting “November is coming” and “we believe survivors.” Soon, Capitol Hill police started arresting some protesters.
Fox News' Lauren Lee contributed to this story
Fox News’ Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
