Republicans Reject Judge Subpoena, Agree on Vote Time

Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee voted down a motion to subpoena Brett Kavanaugh's high school friend Mark Judge before the committee before its confirmation vote, while agreeing, along party lines, to hold a vote on his confirmation, prompting several Senate Democrats to walk out of the hearing.

"Evidently, he has never been interviewed by the FBI, he has never been questioned by any member of our committee," Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., argued about bringing Judge, who Kavanaugh accuser Christine Ford said was in the room when Kavanaugh allegedly attacked her, according to her testimony. "He has never submitted a detailed account of what he knows. And so, I move that we have him before this committee as a witness."

Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, before calling on a vote on the Kavanaugh nomination for 1:30 p.m., read a letter he'd gotten from Judge.

"'When I told the committee that I do not want to comment about these events publicly, as a recovering alcoholic and a cancer survivor, I have struggled with depression and anxiety,'" Grassley read."Brett Kavanaugh and I were friends in high school. But we have not spoken directly in several years. I do not recall the events described by Dr. Ford in her testimony."

Blumenthal argued that the letter did not substitute for sworn testimony, but Republicans voted to reject his measure, and then to approve the time for the confirmation vote, prompting outrage from Democrats on the committee.

Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Kamala Harris, D-Calif., were mute when their turn came to vote, and Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, explained that was because they opposed the measure and would not speak.

"I object," she said. "The answer is no, no," before explaining that Booker and Harris were not answering as "they are not answering because this is so unfair."

• Sens. Corker, Moran to Vote to Confirm Kavanaugh
• Trump Tweets: Kavanaugh 'Powerful, Honest, Riveting,' Demands Vote!