Senators today in their remarks on the floor are making clear their intentions for tomorrow’s final vote on whether or not to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh as the next Supreme Court Justice. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), in announcing his intent to vote yes, argued that voting any other way would have been perceived as “a verdict of guilt” in the allegations of sexual assault made against the nominee.
He also offered a very small caveat to his yes vote, similar to Sen. Jeff Flake‘s remarks about “something big”, when he hedged against evidence emerging in the interim to support those claims.
“I do want people on the supreme Court who believe that the proper role of that court is to interpret the Constitution according to its original intent,” said Sen. Rubio. “But if I had any evidence. or if any evidence emerges. that corroborates these or any allegations of this kind, I would have voted against this nomination in a heartbeat, because someone who has committed sexual assault shouldn’t be on the bench, they should be in jail.”
Rubio brought up several times in his full remarks that 150 people have been interviewed about Brett Kavanaugh’s life. In his closing, he repeated that number, stating that after “seven background checks with over 150 people interviewed’ that evidence does not exist.
“On the basis of what facts am I supposed to
He then said it is “legitimate” to vote no on the basis of judicial philosophy, but that it “isn’t fair to say you’re voting against him, as some imply, because we’re on the verge of putting someone who is a confirmed and verified sexual abuser on the bench.”
“A just cause never, never justifies unjust means,” he continued, before stating that he will vote yes on Saturday.
Watch the clip above, courtesy of CSPAN.
[Featured image via screengrab]
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