美国参议院或在本周六就大法官人选投票

The nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to fill an open seat on the U.S. Supreme Court is moving toward a final vote as early as Saturday.

First though, senators are on Thursday reviewing an FBI report on sexual harassment allegations Kavanaugh dated back to his teenager years.

Kavanaugh has denied the accusations.

The sharp partisan battle over the lifetime appointment to the nine-member court has polarized the U.S. Senate with the majority Republicans accusing Democrats of dragging out the process, while Democrats accuse Republicans are rushing to confirm Kavanaugh.

Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley said early Thursday the panel had received the FBI investigation report on these allegations. The report is confidential and senators will be allowed to read it in a special secure room in the Capitol. It is not clear what, if any, of the material will be made public.

the White House revealed it received and reviewed interview transcripts from the FBI. Officials claim the documents do not support one of the accusers, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's claims of attempted rape by Kavanaugh 36 years ago.

The White House said that after the “most comprehensive review of a Supreme Court nominee in history,” it is “fully confident” Kavanaugh will be confirmed.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced he will then proceed with what is known as a cloture vote to officially end debate about Kavanaugh's nomination. That procedural vote could happen as early as Friday morning and set up a final vote potentially Saturday.

Republicans hold a slight 51-49 majority in the Senate, and with Vice President Mike Pence playing the role of tie-breaker if necessary, they would need a minimum of 50 votes to confirm Kavanaugh.

If confirmed, Kavanaugh — an appellate judge and judicial conservative — would replace retired Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy. The nine-member court is currently operating with eight justices.

通过美国最高法院大法官的提名人选布雷特-卡瓦诺任命的最终投票可能早在周六进行。

不过在那之前，参议员们周四要审阅联邦调查局针对卡瓦诺在青少年时期性骚扰指控的调查报告。

卡瓦诺坚决否认这些指控。

这次对最高法院终身大法官的任命引起参议院内激烈党派争端，多数派的共和党人指责民主党人拖延这一程序，而民主党人指责共和党人急于投票确认。

参议院司法委员会主席格拉斯利周四早些时候表示，该委员会已收到联调局的调查报告。报告是保密的，参议员将获准在国会大厦内一间特设保安的房间阅读。目前还不清楚报告的任何内容会公布。

白宫表示已收到联调局的访谈记录。有关官员称这些文件不支持控告者之一、克莉丝汀·布莱西·福特博士声称卡瓦诺在36年前曾企图强奸她的指控。

白宫表示，在“对有史以来最高法院提名人的最全面的审查”之后，“完全有信心”卡瓦诺的提名将得到确认。

参议院多数党领袖麦康纳尔宣布接下来将进行所谓的完成投票，正式结束对瓦诺提名进行的辩论。程序性投票最早可能在星期五早上进行，并可能在星期六进行最终投票。

共和党人在参议院中占据51-49的多数席位，如果有必要，副总统彭斯将投下决定性一票，共和党人需要至少50票确认卡瓦诺的提名。

如果卡瓦诺得到确认，这位上诉法官和司法保守派将取代已退休的最高法院大法官肯尼迪。目前9名成员组成的最高法院前有8名法官。