Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, is expected to announce on Friday how she will vote on Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation to the Supreme Court in a 3 p.m. ET speech on the floor of the Senate.
Collins, a moderate who has split with her party on abortion and other issues, has been one of the most closely watched lawmakers amid the contentious battle over Kavanaugh's nomination to the high court. Until Friday, the Maine senator provided only guarded comments regarding whether she will support the federal appeals court judge.
Hours before her expected speech, however, Collins supported Kavanaugh in a crucial vote. The lawmaker joined with the rest of her party, with the exception of Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, to advance Kavanaugh's confirmation to a final vote, expected as early as Saturday.
Murkowski, who told reporters that she made her decision at the last minute Friday, said that she believed Kavanaugh was a "good man" but that he was not the right person for the court "at this time."