Final vote set on Alito for Tuesday
on Jan 30, 2006 at 5:42 pm
The Senate voted overwelmingly on Monday to cut off debate on the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Samuel A. Alito, Jr. Tne vote was 72 to 25, 12 more than the minimum 60 needed to approve the debate-stopping “cloture” motion offered by Senate Republican leaders last week.
As a result, the final vote on the nomination will begin at 11 a.m. Tuesday. Alito is not expected to get all 72 of the votes cast for the cloture motion when the final tally is taken. A number of Democrats who favored an end to debate have indicated they will vote against the nomination itself. As of now, only one Republican among the 55 in the Senate has announced his opposition — Sen. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island.
Alito thus is likely to fall well short of the 78-22 vote of approval that the Senate gave to Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., on Sept. 29. Roberts won all 55 of the Senate Republicans’ support, half of the 44 Democrats, and one Independent, Sen. Jim Jeffords of Vermont.
On the vote Tuesday to end debate under Senate Rule XXII, 19 Democrats joined 53 Republicans in voting “Yes.” On the “No” votes, 24 were cast by Democrats and one by Sen. Jeffords.
Once the nomination gains final approval, as everyone is now certain it will, Alito will promptly take two oaths so that he can begin his service on the Court promptly, succeeding retiring Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. It is unclear whether the formal investiture at the Court will come before the Court returns on Feb. 21 from its current recess.
