Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court nomination clears key US Senate hurdle
Video report by ITV News Washington Correspondent Robert Moore
A deeply divided US Senate is expected to vote on Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination on Saturday after passing a key procedural hurdle.
Nominated by President Donald Trump, Judge Kavanaugh has faced accusations of historical sexual assaults, an FBI investigation and a minute examination of his track record.
His nomination to the country's highest court could tip it to the right for decades.
On Friday the Senate voted 51-49 to limit debate, effectively defeating Democratic efforts to scupper the nomination with endless delays and nearing the climax of a fight that has captivated the country since the summer.
As they did there were noisy protests outside from Kavanaugh's supporters and opponents.
With Republicans controlling the chamber 51-49, one Republican voted to stop the nomination and one Democrat voted to send it further.
The announcement by the chamber's most moderate Republican, Senator Susan Collins, that she will vote to confirm Kavanaugh all but ensured his nomination will be successful.
But ITV News Washington Correspondent Robert Moore says that the heated debate over his nomination is only the opening skirmish in "trench warfare" that will go on through November's mid-term elections and on to the 2020 presidential election.
Republican senators Jeff Flake was another moderate who voted yes, later sying he will vote to confirm Kavanaugh "unless something big changes".
Republican Lisa Murkowski voted not to move the nomination ahead.
Confirmation would be a crowning achievement for Mr Trump, his conservative base and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Ms Murkowski sat solemnly during the roll call and whispered "No" when it was her turn to vote.
Mr Trump weighed in shortly after the roll call was announced, tweeting: "Very proud of the U.S. Senate for voting 'YES' to advance the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh!"
Friday's procedural vote occurred a day after the Senate received a roughly 50-page FBI report on the sexual assault allegations, which Mr Trump ordered only after wavering Republican senators forced him to do so.
Republicans said the secret document - which described interviews agents conducted with 10 witnesses - failed to find anyone who could corroborate allegations by his two chief accusers, Christine Blasey Ford and Deborah Ramirez.
Democrats belittled the bureau's findings, saying agents constrained by the White House had not reached out to numerous other people with potentially important information.
The vote also occurred against a backdrop of smouldering resentment by partisans on both sides.
That fury was reflected openly by thousands of boisterous anti-Kavanaugh demonstrators who bounced around the Capitol complex for days, confronting senators in office buildings and even reportedly near their homes.
Mr Trump hit out at protesters who confronted senators, labelling them "paid professionals only looking to make senators look bad".
Several senators were confronted before and after Friday's procedural vote.
After initially saying that Judge Kavanaugh's accuser, Christine Ford, should be heard and speaking cautiously, Mr Trump has grown increasingly frustrated.
Placing himself firmly against the #MeToo moment, he has warned that this process could lead to false accusations against men and mocked her emotional testimony.
Mr Trump has vigorously defended Judge Kavanaugh, who denies the allegations against him.