Mitch McConnell sets Friday vote to thwart filibuster of Brett Kavanaugh

WASHINGTON - Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell followed through late Wednesday in setting up a Friday vote to limit debate on Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination.

Under Senate rules, the key vote on McConnell's cloture motion will take place one hour after the Senate convenes Friday. The Republicans needed to get the motion to limit debate before the end of the calendar day Wednesday to allow the Friday vote.

If all goes according to plan, the vote will take place one day after senators get a chance to review supplemental background information from an FBI inquiry into allegations of sexual assault against Kavanaugh.

If McConnell musters a majority of senators to vote to limit debate on Kavanaugh, there would then be up to 30 hours of debate, meaning the final vote on confirmation would most likely come on Saturday.

McConnell had said Wednesday morning that senators supporting Kavanaugh would not be deterred from voting this week by protesters in the Senate hallways.

While senators were waiting for McConnell to make his widely anticipated procedural move, as well as the FBI report, they worked to finish off some of the last major legislative business before Election Day. There are plenty of Trump nominations for the coming weeks, however.