Senate Republican leaders expect the FBI to provide its supplementary background report on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh on Wednesday and to vote on the nominee Friday or Saturday.

Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Thune John Randolph ThuneSenate GOP sees early Supreme Court vote as political booster shot Romney backs pre-election Supreme Court vote, paving way for McConnell, Trump Senate GOP faces pivotal moment on pick for Supreme Court MORE (S.D.) said after a GOP conference lunch meeting that senators are expected to get the report Wednesday afternoon.

ADVERTISEMENT

“The leader’s assumption, and I assume he knows more about this than the rest of us, is that it’s coming today,” Thune said, referring to the expectations of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellPelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Senate GOP aims to confirm Trump court pick by Oct. 29: report Trump argues full Supreme Court needed to settle potential election disputes MORE (R-Ky.).

Thune said that would set up a Friday cloture vote to end debate on Kavanaugh.

A second Republican senator, who requested anonymity to talk about internal discussions, said the plan is to hold the cloture vote on Friday.

The lawmaker said he expects McConnell to file a motion Wednesday to end debate on the nominee, which would give senators time to review the FBI report while procedural time runs off the clock.

Sen. Bob Corker Robert (Bob) Phillips CorkerHas Congress captured Russia policy? Tennessee primary battle turns nasty for Republicans Cheney clashes with Trump MORE (R-Tenn.) separately told reporters that it's "likely" to be handed over on Wednesday and Sen. Mike Rounds Marion (Mike) Michael RoundsSenate GOP sees early Supreme Court vote as political booster shot Chamber of Commerce endorses McSally for reelection Senate GOP eyes early exit MORE (R-S.D.) said Republican senators "expected" that the FBI would be able to give them the report later Wednesday.

“That’s what we’re being told,” GOP Sen. Ron Johnson Ronald (Ron) Harold Johnson CIA found Putin 'probably directing' campaign against Biden: report This week: Supreme Court fight over Ginsburg's seat upends Congress's agenda GOP set to release controversial Biden report MORE (Wis.) told reporters, asked if they expected the FBI would wrap up its work on Wednesday.

Senate rules require an intervening day to pass between when a GOP leader files a motion to end dilatory debate and when the Senate votes on the motion.

That means if McConnell files cloture to end debate on Kavanaugh on Wednesday evening, the vote could take place Friday.

If he waits until Thursday morning, the Senate could vote on cloture one hour after the end of the day Friday, at 1:01 a.m. Saturday. The rules require a vote take place at least one hour after the chamber convenes on the second day.

McConnell vowed on Monday that the Senate would vote on Kavanaugh this week.

“The time for endless delay and obstruction has come to a close,” he said on the floor. “We’ll be voting this week.”

He reiterated Wednesday that the Senate would vote on Kavanaugh this week.

"The FBI is finishing up a supplemental background investigation. ... Then, pursuant to last week’s agreement of a delay no longer than one week, the Senate will vote on this nomination this week," he said from the Senate floor.

The FBI was tasked last week with investigating several sexual misconduct allegations against Kavanaugh, whose nomination has been stuck in limbo.

Under the original one-week timeline, the bureau has until Friday to finish its investigation but Republicans had been hopeful they would finish their work early enabling them to stick to their timeline of voting on Kavanaugh by the end of the week.

Senators aren't expecting the FBI to release findings or a determination as part of its investigation. Instead, they expect the bureau to turn over notes and transcripts, which would then be available for senators to review ahead of a vote.

"What we think is going to happen is they're going to transmit a stack of 302s where they went and talked to people. ... My understanding is they're just going to send raw data," Corker said.

Sen. John Kennedy John Neely KennedyMORE (R-La.) said the FBI report will be disseminated to lawmakers through the Senate Judiciary Committee.

“It’s going to be given to the Judiciary Committee and senators will be invited to come by and read it,” he said.

Democrats and some moderate swing-vote Republicans voiced concerns earlier this week that the White House was trying to micromanage and limit the investigation. A member of the legal team for Christine Blasey Ford, Kavanaugh's first accuser, told The Hill after the Senate GOP caucus lunch on Wednesday that they had not heard from the FBI.

But Republicans are hopeful that, absent a bombshell, the FBI report will help shore up GOP support for Kavanaugh, who remains short of the simple majority needed to be confirmed.

McConnell told reporters on Tuesday that the FBI's report will be available to be viewed by every senator but will not be released publicly, which is in line with how updates to background files are typically handled.

The issue has become a sticking point for Democrats, and some Republicans, who want at least part of the report or a summary of the report to be made public. Senators argue that otherwise the FBI's work will be selectively leaked and spun by both sides.

"I'm actually of the view that whatever could be made public here, should be. But that would be well outside the normal way these things are treated," Sen. Roy Blunt Roy Dean BluntSocial media platforms put muscle into National Voter Registration Day Senate GOP faces pivotal moment on pick for Supreme Court This week: Supreme Court fight over Ginsburg's seat upends Congress's agenda MORE (R-Mo.) told reporters.

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer Chuck SchumerSenate Democrats introduce legislation to probe politicization of pandemic response Schumer interrupted during live briefing by heckler: 'Stop lying to the people' Jacobin editor: Primarying Schumer would force him to fight Trump's SCOTUS nominee MORE (D-N.Y.) acknowledged that releasing the FBI's report wasn't the "usual practice" but argued the circumstances around Kavanaugh's nomination meant it should be shared publicly.

"The findings of the FBI investigation upon completion should be released publicly with any personal information redacted. This is not the usual practice but it's been done in the past when it's needed, and it's sure needed now," he said.

Updated at 3:51 p.m.