U.S. Sen. Richard Burr said Tuesday he intends to vote to confirm Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and urged quick action on his nomination at a crucial committee meeting Thursday.

Burr has always been considered a likely "yes" vote.

It is not clear why the North Carolina Republican issued a formal statement backing Kavanaugh on Tuesday, two days before the Senate Judiciary Committee is set to hear testimony from a woman who says Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her while he and the woman were in high school.

That accusation derailed for a time what had appeared to be a likely vote for the Republican Kavanaugh to join the court.

Over the weekend, a woman who attended Yale University with Kavanaugh said that he had exposed himself at a dormitory party and thrust his penis in her face when both were freshmen.

Kavanaugh has denied both accusations.

Several senators are apparently undecided on Kavanaugh's nomination. Burr's announcement could help those trying to round up support for the choice of President Donald Trump to fill a seat on the court.

Here is the complete text of Burr's statement, which his office released shortly after 5 p.m. Tuesday:

“Democrats made it clear they would stop at nothing to block President Trump’s Supreme Court pick before Judge Kavanaugh was even chosen as the nominee. President Trump has every right to nominate the individual of his choosing to the Supreme Court, and the Senate should go through the normal advice and consent process, as it has done for the last 12 weeks. Immediately following the conclusion of Thursday’s hearing, the Senate Judiciary Committee should vote up or down on Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination. I intend to support Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination when it comes before the full Senate.”