U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) speaks during a news conference to discuss the FBI background investigation into the assault allegations against U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., October 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hours before the U.S. Senate’s first of two votes on the Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh, a senior Republican told Fox News that he could not predict if the chamber would confirm Kavanaugh.

“As of now I don’t really know and I don’t know if anybody else does,” said Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, who oversaw Kavanaugh’s contentious confirmation hearings.