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Most Supreme Court justices are confirmed by lopsided majorities, but since the 1990s, partisan votes have become more common. 

The bottom line: Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed Saturday with the lowest number of yes votes for a justice in the history of the Supreme Court.

Data: United States Senate; Chart: Naema Ahmed, Lazaro Gamio/Axios

Votes on Supreme Court nominees are getting tighter

Kavanaugh's confirmation vote was the tightest in modern history.

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<p>Most Supreme Court justices are confirmed by lopsided majorities, but since the 1990s, partisan votes have become more common. </p><p><strong>The bottom line: </strong>Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed Saturday with the lowest number of yes votes for a justice in the history of the Supreme Court.</p><div><figure><div id="av-2018-09-04-scotus-confirmations-6WB2R" style="max-width:100%"><img alt="Data: United States Senate; Chart: Naema Ahmed, Lazaro Gamio/Axios" class="axios-visual-newsletter-fallback-image" src="https://graphics.axios.com/2018-09-04-scotus-confirmations/fallbacks/2018-09-04-scotus-confirmations-fallback.png"/><img alt="Data: United States Senate; Chart: Naema Ahmed, Lazaro Gamio/Axios" class="axios-visual-apple-fallback-image" src="https://graphics.axios.com/2018-09-04-scotus-confirmations/fallbacks/2018-09-04-scotus-confirmations-apple.png"/></div><figcaption>Data: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="United States Senate" data-vars-click-url="https://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/reference/nominations/Nominations.htm" data-vars-content-id="ea08cd67-d04a-474a-9b9d-ec7ee429888c" data-vars-headline="Votes on Supreme Court nominees are getting tighter" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/reference/nominations/Nominations.htm" target="_blank">United States Senate</a>; Chart: Naema Ahmed, Lazaro Gamio/Axios</figcaption></figure></div><span data-ad-status="NO_AD_LENGTH" data-ad-type="midStoryAd"></span>

President Biden has made the COVID-19 crisis and a post-Trump return to national unity and traditional democratic ideals his top priorities. From vaccinations to stimulus to schools, Biden is seeking bipartisan compromise while showing a willingness to use executive authority and bare Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate to implement his policies. Republican leaders are navigating deep party divisions over if and how to move beyond former President Trump.

Votes on Supreme Court nominees are getting tighter

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