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Republican lawmakers on Wednesday appear poised to move ahead with a confirmation vote on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, who is accused of sexually assaulting a woman while they were in high school, if his accuser does not participate in an upcoming Senate hearing to air the allegation.
Lawyers for Christine Blasey Ford indicated Tuesday night that she would not agree to attend the hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee scheduled for next Monday under the current circumstances.
In a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Ford’s attorneys called for an FBI investigation into the allegations, saying that “a full investigation by law enforcement officials will ensure that the crucial facts and witnesses in this matter are assessed in a nonpartisan manner, and that the Committee is fully informed before conducting any hearing or making any decision.”
Grassley, however, said that no law enforcement investigation was warranted and that the invitation for her to testify Monday “still stands.”
And now, other GOP lawmakers are also signaling that without Ford’s testimony, a confirmation vote on Kavanaugh could go forward. President Donald Trump, for his part, said it would be “unfortunate” if Ford chose not to appear before the panel.
“I really want to see her. I would really want to see what she has to say. But I want to give it all the time they need. They’ve already given it time. They’ve delayed a major hearing,” he told reporters on the White House South Lawn on Wednesday.
“This is a very tough thing for him and his family, and we want to get it over with but at the same time we want to give it tremendous amounts of time. If she shows up, that would be wonderful. If she doesn’t show up, that would be unfortunate,” Trump added.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a member of the Judiciary Committee, said in a tweet that requiring an FBI investigation “is more about stalling the process until after November’s elections than getting to the truth.”
“It is imperative the Judiciary committee move forward on the Kavanaugh nomination and a committee vote be taken ASAP,” Graham said Wednesday.
“After learning of the allegation, Chairman @ChuckGrassley took immediate action to ensure both Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh have the opportunity to be heard, in public or private. Republicans extended a hand in good faith. If we don’t hear from both sides on Monday, let’s vote,” Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., tweeted late Tuesday.
Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., who sits on the judiciary committee, said in a Tuesday tweet: “When Dr. Ford came forward, I said that her voice should be heard and asked the Judiciary Committee to delay its vote on Judge Kavanaugh. It did so. I now implore Dr. Ford to accept the invitation for Monday, in a public or private setting. The committee should hear her voice.”
Ford detailed her allegations in The Washington Post earlier this week in which she claims Kavanaugh drunkenly attempted to sexually assault her while they were teenagers in Maryland in the 1980s. Kavanaugh has vehemently denied the allegations, and accepted Grassley’s invitation to appear before the panel on Monday.
Trump reiterated on Wednesday that he believes the FBI does not want to look into Ford’s allegation.
“Well, it would seem that the FBI really doesn’t do that,” Trump told reporters on the White House South Lawn in response to a question about whether he would order a probe.
Anita Hill, whose 1991 testimony that now-Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas sexually harassed her created a political maelstrom, urged the committee on Wednesday to halt the confirmation vote until the allegations against Kavanaugh were fully investigated.
“My advice right now in my experience really is more directed to the senators and to the Senate Judiciary Committee in particular, and my advice is to push the pause button on this hearing, get the information together, bring in the experts and put together a hearing that is fair, that is impartial, that is not biased by politics or by bet, and bring this information to the American public,” she told ABC’s “Good Morning America.”