Since Christine Blasey Ford made her identity known as the woman who accused Judge Brett Kavanaugh of attempted sexual assault, leaders in the Senate Judiciary Committee — notably members of the Religious Right led by Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley — have dismissed the accusations and denied the need for a standard FBI investigation of the claims.
The credibility of Ford’s accusations has been reinforced by a passed polygraph test, the fact that she reported this assault to her husband and therapist in the past, and this NYT op-ed by psychiatrist Richard A. Friedman.
In addition to these extremely troubling accusations, Senate Judiciary leaders have refused to let their colleagues and the American people see over 90 percent of the documents relating to Kavanaugh’s critical years in the federal government.
This is not a partisan issue — Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court would put every Americans’ most fundamental liberties in jeopardy. Despite what this hasty confirmation process would suggest, there is no rush to confirm Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Justice Antonin Scalia’s seat sat open for more than a year while Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other Senate Republicans refused to even meet with, let alone hold a hearing for Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland.
Please tell your senators that the lack of transparency and hurried mishandling of Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearings is unacceptable and demand that they take a stand (even if they aren’t on the committee) to delay the confirmation vote until Kavanaugh’s complete record has been thoroughly vetted, including Ford’s accusations of attempted rape. There are 21 senators on the committee. If one of them is yours, you have power. Be sure to contact him or her.
Senate Judiciary Committee Members:
Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
Orrin G. Hatch (R-UT)
John Cornyn (R-Texas)
Ted Cruz (R-TX)
Jeff Flake (R-AZ)
Thom Tillis (R-NC)
Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
Michael S. Lee (R-UT)
Ben Sasse (R-NE)
Mike Crapo (R-ID)
John Kennedy (R-LA)
Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
Christopher A. Coons (D-DE)
Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
Kamala Harris (D-CA)
Dick Durbin (D-IL)
Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)
Cory Booker (D-NJ)
